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Spotted Congo Puffer – What You Need To Know
The Spotted Congo Puffer can be found in the Congo river which makes it a freshwater fish. A lot of puffers in the hobby require brackish water (mixture of fresh and saltwater) but this one along with a few others is a full freshwater fish.
What to feed Congo Spotted Puffer
Diet for these little puffers consists of freshwater snails, benthic animals, and insect larvae. In our aquarium, we try to keep her diet as close as possible to a wild diet so we have freshwater snails, worms, and sometimes clams. With the freshwater snails, they have a dual purpose of being food but also helping keep the teeth filed down so they don’t overgrow.
Classification Info
Scientific name: Tetraodon schoutedeni
Family: Tetraodontidae
Spotted Congo Puffer Max Size
The average size for the Teraodon Schoutedeni puffers is about 3.5 inches with females being the larger of the sexes. Our female Spotted Congo Puffer is about 2 inches as of today and we are excited to see her grow to her full potential.
Minimum Tank Size for Spotted Congo Puffer
For a single puffer, the minimum size tank should be at least 29 gallons with a footprint of 80cm (31.5 inches) x 35cm (13.78 inches), with a height of 40cm (15.75 inches). They can be housed in groups but you should have to have at least 6 to disperse any aggression that may occur and it’s widely accepted that you should keep 2 females to one male ratio when housing multiples.
Why We Love Them
We have a girl (that’s what our Local Fish Store said) Spotted Congo Puffer and she is one of the most interactive and aware fish we’ve had so far. She will follow us around the tank and begs for food every chance she gets. By her spotted appearance, you can tell why she is named a Spotted Congo Puffer. There are several other Congo puffers that are freshwater as well but can range in size. Don’t forget to check out the Pea Puffer if you want something even smaller than a Spotted Congo Puffer and for one that gets really big, check out the Mbu Puffer. You may have seen Mbu Puffers in social media like Murphy (owned by Cory McElroy of Aquarium Coop) and Barry.
Spotted Congo Puffer Tankmates
Suitable tankmates would be other non-aggressive fish like the Congo Tetras or even some Dwarf Rainbows. They should be big enough that the puffer can’t eat them but also have a personality that doesn’t bother and nip at the fins of your puffer. However, since the tetraodon schoutedeni is a predator, there is always a chance that it goes after other fish, so with any new tankmates observe how they behave and don’t put anything in the tank you are not willing to part ways with.
If you are in the market for a pufferfish and have the money, I would say go for it. They are a bit pricey at about $200 per fish so make sure this is what you want before making the investment and spend time researching if you’ve never had one.
