Mbu puffer
Tetraodon mbu
- Tank length
- 300 cmabout 10 ft (118 in)
- Start with
- 1
- Temperature
- 23–26 °C73–79 °F
- pH
- 6–7.8
- Adult size
- 55 cm22 in
- Lifespan
- 10–20 yrs
One of the largest freshwater puffers: a solitary fish needing a huge tank, very strong filtration and a steady supply of snails and shellfish.One of the largest freshwater puffers: a solitary fish needing a huge tank, very strong filtration and a steady supply of snails and shellfish.
Tank sizes
Good tankmates
Avoid with
- Irian Jaya rainbowfish
No shared temperature rangeNo shared temperature range
- Altum angelfish
No shared temperature rangeNo shared temperature range
- Arapaima
Arapaima may eat Mbu pufferArapaima may eat Mbu puffer
- Channel catfish
No shared temperature rangeNo shared temperature range
- Chocolate zebra pleco
No shared temperature rangeNo shared temperature range
DiscusNo shared temperature rangeNo shared temperature range
- Flowerhorn cichlid
No shared temperature rangeNo shared temperature range
- Hogchoker
No shared temperature rangeNo shared temperature range
- Longear sunfish
No shared temperature rangeNo shared temperature range
- Orange chromide
No shared pH rangeNo shared pH range
- Orinoco peacock bass
No shared temperature rangeNo shared temperature range
- Piraiba
Piraiba may eat Mbu pufferPiraiba may eat Mbu puffer
Data used by the planner
| Temperature | 23–26 | AqAdvisor (aqadvisor.com), retrieved 2026-10-04; agrees with FishBase (fishbase.se), retrieved 2026-10-04 · medium confidence |
|---|---|---|
| pH | 6–7.8 | AqAdvisor (aqadvisor.com), retrieved 2026-10-04 · medium confidence |
| Hardness (dGH) | 5–15 | AqAdvisor (aqadvisor.com), retrieved 2026-10-04 · medium confidence |
| Origin | Congo basin and Lake Tanganyika | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · low confidence |
| Beginner friendly | No | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence |
| Care level | advanced | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence |
| Activity | moderate | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence |
| Swimming level | middle | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence |
| Temperament | aggressive | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence |
| Nips fins | No | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence |
| Long fins | No | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence |
| Territorial | Yes | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence |
| Lives in groups | No | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence |
| Minimum group | 1 | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence |
| Diet | carnivore | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence |
| Lifespan (years) | 10–20 | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · low confidence |
| Months to adult size | 48 | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · low confidence |
| Safe with plants | Yes | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence |
| Minimum tank length | 300 | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium confidence |