Golden puffer

Care at a glance

Overview

The golden puffer is a fast, streamlined puffer with a fierce temper, and it is best kept as a single fish in a species tank. It is an aggressive fin-nipper that will not tolerate other fish for long, so do not try to add community tankmates. Even other golden puffers are risky, as some individuals attack their own kind. It is an active swimmer that needs open water as well as cover from plants and wood. Its teeth grow constantly, so feed hard-shelled foods such as snails, small shellfish, and shell-on shrimp along with frozen meaty foods. A single fish suits a tank of around 85 liters or larger with room to cruise.

In the wild

The golden puffer comes from the fresh waters of Borneo, where it patrols flowing rivers and streams as an active, open-water hunter rather than a lurking ambusher. It is a pure freshwater fish that likes clean, well-oxygenated water with a moderate current. Recreate that with strong but not violent flow, efficient filtration, and a mix of open swimming space and cover from driftwood, roots, and hardy plants. Keep the temperature from 23 to 28 C and the pH between 6 and 7.5. Like all puffers it is sensitive to poor water, so stay on top of maintenance.

Good to know

The golden puffer, also sold as the bronze or avocado puffer, is a member of the family Tetraodontidae. Adults reach about 11 cm and have a slim, torpedo-shaped body built for active swimming, unusual among puffers that tend to be rounder and slower. Its back shifts between gold, green, and bronze depending on the light. Like all true puffers it has four fused, beak-like teeth and can inflate with water when threatened. Aquarium breeding is undocumented, and fish in the trade are wild caught.

Common questions

Related species

• 

  Greenbottle puffer

  Auriglobus nefastus

  5.1 in (13 cm) · 66 gal (250 L)

  5.1 in (13 cm)66 gal (250 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)

• 

  Abei puffer

  Pao abei

  4.7 in (12 cm) · 42 gal (160 L)

  4.7 in (12 cm)42 gal (160 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)

• 

  Marsh puffer

  Pao brevirostris

  5.5 in (14 cm) · 42 gal (160 L)

  5.5 in (14 cm)42 gal (160 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)
• Red-striped puffer

  Dichotomyctere erythrotaenia

  3.3 in (8.5 cm) · 29 gal (110 L)

  3.3 in (8.5 cm)29 gal (110 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)

• 

  Ocellated puffer

  Leiodon cutcutia

  5.9 in (15 cm) · 29 gal (110 L)

  5.9 in (15 cm)29 gal (110 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)

• 

  Target puffer

  Pao leiurus

  6.3 in (16 cm) · 53 gal (200 L)

  6.3 in (16 cm)53 gal (200 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)