What Kind Of Puffer Is This?

[Brodeur30]

It's under 6 inches long and thriving in freshwater. My mom bought it because our tank was pretty empty and it was "cute."

 

[RainboWBacoN420]

It looks like an Amazon puffer, Colomesus Asellus.

 

[Brodeur30]

I'm not sure because there are spots instead of stripes

 

[sawickib]

Looks like a Ceylon Pufferfish to me. 
 
http/www.pufferlist.com/brackish-water-puffers/ceylon-puffer/
 
Looks as though it prefers high end brackish to full marine setting as well.
 
Looks to be a mix of green spot and figure eight puffers, a pretty rare specimen in the aquarium trade as well, have you noticed him nipping your polypterus senegalus's fins at all?

 

[Brodeur30]

I haven't seen go after the polypterus, but he's my favorite so i'm keeping a close eye on him. This puffer is so weird and I cant seem to find an exact match to identify him. At first I thought he might be a juvenile mbu puffer, but i really hope he isn't because they grow to ridiculous proportions  

 

[Brodeur30]

Also: his caudal fin is usually folded up and is typically described as looking like a paint brush

 

[Wills]

Ive been trying to work out what it is for quite about half an hour haha! Im absolutely stumped! The markings are pretty unique and the red tail is throwing me - the size is also throwing me as I cant find any larger puffers that are that shape, those markings and that colour tail...
 
This is perhaps the closest I can get -
http/www.thepufferforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=21998
Which would make it a Tetradon Sabahensis - But your fish has defined patches of pattern where as the other T.Sabahensis pictures I have seen have the pattern all over the body. But this part of the article makes me think this is the right fish - "If you come across a puffer in a local fish shop that looks like it could be either a Tetraodon Nigroviridis or a Tetraodon Fluviatilis but at the same time neither, then you could have stumbled across a Tetraodon Sabahensis."
 
Do you know what it was labeld as in the shop? Would it be possible to ask the store what name it was imported under?
 
This is a great resource for IDing puffers but I cant match it to any of them from this photo 100% but it might help you....
http/www.thepufferforum.com/forum/ug.php/v/PufferPedia/ 
 
Hope thats helped!
Wills

 

[Brodeur30]

The store knew very little but I'm going to call them and try to get some answers or even dome clues. What makes it even stranger is that the puffer is perfectly at home in 100% freshwater, which I couldn't believe at the pet store. All the store associate said was "we usually don't get puffers that large" which should have raised a flag. Not knowing what he is has made it hard to give him the proper diet also. I'll keep you guys posted as the saga continues

 

[sawickib]

Well i can be certain its not a mbu so your fine there, the markings are much much different and the tail is not the correct color.
 
Also on the diet you should be fine with feeding it live ghost shrimp, krill, mussels, bloodworms, small snails, crayfish, etc. most frozen fish and crustaceans will be  eaten wholeheartedly.
 
And for the salt levels, there are actually very few freshwater puffers that are ideal for freshwater settings, and it is highly likely that this is a brackish puffer fish. Even though it has been kept in freshwater its whole life its still not ideal, many "freshwater" moray/snowflake eels are kept in freshwater their whole lives and have a severely shortened life span, are stressed easier in freshwater and more susceptible to diseases. 
 
Puffers usually only use their caudal fins for short bursts of speed so it being folded up is perfectly fine.

 

[Brodeur30]

I've been giving him mainly bloodworms, but also live ghost shrimp, MT snails, and occasionally feeder fish. I'm also putting in an order for 100 pond snails

 

[sawickib]

Cool cool, i would try to stay away from the MT snails because they have very strong shells and can actually break the teeth of your puffer fish. But as of right now thats a pretty good diet, try to feed some frozen mussels or clams as well if you can, or frozen shrimp.
 
Those pond snails will do well but disappear quickly so you may want to try to breed them in a separate tank.

 

[Brodeur30]

After posting in the puffer forum i think it might be a Tetradon Sabahensis because of how comfortable it is in different parameters. I also found out today that the sale and transport of crayfish are illegal in my state

 

[gmc1]

Ask Baylor Perez about puffers.apparently he kept a 500 gallon saltwater with them.

 

[Brodeur30]

Upon further review it's a Ceylon. It went on a big downward spiral today, and is currently being acclimated to salt in a separate tank. I'm giving the pet store a piece of my mind tomorrow. It should have been in a brackish or salt tank to begin with. I even told the associate at the store, but it seemed healthy so I kept it in freshwater. Wish me luck, I hope it makes it

 

[sawickib]

How fast are you upping the salt levels?