TankBud

Mbu puffer

Tetraodon mbu

Also known as Giant freshwater puffer, Giant puffer

FreshwaterFish

Mbu puffer (Tetraodon mbu)
Tiia Monto · CC BY-SA 4.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
75–82°F
24–28°C
pH
7.0–8.0
Adult size
26.4 in
67 cm
Minimum tank
396 gal
1,500 L
Temperament
Aggressive
Social behavior
Solitary
Own kind
One per tank
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Middle
Diet
Carnivore
Difficulty
Difficult
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Common
Family
Tetraodontidae
Origin
Native to the Congo River basin and Lake Tanganyika in Central Africa, over open sand and rock in large rivers.

Overview

The Mbu puffer is an intelligent, interactive puffer that cruises open water. It is a fish for experienced keepers with space for a very large tank.

Did you know

The Mbu puffer is the giant of the freshwater puffers, the largest of them all.

Caring for the Mbu puffer

An adult Mbu puffer needs an enormous tank of at least 396 gal (1,500 L). It is a huge, messy fish with a very heavy waste load, so run very strong filtration. Keep the water at 75 to 82°F (24 to 28°C) and a pH of 7.0 to 8.0.

Its four fused teeth form a beak that grows continuously. Feed a varied hard-shelled diet of snails, mussel, prawn and crab to keep it worn down. Without that hard food, the beak can overgrow until the fish starves.

The Mbu puffer is usually kept alone, since it may nip or eat tank mates. Some keepers manage large, fast companions, so treat any tank mate with caution.

Good to know

Tetraodon mbu belongs to the family Tetraodontidae. It is a round-bodied fish with a maze-like green and yellow pattern and expressive eyes. Like other puffers, it can inflate with water, and its tissues can carry the toxin tetrodotoxin.

In the wild

The Mbu puffer is native to the Congo River basin and Lake Tanganyika in Central Africa. It lives over open sand and rock in large rivers, crushing snails, crabs and mussels with its powerful beak.

Common questions

What size tank does a Mbu puffer need?

A Mbu puffer needs at least 396 gal (1,500 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a Mbu puffer need?

A Mbu puffer is comfortable at 75–82°F (24–28°C) with a pH of 7.0–8.0.

What does a Mbu puffer eat?

An Mbu puffer eats a varied hard-shelled diet of snails, mussel, prawn and crab. That hard food keeps its ever-growing beak worn down.

How big does a Mbu puffer get?

An adult Mbu puffer reaches about 26.4 in (67 cm).

Related species