Redtail comb puffer - Carinotetraodon irrubesco

The comb puffer, sometimes called the red-tailed puffer, is native to Indonesia and is one of the puffer fishes that are maintained in freshwater and are suitable for community tank care. Scientifically, it is also known as Carinnotetraodon irrubesco.

Due to its small size of just 4.5 centimeters, the red-tailed puffer is quite suitable for an aquarium of 60 liters or more. The males can be distinguished from the females purely optically well by their red tail. The ladies rather form a speckled belly. The breeding is said to be partially successful. They can be kept in pairs but also in groups. Since these KuFis are usually quite peaceful and less offensive than their relatives, they can be socialized with other peaceful and agile fish such as zebra danios. However, large-finned specimens such as veiltails, guppies or labyrinths should be avoided because the redtail puffer tends to nibble its fins

The aquarium should preferably have a substrate of sand or very rounded gravel, as the puffers sleep on the bottom at night and could otherwise injure themselves. With dense plants at the edge or also in the background great hiding places can be created, also caves and tubes are gladly accepted. Therefore they should not be socialized with other bottom dwellers or crayfish. Invertebrates like shrimps or snails are also on their menu, whereas the latter should be offered to them constantly, so that they can wear off their constantly growing teeth

Red-tailed puffers, like their cousins, are also food specialists, and snails or shrimp should be permanently available to them. They also like to eat crickets, earthworms, fish fillets, smelts or mussel meat.

Our food recommendation: The NatureHolic Cichfeed has a grain size of 1.5 mm and is therefore also suitable for larger fish. NH Cichfeed is a soft granulate for predominantly carnivorous fish. It has the same consistency as small crustaceans and insect larvae that fish naturally eat, and the soft granules protect the fish mouth from micro-injuries that can occur from hard feed granules.

Our plant recommendation: Use for planting NatureHolic InVitros. These are free of snails, planarians and other unwanted co-inhabitants. Also free of algae spores, bacteria and fungi.

Expert Tip: We recommend for fish keeping the NatureHolic 3 Phase Liquid. The care set offers the best all-round protection for your animals. It ensures optimal conditions for successful breeding and keeping.