Above: In this picture is a very nice premium quality Freshwater King Kong Puffer, swimming in one of our aquariums when one of our crew members took this picture.

This fish is also known as the Dragon Puffer and the Humpback Puffer.

Comments: These are Puffers that we rarely see in the live fish stores or in the online that we visit.

Premium Puffers like these are hardier, healthier, and more colorful than Puffers from other sources.

Origin: This Puffer lived in freshwater streams, rivers, and ponds in Laos, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia in Southeast Asia, where they were caught and shipped to us by very skillful fish collectors.

Maximum Size: In aquariums, this Puffer often can grow to be about 8" long, but they live many years and continue to grow slowly for their entire lives.

Behaviors: This Puffer is less aggressive towards other fish than expected and is not very aggressive towards other members of it's species.

This Puffer will lie motionless on the bottom, trying to ambush and eat any smaller fish it can catch.

Compatibility: this Puffer should usually be kept alone in its own aquarium.

Small fish may be eaten by this Puffer, so be careful when selecting tankmates.

Temperature: This Puffer can live pretty well from about 74 to 82 degrees F., but they're probably most comfortable from about 75 to 78 degrees F.

Click here to learn about aquarium temperature, aquarium thermometers, and aquarium heaters.

Feeding: Premium Fish Food Pellets

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All Pufferfish must be fed some foods with shells like snails, lobster legs, plus unopened cockles and clams, so they will grind down their teeth biting on the shells.

Water Conditions: This Puffer can tolerate a wide range of water conditions.

Probably a pH of about 7 with moderate hardness is best.

Most water in the US has a higher pH and hardness but seems to be OK, so it's probably best NOT to adjust the pH or the hardness of the water.

Here in our facilities the water is hard and the pH is usually about 7.8.

We ship them in this water.

They need very fresh freshwater with frequent partial water changes.

So it's best to change 20% of the water at least twice a week.

Aquarium Size: One of these guys can do well living in a 50-gallon aquarium, but of course bigger is better.

Decor: These Puffers do not need gravel, and a layer of gravel more than 1/4" thick will usually fill with bits of uneaten food that will contaminate the water.

Click here for more about aquarium gravel.

Live Plants are beautiful and improve the water quality.

Click here for more about aquarium plants.

Aquarium Filter: Bio-Wheel Filters are highly recommended.

One or two Penguin 350B Filters in an aquarium with 50 to 60-gallons is OK.

But a bigger aquarium is better with as many Penguin Filters as will fit across the back.

Click here to learn more about aquarium filters.

The addition of Lava Rocks will keep nitrates in the ideal range.

Click here to learn more about using Lava Rocks in aquariums.

Life Span: is Puffer can live for several years, maybe many years with excellent care, including excellent water and premium fish foods.

Gender: It's very hard to distinguish males from females, only when trying to breed

is it easier to determine, then the females may become plumper, as they fill with eggs.

Breeding: This Pufferfish has been spawned a few times in freshwater aquariums.

The males tend the eggs and the new babies are quite large.

Popularity: These are rare fish and so have not yet had a chance to be popular.

Names: This species name is now Pao palembangensis formerly Tetraodon palembangensis.

Variations: We do not know of any variations of this species.

We hope you've enjoyed reading these comments.