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Amazon Puffer

South American Freshwater Puffer ~ Bee Puffer
Asell's Puffer - Brazilian Puffer

Family: TetraodontidaeColomesus asellusPhoto © Animal-World: Courtesy Ken Childs

   The bright colors and beautiful pattern on the Amazon Puffer makes it one of the most sought after members of this family!

   Although many puffers look cute and comical, most of them have a mean streak and will at least do some kind of damage to tank mates that are slow or that have long fins. The Amazon Puffer is the exception to this rule. It is a peaceful fish, almost to the point of being shy so they cannot be kept with aggressive tank mates. Even so it is a puffer and can nip fins, though usually just at feeding time.

   Its peaceful nature and the fact that it is one of the few puffers that naturally exists in pure freshwater makes it a good choice for a community tank. Constantly on the move, this is an active, intelligent, and curious fish. They appreciate a well planted aquarium along with some open swimming space.

For more Information on keeping this fish see:
Guide to a Happy, Healthy Freshwater Aquarium

Distribution:    The Amazon Puffers are found throughout the Amazon River basin in South America

Status:    These fish are not endangered.

Description:    The Amazon Puffer looks a bit like an overstuffed bumblebee, thus its alternate common name 'Bee Puffer'. These fish may have a golden cast to the upper parts of their bodies getting lighter and whiter on the underside, and several dark bold partial bands. Like many of the pufferfish however, the coloring of the Amazon Puffer can vary. Not all will be as bold in coloration; some may be more uniform in color, and the band patterning may be faint. The most prominent identification of this puffer is a large dark spot on the underside just before the caudal fin.
   Puffer fish have the ability to 'puff' themselves up with water or air if threatened. This apparently helps keep them from being eaten. Another defense of many puffer species, including this puffer, is to produce toxic substances in their flesh that is poisonous if eaten. The Pufferfish can be quite long lived in the aquarium, many living for 10 or more years.

Size - Weight:    These fish can grow up to 5 inches (14 cm).

Care and feeding:    The Amazon Puffers are carnivores. They prefer a diet of small insects and shrimp, so frozen bloodworms and brine shrimp are good choices for food. They will sometimes eat high quality freeze dried and  flake foods.
   Puffers have strong teeth that grow throughout their lives. The Amazon Puffer has faster growing teeth than many of the puffers, so is prone to overgrown teeth. It will need to be offered hard shelled live food often to keep the teeth worn down. Feeding snails daily will help to wear down the teeth. If the teeth get too long, they will be unable to eat, requiring the owner to clip the teeth.
   Since puffers do not have gill covers or scales, they are thought to be more susceptible to diseases, nitrite, nitrate and ammonia levels. Like all puffers, this puffer is not a good fish to cycle an aquarium with. Also because they usually don't eat all of their food (messy eaters!), these fish will usually put more load on the aquarium filtration requiring more frequent water changes and better maintenance in general. A generous weekly water change of 30% to 50% is the standard recommendation for a puffer aquarium. This puffer is especially sensitive upon arrival to a new aquarium, though once it is acclimated it is quite hardy.
      The Amazon Puffer doesn't require a large aquarium, so a 15 gallon aquarium will work fine. However if you want to keep more than one or some other species with them, a well planted 20 - 30 gallon aquarium is better. This puffer fish is a freshwater species.

Water Region: Top, Middle, Bottom:    The Amazon Puffer will swim in all parts of your aquarium.

Acceptable Water Conditions:    Temp: 72° - 82° F (22 - 28°C)
   pH: 5.5 - 7.2
   Hardness: 5 - 15 dH

Social Behaviors:    These puffer fish are peaceful so they can be kept with other non-aggressive species in a community tank. Even so it is a puffer and can nip fins, though usually just at feeding time.

Sexual Differences:    Sexual differences are unknown.

Breeding/Reproduction:    Has not been bred in captivity.

Availability:    The Amazon Puffer are commonly available.

Author: Ken Child's
Additional Information: Clarice Brough CFFS

Lastest Comments on Amazon Puffer View all 12 comments on Amazon Puffer Add Your Comment

Mary - 2012-01-20 I have a 10 gallon tank along with 5 goldfish, I've got hiding spots and decor and fake plants. I was at Walmart and saw the litter spotted green puffer. The lady in the fish department gave me very little info on him. She said he eats just flakes, and use the aquarium salt. I bought him and the Jungle aquarium salt. Thankfully I still have a can of blood worms to hold him over besides the flakes until I go buy some other foods/snails for him. Little did I know what I was getting into. What kind of snails would I buy to feed him? I'm going to go buy some real plants for him to nibble on too. Do you think my little guy will survive in my tank? Click For Replies (4) Editor's Note - 2012-01-20 Spotted Puffers (Tetraodon nigroviridis) from Walmart are typically brackish water and will not survive, sadly in your tank. Puffers are referred to as 'aqua dogs' due to their personality, and the fact that they chew on whatever they can. Keep your wires out of reach. They will grow up to 5' and they are semi-aggressive. They really need their own tank and brackish water is not too hard to keep, sort of between salt and fresh. As little juveniles, like many fish, they are found in fresh water, then migrate to estuaries, or brackish water. If it is still young enough to deal with the fresh water, it will go after your goldfish. I would suggest buying another tank for your puffer if you are in love with it, and look up a little more information and your puffer will reward you with years of companionship. They do need to be entertained too! If you don't want to do all of this, then I would say to return the puffer to the store. If you want a TRUE FRESHWATER puffer, they are out there, just do the research before buying, and even then, do not put in with goldfish. Hope that helps and have fun with your spotted aqua dog! Mary - 2012-01-20 They are not gold fish but *GLOfish* their little neon tetra sort of fish and I've been keeping a eye on them and they seem to be getting along. I do plan on getting him a 20gal tank tomorrow just for him. He is quite adorable and I do want to keep him, Hoping he lives and heals because his fins are severely chewed up. I read they are omnivorious and need alot of meat like live crustaceans and freezed bloodworms or shrimp and snails to keep there teeth in check. He's only a inch big right now, would anyone recommend what to feed him till he gets bigger? Jay - 2012-01-26 Mary, those glow fish will be a meal soon. The amazon puffer is a brackish water fish when young then requires full marine conditions when fully grown. Despite what you read online most puffers are salt water fish. In the long run your glow fish will be eaten or killed and the puffer will die from living in the wrong environment. This is what happens when you buy fish from the know nothings at walmart. Scott Emberly - 2012-01-31 Hey I just did a bit of homework after purchasing probably the same freshwater puffer. I already have salt as well as brakish water but they need snails clams and other hard shelled live food to trim there teeth or they will grow to long to eat an die or if you are brave enough you might have to trim the teeth they also like brine shrimp as a treat as well as frozen blood worms Reply

maria - 2007-08-13 I have two amazon puffer fish in a 90 litre tank. at the moment they are young and about max. 5cm long. i feed them on bloodworm and their teeth are growing, but when i try to feed them snails they are scared of them, or loose the small ones, and i find the snail dead and uneaten later. i think this is only because they are still babies. They get along well, although sometimes they fin nip or fight over their food. this is only very rarely and most of the time they are good friends. they rest together at night at the bottom of the tank. i worked with them for a while at a pet shop, the fish are wild as they cannot be bred in captivity and come from South American rivers such as the Napo River where they are naturally found under floating plants in little schools. Click For Replies (3) javin - 2011-02-21 Live in salt or freshwater:please please PLEASE REPLY? Anonymous - 2011-03-10 I just got a pufferfish today so I'm not that sure how to take care of it so anyone have any pointers?:) Kate - 2012-01-10 Freshwater. Also, please only buy fish AFTER you've researched them. You'll get stuck with a lot of things you never wanted if you don't understand them. :) Reply

jon - 2011-12-21 I'm a first timer, how hard are these fish to take care of and maintain in an aqurium with 1 or 2 other friendly fish? Click For Replies (2) Charlie Roche - 2011-12-21 Puffers are not known for their gentle temperments. They are agressive and will usually do some damage to other fish in the tank. They also release a toxin if frightened by another fish. They aren't for a novice so I would wait and gain some experience before trying this guy out. Alex Burleson - 2012-01-09 Puffers can be quite aggressive. They're not very difficult to care for, however they can be aggressive towards other fish in the aquarium, and they will vehemently attack snails, and other invertebrates in the aquarium such as shrimp. I would not recommend keeping them with basic community fish. Reply

john - 2011-11-18 Hi, I was wondering if it would be possible to keep 3 of these, 1 senegal bichir, and a pair of firemouth cichlids together in a 20 gallon tank? At this moment the 20 gallon is not set up and I only have the bichir. Click For Replies (3) Charlie Roche - 2011-11-18 Animal World recommends at least a 20 gallon for the pair of firemouth cichlids so I think your stretching it by adding the third fish in just the 20 gallon. Charlie Roche - 2011-11-21 Got it now. 20 gallons would just be too small for 3 puffers plus the other fish. Also the puffers are carnivores and that doesn't help with the other fish. Puffers teeth actually require maintenance and that can be a pain. One other thing, if the puffer is attacked for any reason, they puff themselves up but at the same time, they also can release a toxin which can poison the attacking fish. I would go a little slower and get used to the 20 gallon and the fish you have and then after you learn more - maybe you will be able to get a larger tank. Have to do a lot of reading and learning first. You don't want to go through the cost of a tank and the work of setting it up and the cost of the fish to not have them be healthy. john - 2011-11-21 Sorry if got a little confused about '3 of these'. What I meant was three amazon puffers but you are 100% right about streching it. It's just that a 20 gallon is the biggest tank my mom will let me have so my options are limited. Reply

Jenna - 2010-10-15 I have a young amazon puffer that I thought had ick. We have treated our tank now for 3 wks and he still has ick. I'm now wondering if maybe he has something else. We have used IckEase for 4 consecutive days, with a 50% water change prior to treatment and after treatment. We raised the temp to 86 degrees and turned out all the lights. We have now switched our water to brackish water..and nothing is getting rid of it. None of my other 9 fish have any spots. Does anyone know if this fish is a carrier of any other sort of illness that this might be? He is still eating his bloodworms and is active in the tank. Click For Replies (4) Angie - 2010-11-21 We've been experiencing the exact same thing today...we're freaking out! He just all of a sudden started "playing dead" but he's clearly still alive. We have done ALL the proper maintenance as well....right down to the last detail...someone help! Will - 2011-02-23 Mine too! It went very quickly but has reappeared today. Neither have looked that bad. Only had him a week so will keep observing. Ashley Kavanagh - 2011-04-14 I don't know whether this will help at all, but quite commonly scaleless fish such as the pufferfish can get a disease called "velvet" a very harsh disease despite the name. The best treatment I find that works is the "interpet velvet and slime treatment" but be sure to halve the dose as you probably already know, they are very sensitive to treatments. You may further wish to supplement the treatment (after the velvet treatment is finished) with a fish tonic of some kind. Aquarium salt is a great addition to all aquariums. But again be very careful with dosages. It may pay to ask the store you buy the treatment from what dosage level it would be worth having in the aquarium. Hope this helps. samuel - 2011-05-26 I have a fresh water puffer. He has lived in my tank for about 1 year. He has had ick 2 times. I used ick-ease but took out the filter in the pump. The next day did a water change but actually took out bout 60-70% of the water. He has stayed looking happy and healthy ever sense... :) Reply

javin - 2011-02-21 Live in salt water or freshwater? Click For Replies (1) DarkSonny - 2011-04-06 Read the name of the fish at the top of the page. "Freshwater" is right in its name! Reply

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