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Ok so I am planning a 30g planted tank for a T suvattii, or the Arrow head/Pig-nose puffer. Anyways I've already researched a lot about them and was wondering if anyone here knew anything about them or has experienced them. Also, do you think it would leave a pleco alone because I need something to take care of algae.

Thanks in advance.

Any fish with the arrowhead puffer is in danger. I am not saying that it will not work, but do not be attached to the puffers tank mate.

If you wish it to have tank mates, colomesus asellus would be a better puffer in that situation.

In the best interest on any fish unfortunate enough to possibly be found in the above situation, don't do it.

Perhaps I'll go with the congo puffer Tetraodon miurus instead, they seem more available around here... so I guess it's a no for the pleco.

Most puffers can only be kept in a species tank with their own species or other puffer species. A few can sometimes get along with plecos and similar out of the way bottom feeders but even then there's always a chance one day they will decide that pleco is a target. Unless your puffers are way smaller than your pleco there's no gurantees.

The general consensus here is that Puffers can become nippy or even violent without warning. I too would recommend erring on the side of caution. Remember that a Puffer has a set of mouthparts that can dismantle hard shelled molluscs with ease, and consequently would have few qualms about dismantling another fish if it thought there was a good reason to - for example, suddenly deciding that the other fish would make a good lunch.

Here is a good place to go for some more information. Find your species choice in the list of scientific names on the right, click on the link, then read the notes. You'll find that some species are listed as very aggressive ...

EDIT : We have a member called puffer_archer who contributes both here and to specialised puffer forums. Look for his articles at The Puffer Forum including his piece in the Library section on "Alone but not Lonely" - that should tell you a LOT about what you need to know!


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002