Golden Puffer
This fish is known as Guineafowl Puffer, Golden Puffer, Guinea Fowl, Spotted Puffer and the correct latin name is Arothron meleagris. The family that this fish belongs to is called the Puffer family. (e) It's origin is Indo-Pacific. (e)
Golden Puffer can grow up to 50 cm what is approximately 19 inches. So 1 specimen requires at least 6000cm2 of water surface which is approximately 930 square inch. This fish should be kept in aquariums that are large. (e) Medium aquariums have at least 113 Litres (30 US Gallons). Large aquariums have at least 265 Litres (70 US Gallons). Very large aquariums have at least 700 Litres (185 US Gallons).
It is not very difficult to keep the Golden Puffer fish. (e) The specific gravity (SG) should be between 1,020 and 1,025, the temperature between 23°C (73.4°F) and 26°C (78.8°F). The pH levels shouldn't be outside of 8.0 - 8.3 since most marine fish are used to the mentioned range of pH values.
This species comes in two colour variants. The first is yellow with a few black dots and the second it black with white dots. However, these are not two variants of the same fish; One fish can change it’s colour during the life.
Pufferfish in general are carnivores and Golden Puffer is no exception. It will eat invertebrates in your tank, so you should keep this in a fish-only tank. When we are speaking about food, you should feed them small creatures with shells (clams, shrimps), because their teeth grow all their life and they he do not eat hard things, teeth will overgrow and then it will be impossible to feed the fish. Even though some veterinary clinics can cut their teeth, there is not much places where this can be done.
Also you have to be careful when you transport the fish. You can’t just take the fish out of the tank with a net, because they get scared, and when they are scared, they pump water into themselves as a form of protection. But when they are out of the water in a net, they could get swollen by air and that would kill them. So you should use a kind of container and catch the fish into it right in the water.
Thanks to Kenneth Leonard for the pictures. Copyright Ken Leonard.
Related fish profiles in the database
Feel free to share your experiences regarding keeping Arothron meleagris below. Every message will be held for approval by our moderators. It usually takes 24 hours to publish your comment. Before you ask anything, browse the questions page, please.
Character and suggestions regarding care
This species is peaceful.Golden Puffer can grow up to 50 cm what is approximately 19 inches. So 1 specimen requires at least 6000cm2 of water surface which is approximately 930 square inch. This fish should be kept in aquariums that are large. (e) Medium aquariums have at least 113 Litres (30 US Gallons). Large aquariums have at least 265 Litres (70 US Gallons). Very large aquariums have at least 700 Litres (185 US Gallons).
It is not very difficult to keep the Golden Puffer fish. (e) The specific gravity (SG) should be between 1,020 and 1,025, the temperature between 23°C (73.4°F) and 26°C (78.8°F). The pH levels shouldn't be outside of 8.0 - 8.3 since most marine fish are used to the mentioned range of pH values.
This species comes in two colour variants. The first is yellow with a few black dots and the second it black with white dots. However, these are not two variants of the same fish; One fish can change it’s colour during the life.
Pufferfish in general are carnivores and Golden Puffer is no exception. It will eat invertebrates in your tank, so you should keep this in a fish-only tank. When we are speaking about food, you should feed them small creatures with shells (clams, shrimps), because their teeth grow all their life and they he do not eat hard things, teeth will overgrow and then it will be impossible to feed the fish. Even though some veterinary clinics can cut their teeth, there is not much places where this can be done.
Also you have to be careful when you transport the fish. You can’t just take the fish out of the tank with a net, because they get scared, and when they are scared, they pump water into themselves as a form of protection. But when they are out of the water in a net, they could get swollen by air and that would kill them. So you should use a kind of container and catch the fish into it right in the water.
Thanks to Kenneth Leonard for the pictures. Copyright Ken Leonard.
Related fish profiles in the database
- Arothron Hispidus (White-Spotted Puffer)
- Arothron Nigropunctatus (Dogface Puffer, Arothron Dogface Puffer, Blackspotted Puffer)
- Arothron Stellatus (Starry Pufferfish)
- Canthigaster Solandri (Spotted Toby)
- Canthigaster Valentini (Saddle Valentini Puffer, Valentini’s Sharpnose Puffer, Valentini Puffer)
- Ephippion Guttifer (Prickly Puffer)
- Lagocephalus Lunaris (Green Rough-Backed Puffer)
- Lagocephalus Sceleratus (Silverstripe Blaasop)
- Sphoeroides Trichocephalus (Pygmy Puffer)
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- Saltwater aquarium lights
- Saltwater aquarium filters
- Saltwater tank aeration
- Marine fish diseases
- Protein Simmers in the Saltwater Tank
- Setting up a Saltwater Tank
- Saltwater Fish Tanks
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- Blue-Banded Goby
- Blue Chromis
- Blue Green Chromis
- Blue Spot Butterflyfish
- Breeding Seahorses
- Cleaning Goby
- Common Seahorse
- Domino Damselfish
- Dragonface Pipefish
- Drawf Seahorse
- Fire Goby
- Ghost Pipefish
- Golden Damselfish
- Humbug Damselfish
- Lemonpeel Dwarf Angelfish (Centropyge flavissima) Care
- Longfin Bannerfish
- Majestic Angelfish Care
- Neon Velvet Damselfish
- Northern Seahorse
- Pyramid Butterflyfish
- Spotted Watchman Goby
- Tips on Yellow Longnose Butterflyfish Care
- Two Spot Goby
- Yellow Longnose Butterflyfish
Feel free to share your experiences regarding keeping Arothron meleagris below. Every message will be held for approval by our moderators. It usually takes 24 hours to publish your comment. Before you ask anything, browse the questions page, please.
Document modified on Fri Feb 6 0:21:49 UTC 2009
Document created on Thu Feb 5 12:49:29 UTC 2009
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