Easy to intermediate
Chocolate Cherry Shrimp (Neocaridina davidi)
18–26°C · pH 6.5–8 · 30L
£13.99
A lively true freshwater puffer from South America, prized for its personality, intelligence, and compact size. Moderate care, semi-aggressive. 24-28C, pH 6.5-7.5.
Adult size is the maximum length this species reaches at full maturity (scientific sources). The livestock you receive will be younger and smaller — pick a size variant above for the actual shipping size. Product-photo provenance and any image-specific limitations are stated on the listing.
Colomesus asellus
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A lively true freshwater puffer from South America, prized for its personality, intelligence, and compact size. Moderate care, semi-aggressive. 24-28C, pH 6.5-7.5.
Adult size is the maximum length this species reaches at full maturity (scientific sources). The livestock you receive will be younger and smaller — pick a size variant above for the actual shipping size. Product-photo provenance and any image-specific limitations are stated on the listing.
18–26°C · pH 6.5–8 · 30L
23–27°C · pH 7.4–8.4 · 1000L
20–24°C · pH 7–8 · 45L
24–28°C · pH 5.5–7 · 60L
Maintain these water conditions for optimal health and vibrant colors
The Amazon Puffer (Colomesus asellus) is the aquarium world's only truly sociable pufferfish — a lively, intelligent, shoaling species that swims boldly in open water rather than lurking alone. Its constant activity, expressive eyes and dog-like personality make it one of the most engaging fish you can keep, provided you can meet its specialist diet and give it the company of its own kind.
A neat, torpedo-shaped puffer reaching around 12cm, the Amazon Puffer wears a bright yellow-green back crossed by bold black saddles and bars, fading to a clean white belly. It has the classic puffer ability to inflate when alarmed, independently swivelling eyes, and a small beak formed from four fused teeth that grow continuously throughout its life.
Provide a mature, well-filtered aquarium of at least 110 litres with plenty of open swimming space, gentle to moderate flow and some planting or wood for structure. Keep the water warm (24–28°C) and close to neutral (pH 6.5–7.5), with pristine quality — as a scaleless fish it is sensitive to poor water and to copper-based medications, which must be avoided.
Those beak-like teeth never stop growing, so a diet of hard-shelled foods is essential to wear them down — without it the teeth overgrow and the fish cannot feed. The Amazon Puffer is also a known fin-nipper, so it is not a safe choice for a typical peaceful community.
Unlike almost every other puffer, this species is happiest in a group of three or more and becomes stressed kept alone. It is semi-aggressive and inquisitive, and will nip the fins of slow, long-finned tankmates. House it in a species tank or with fast, robust, short-finned companions that can hold their own.
| Great tank mates | Best avoided |
|---|---|
| A shoal of 3+ Amazon Puffers | Slow or long-finned fish |
| Fast, robust midwater fish | Dwarf shrimp (eaten) |
| Larger, active tetras | Delicate nano fish |
| Sturdy medium catfish | Anything small enough to nip |
A dedicated carnivore, it needs regular hard-shelled and meaty foods: ramshorn and small pond snails, mussel, cockle, prawn, bloodworm and krill. The snails and shellfish are not optional treats but essential for dental wear. Feed daily in modest amounts and vary the menu to keep the fish in bright, active condition.
Keep a steady supply of small snails on hand — a puffer that can crunch shellfish keeps its teeth in check naturally and rarely needs the stressful hand-trimming an overgrown beak eventually requires.
Every Amazon Puffer is hand-selected and quarantined before sale, then packed in oxygenated bags with insulation and heat packs when needed and sent by tracked, live-animal courier. Your order is covered by our Live Arrival Guarantee, so it reaches you safely anywhere in the UK.
