How to Keep Freshwater Pufferfish: Fahaka Puffer

Freshwater Pufferfish: Tetraodon lineatus

Common names: Fahaka puffer, Lined puffer, Nile puffer

Activity level: active/hunter

Adult size: ~18 inches

Min tank size: 120 gallons

Temperature: 74-80 degrees F

pH: 6.0-7.8

Diet: Crustaceans. While your Fahaka puffer is a baby-sub adult, you can offer them a regular diet of snails, shrimp, and a variety of frozen foods, like blood worms, and brine shrimp – you can also cut fish fillets into bite sized chunks. Once they reach adulthood, it will be necessary to purchase some of your food from the grocery store, like whole shrimp, crab legs, mussels, and clams. As an occasional treat, you can offer your puffer red wigglers, ghost shrimp, and other types of feeder insects – however, it is important to note that ghost shrimp do not hold very much nutritional value. The key for any fish is a varied diet.

Notes: Fahaka’s are a large, active species of freshwater pufferfish. As such, they require a lot of tank room to move around. It is important to note that the standard 150 gallon fish tank set up is too narrow for an adult Fahaka to easily turn around in. Instead, look for a low, wide tank – a 120 gallon fish tank is wider than a show 150, and is more suitable for an adult specimen.

Young Fahaka’s require adequate hiding spots in their fish tank set up, and will bury themselves in the sand if it is provided. The Fahaka is considered an aggressive species of freshwater pufferfish. While some cohabitate with large, hardy tank mates most will eat other fish that they come in contact with – or at the very least, taste test them.

The Fahaka has a relatively fast growing beak, and requires a hard, crunchy diet. Like many other freshwater pufferfish, if they are not provided with enough hard foods Fahaka’s will require manual beak filing, which is very stressful for both pufferfish and owner.

Need a care guide for your new puffer?

Beginner's Guide to Keeping Fahaka Puffers

Find out what it takes to keep them healthy