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there were two cool fish at a lfs and i want to make sure what im getting myself into. the first is a fahaka puffer thats about 2", hes going for $50.00. the second is a jardini arowana that is 2" and $55.00.

are they good buys? how rare are they and what could i put with each of them?

i have one open 120usg

ill ony get one

thanks

i've never heard of that type of puffer, so they could be rare, or it could just be a unique common name. if you could find out the scientific name, that would help to narrow it down a bit.

as far as the arrowana goes, the main thing to keep in mind is that they do get large (minimum 3', i believe) and usually lose any bright coloration they may have as juveniles as they mature.

as far as whether they are a good deal or a good choice for a 120G, i'm not too sure... but you're probably on the right track to only keep one or the other!

cheers!

Fahaka puffer (Tetraodon lineatus) isn't incredibly rare, but they're not all that common either. You can order them online pretty much any time but seeing one at an lfs is (at least in my area) incredibly rare. $50 is a pretty good price, imo. You can buy them online for around $25 to $30 but then you would also have to pay shipping.

I know about nothing about arrowanas and don't much care for them anyway, so the fahaka would be my choice. however, you'd be very lucky if you get a fahaka to accept any tankmates. these are one of the most aggressive freshwater fish and will usually kill and eat anything they can catch. they'll need a specialized diet including shelled foods such as thawed shell-on shrimp or about any other raw seafood from your local grocery store, live mini or fiddler crabs, live crayfish as well as many other options. fahakas, like all puffers, need excellent water quality and 50% weekly water changes are recommended for any puffer. puffers do need special care, but if you make the commitment and stick to it you won't be disappointed.

If you definitely decide on the puffer, I'll move this thread to the puffer forum for you. you'll get lots more information on them in there.

A Jardini (Scleropages jardini) is not a gold (Scleropages formosus)...the former is legal to possess in the USA, the latter is not. A jardini aro will eventually need in excess of 250 gallons, so he would not be a good choice unless you have plenty of room and money.

A fahaka (Tetraodon fahaka) puffer is about the most aggressive puffer you can have....he would need to be in a tank dedicated to him only (and only one, as they will murder their own kind in short order)...and it would eventually need to be a bit more sizeable than an average 55 as Fahakas get to be 12"-14" and would need more width than a 55 would have.

Last edited by Toirtis at 20-Jan-2005 20:44

I'd suggest the fahaka puffer. Aros get humongous, and I just think fahakas look more interesting-- they're a sure sight to see when you feed them crayfish, too!

Fahaka puffers are awesome fish. [link=here]http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/profiles/fahaka.xml" style="COLOR: #FF8080[/link] is this site's profile of them, [link=here]http://www.thetropicaltank.co.uk/Fishindx/puf-lin.htm" style="COLOR: #FF8080[/link] is another profile, and [link=here]http://aquaticpredators.com/profiles/tetraodonlineatus/tetraodonlineatus.html" style="COLOR: #FF8080[/link] is one more profile. these fish do get very large and you'd need to move the puffer to a larger tank once it gets to around 6-8". eventually a 120 (48" x 24" x 25" or 125 (72" x 18" x 22" would be best. if kept properly these fish will grow to 18" or more.