Fahaka puffer care
Tetraodon lineatus · The Nile, Lake Chad, Lake Turkana and West African rivers from Senegal to the Volta
The fahaka, or Nile puffer, is a freshwater puffer that grows to about 17 inches, striped yellow and dark olive, and one of the most aggressive fish kept in tanks.
- Tank size
- 150 US gal or larger
- Temperature
- 75 to 82 °F (24 to 28 °C)
- Group size
- Alone (one per tank)
- Temperament
- Aggressive
- Adult size
- 17 in
- pH
- 7 to 8
- Hardness (GH)
- 5 to 15 dGH
- Lifespan
- 10 to 15 years
- Diet
- Carnivore
- Care level
- Demanding
In a 150 gallon
72½ × 18½ × 29½ in outsideHow to keep fahaka puffers
The fahaka, or Nile puffer, is a freshwater puffer that grows to about 17 inches, striped yellow and dark olive, and one of the most aggressive fish kept in tanks. Keep one alone in a 150 gallon or larger tank with powerful filtration, and feed hard-shelled food such as snails and crayfish to wear down its beak-like teeth.
Diet: Carnivore: snails, clams, crayfish, frozen shrimp. Fish food types compared · how often to feed.
Where they swim: All levels.
Fahaka puffer tank mates
Share the temperature and water, and neither side eats, nips or bullies the other. Check the full group in the stocking checker.
Fahaka puffers belong in a tank of their own: they nip, bully or eat most tankmates.
Keep apart
Neon tetra: Fahaka puffers belong in a tank of their own.
Cardinal tetra: Fahaka puffers belong in a tank of their own.
Black neon tetra: Fahaka puffers belong in a tank of their own.
Green neon tetra: Fahaka puffers belong in a tank of their own.
Ember tetra: Fahaka puffers belong in a tank of their own.
Glowlight tetra: Fahaka puffers belong in a tank of their own.
What a fahaka puffer tank needs
A tank of 150 US gallons or more (such as the 150 gallon) with a cover, and the equipment below.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Aqueon QuietFlow Canister Filter 400
Rated by the maker for 100–150 US gal, which covers a 150 gallon fahaka puffer tank without being built for a far bigger one.
EHEIM professionel 4+ 600 (2275)
Rated by the maker for 63–158 US gal, which covers a 150 gallon fahaka puffer tank without being built for a far bigger one.
EHEIM thermocontrol 250
Fahaka puffers need 75 to 82 °F; most homes run cooler, so a heater holds the temperature. Aqueon’s chart gives two 300 W heaters for a 150 gallon tank, and a second heater is worth having here: if one fails, the other keeps the water from going cold. Two Aqueon Pro 300 heaters, each rated by Aqueon for up to 100 gallons, make that pair. Heating a big tank.
API Freshwater Master Test Kit
Tests ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH, the readings that matter most before and after adding fahaka puffers.
Seachem Prime 100 mL
Removes chlorine and chloramine from tap water at every water change.
Fluval Edge Thermometer
Shows the water temperature at a glance, so you know it stays within 75 to 82 °F.
We don’t list fish food: any good brand of the foods under Diet will do. Plan the whole tank's equipment →
Common fahaka puffer problems
- It attacks any tankmate; keep it alone.
- Its teeth overgrow on soft food; feed snails, clams and crayfish.
- It bites fingers; take care during tank work.
Test the water first whenever fish look unwell: see what your readings mean, then match the symptom. For disease, a vet who treats fish can diagnose it and advise treatment.
More to compare
Sources
Name, origin and adult size checked against Wikipedia: Tetraodon lineatus. Temperature, pH, hardness, group size, lifespan and minimum tank size are common hobby guidance, not figures from that article. Ranges are the range the species tolerates; aim for the middle. Minimum tank sizes are for an adult group. Drawings are our own; photo credits follow.
Photo credits
Real photographs from Wikimedia Commons, resized and cropped to fit; each is used under the license named.
- Fahaka puffer Earedien, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Neon tetra Holger Krisp, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Cardinal tetra CHUCAO, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Black neon tetra Debivort, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Green neon tetra Sascha Biedermann, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
- Ember tetra Klaus Rudloff, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Glowlight tetra gonzalovalenzuela; cropped by Kyknos, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Pea puffer Beta Mahatvaraj, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Amazon puffer O. Schneider, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Mbu puffer Tiia Monto, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Red-tail dwarf puffer Neale Monks (English Wikipedia), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
.jpg){kind=link}
