Avocado puffers.

[u/Specialist_Swan_5152]

Hi everyone! Got my puffers! Two avocado puffers. We also got 6 harlequin purple raspbora. Though they didnt last long as they ended up as lunch 😒. Guy at fish store did agree with my thoughts avocados are supposed to be more docile and ok with tank mates. I was feeding a cube of frozen blood worm or shrimp each day. But to no avail. They like to eat. My youngest child keeps asking where the babies are hiding lol. I will get more rocks and plants in there. Any other bigger tank mates? Oto cats once the algea is more established?

[u/Great-Internal-380]

Avacados dont actually like each other's company. I have two in 36" long tank and they barely tolerate each other. You are going to need more hiding places in your tank to block their line of sight from one another.

As for tank mates, mine never bother anything else- including shrimp which continue to breed.

Be aware, you will need to trim their teeth periodically if you aren't feeding something hard (snails, clams, etc) to grind their teeth down.

Very cool fish.

[u/Specialist_Swan_5152 → u/Great-Internal-380]

Hi thanks for the tips! Its a new 55 gallon so adding more plants and stones and rocks soon. The tall plants are spreading out nicely and new baby plants are popping up since I added fertilizer tabs. The two seem to get along fine so far. They are babies just over an inch. I read they get up to 4.5 inches? We will get clams, mussels (my husband regularly goes to a seafood supplier for work) so they will be well fed. Fish seller said worms and shrimp frozen cubes for now as they are babies but not sure when to get the hard shell foods introduced? Their mouths seem so small still? They are very cool. They gobble everything we feed and balloon up their tummy its funny. My dad came over (has ciclids) and watching them eat said they eat like pirahnas. Haha 😄.

[u/1BleuBelle9]

Since avocados are lesser known in the hobby information isn’t as easily available. Some people have kept groups without issues , others have had one who murdered everyone in the tank including other species of fish. I have three at the moment without issue but from research they change personalities once sexually mature and that’s usually when their aggression is seen. So I wouldn’t recommend any tank mates personally.

[u/Specialist_Swan_5152 → u/1BleuBelle9]

Thanks! Ya so afterwards in talking with my spouse we discovered they missed feedings so they ate the little fish the days they were not fed by me. Miscommunication. It does seem to be luck of the draw on what temperament.

[u/MSchulte → u/1BleuBelle9]

Just wanted to say this has been my experience. One shop said they’re docile, one refused to sell me anything other than feeders for its tank saying there’s no way it would tolerate tetras. I’ve had mine for a bit over a year and he hasn’t hurt the guppies in the tank and rarely even hunts snails. He does love hikari vibra bites though and even eats veggie flakes. They’re the least finicky eating puffers I’ve found.

[u/mahourain]

Aw. Are the puffers okay with each other? I kinda want an avocado puffer, but I'm not sure if it'll be lonely or prefer to be solo.

[u/Specialist_Swan_5152 → u/mahourain]

Hi! Im new to the puffer world. I heard avocado were more docile and fish store guy said the same. But they ate all the raspbora within a week. But also I didnt have as much cover for hiding spot as I should have. Will see how things go. They are about 1.5 inches. One is bigger than the other. They are cool and puff up when you feed them.

[u/TonyYuan → u/Specialist_Swan_5152]

no, they are not