Cookies seem to be disabled in your browser, therefore this website will NOT work properly! Please, consider enabling Cookies in order to maximise your user experience while browsing.
Recent discussions at Aqua-Fish+
  1. ja at Aquarium Water Chemistry: Essential Guide to pH, Ammonia, Nitrites & More on
  2. ja at Comprehensive Care Guide for Peacock Cichlid (Aulonocara) – Habitat, Breeding & Tank Setup on …display more of the recent discussions
  3. ja at Caring for Rainbow Sharks: Tank Setup, Behavior, and Maintenance Guide on
  4. ja at Comprehensive Guide to Clown Loach Care: Habitat, Diet, Behavior & Health on
  5. ja at Comprehensive Guide to White Cloud Mountain Minnow Care: Habitat, Diet, and Breeding on
  6. ja at A Comprehensive Guide to Aquarium Air Stones: Usage, Suppliers, and Product Images on
  7. ja at Comprehensive Guide to Caring for and Breeding Electric Blue Haps on
  8. ja at Complete Guide to Growing and Propagating Hygrophila Corymbosa in Aquariums on
  9. PondSealer at Maintainging a garden fish pond tasks on
  10. TheFishWorks at A guide on growing aquarium plants with FAQ, forum and species on
Mekong puffer - Tetraodon suvattii

Mekong puffer - Tetraodon suvattii

Scientific name: Tetraodon suvattii

Common name: Mekong puffer

Family: Tetraodontidae

Usual size in fish tanks: 10 - 12 cm (3.94 - 4.72 inch)

014

Recommended pH range for the species: 6 - 7.5

Recommended water hardness (dGH): 7 - 20°N (125 - 357.14ppm)

0°C 32°F30°C 86°F

Recommended temperature: 23 - 27 °C (73.4 - 80.6°F)

The way how these fish reproduce: Spawning

Where the species comes from: South Asia

Temperament to its own species: aggressive/territorial

Temperament toward other fish species: aggressive to smaller

Usual place in the tank: Bottom levels

Food and Feeding

The Mekong Puffer (Tetraodon suvattii) is a carnivorous predator that requires a diet rich in protein. It should be fed every other day to prevent overfeeding and maintain proper digestion. These fish readily accept:

  • Live or frozen feeder fish
  • Ghost shrimp and crayfish
  • Chopped mussels, cockles, and prawns

To ensure optimal nutrition, offer a varied diet and avoid over-reliance on feeder fish, which may lack essential nutrients. Hard-shelled foods, such as mussels or snails, help wear down their constantly growing teeth and prevent overgrowth issues common in pufferfish.

Origin and Natural Habitat

The Mekong Puffer is endemic to Southeast Asia, specifically the Mekong River Basin in Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia. It inhabits slow-moving rivers, floodplains, and stagnant pools with muddy or sandy bottoms, where it buries itself to ambush prey. These environments have soft, acidic to neutral water with moderate hardness and plenty of hiding spots.

To replicate its natural habitat, the aquarium should include:

  • Fine sand or soft substrate for burrowing
  • Flat rocks or driftwood to provide shelter
  • Dim lighting to mimic murky water conditions

Sexing

There are no visible external differences between male and female Mekong Puffers, making sexing difficult without internal examination.

Breeding

Mekong Puffers are substrate spawners, meaning they lay their eggs on flat surfaces such as rocks or slate. To encourage breeding:

  1. Provide flat stones as spawning sites.
  2. Ensure stable water conditions with a slightly acidic to neutral pH (6.0-7.5).
  3. Observe courtship, where the pair circles each other before spawning.
  4. After fertilization, the male guards the eggs until they hatch in 6-7 days.

Newly hatched fry require nutrient-rich foods, such as:

  • Infusoria (for the first few days)
  • Commercial fry food enriched with vitamins
  • Baby brine shrimp once they grow large enough

Due to their aggressive nature, breeding in captivity is rare, and successful raising of fry requires careful management.

Lifespan

With proper care, Tetraodon suvattii can live up to 10 years, making it a long-term commitment for dedicated aquarists.

Tank Setup and Compatibility

Mekong Puffers are highly aggressive and territorial, making them unsuitable for community tanks. It is best to keep them:

  • Alone in a species-only tank
  • In a well-filtered aquarium (due to their high waste production)
  • With strong water flow and regular maintenance

Tank size recommendations:

  • Minimum tank size: 75 liters (20 gallons) for a single fish
  • Ideal tank size: 115 liters (30 gallons) to accommodate their territorial behavior

They produce large amounts of waste, so a powerful filtration system and weekly 50% water changes are necessary to maintain water quality.

Water Parameters

Short Description

The Mekong Puffer is a solitary, ambush predator that thrives in a species-only aquarium due to its aggressive nature. It spends much of its time buried in the substrate, waiting to attack prey. While fascinating to observe, this species is not recommended for beginners due to its:

  • Highly aggressive temperament
  • Strict dietary needs
  • High waste output requiring intensive filtration and maintenance

With proper care and an experienced aquarist, Tetraodon suvattii makes a unique and rewarding addition to specialized freshwater aquariums.

Pictures

Bought by aqua-fish.net from jjphoto.dk.

Mekong puffer, picture 1 Mekong puffer, picture 2 Mekong puffer, picture 3 Mekong puffer, picture 4

Did you know?

Please, verify whether your login and password are valid. If you don't have an account here, register one free of charge, please. Click here to close this box.

You have been logged out successfully! This box will close automatically!

Something went wrong during processing your message, please try again!

Your message has been sent, thanks a lot!

Page has been saved, refresh it now, please!

The page has been created, you will now be redirected!

URL already exists!

Path to the photo is not unique!

Really delete this page from the database?

The page has been removed successfully, you will be redirected now!

The page couldn't be deleted!!

Unfortunately this page doesn't allow discussion. Please, find any other page that fits your area of interest as over 99% of our pages allow discussion. The reason why no discussion is allowed here is this page is too general. Thanks a lot for understanding! Click here to search, please!

Really delete this comment from the site?

Really delete this image from the site?

Really delete this image from the site?

Selected comment has been removed successfully!

Selected image has been removed successfully!

Either login or email address is required

Account has been recovered, please check your email for further instructions