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Borneo red-eye puffer

Carinotetraodon borneensis

Also known as Borneensis puffer, Jet black puffer

FreshwaterFish

Borneo red-eye puffer (Carinotetraodon borneensis)

Care at a glance

Temperature
75–82°F
24–28°C
pH
5.0–6.8
Adult size
2 in
5 cm
Minimum tank
14 gal
54 L
Temperament
Aggressive
Social behavior
Solitary
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Middle
Diet
Carnivore
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Rare
Family
Tetraodontidae
Origin
Bornean blackwaters

Overview

The Borneo red-eye puffer is a tiny blackwater puffer for a planted species tank of its own. It is a puffer for keepers with a little experience.

Did you know

When a male Borneo red-eye puffer displays, he raises a ridge along both his back and his belly at once. For a moment, that turns a five centimeter fish into a keeled, banner-like shape that warns off rivals.

Caring for the Borneo red-eye puffer

Give a single Borneo red-eye puffer a densely planted, dimly lit tank of at least 14 gal (54 L). Recreate its blackwater with soft sand, driftwood, leaf litter and gentle flow. It swims through the middle and lower water rather than resting on the bottom.

Keep the water warm at 75 to 82°F (24 to 28°C) and distinctly soft and acidic, at pH 5.0 to 6.8. Hold nitrate low with regular water changes.

Its beak grows for life, so feed small hard-shelled foods such as pond snails to keep the teeth in check. Add bloodworm and other small meaty frozen foods.

It is feisty and aggressive toward its own kind and toward tank mates. Any companions are risky enough to treat with real caution.

Males show a red dorsal fin, a colored belly keel and red eyes, while females are plainer. Aquarium breeding is seldom recorded.

Good to know

The Borneo red-eye puffer is a member of the pufferfish family Tetraodontidae. It belongs to the red-eye puffer genus Carinotetraodon.

In the wild

The Borneo red-eye puffer lives in peat-stained forest streams in southern Sarawak, Borneo. The water there is soft, acidic and darkly stained with tannins.

Common questions

What size tank does a Borneo red-eye puffer need?

A Borneo red-eye puffer needs at least 14 gal (54 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a Borneo red-eye puffer need?

A Borneo red-eye puffer is comfortable at 75–82°F (24–28°C) with a pH of 5.0–6.8.

What does a Borneo red-eye puffer eat?

A Borneo red-eye puffer eats small hard-shelled foods such as pond snails, which keep its teeth in check. It also takes bloodworm and other small meaty frozen foods.

How big does a Borneo red-eye puffer get?

An adult Borneo red-eye puffer reaches about 2 in (5 cm).

How can you tell a male Borneo red-eye puffer from a female?

Males show a red dorsal fin, a colored belly keel and red eyes. Females are plainer.

Related species