Although occassionally found in brackish waters, the Amazon Puffer is a true freshwater species, and is best kept in freshwater. As with other puffers, these fish are best avoided by beginners since they have some unusual requirements and may not mix well with all community fishes. The Amazon Puffer is however, a relatively easy to keep species. Soft to medium water is preffered, but not essential, and since the fish like to dig around, a sandy substrate is best. The fish can nip so they are best not kept with delicate, slow, or long finned species. The teeth of these puffers will grow rapidly, and the aquarium should contain shells or soft rocks which the fish can grind their teeth down with. Feeding regular shelled foods such as cockle will help as the teeth can be worn down during feeding. If the teeth continue to grow they will need to be trimmed, for which you should seek expert advice. Amazon Puffers can be kept either singly or in groups and are relatively peaceful, where nipping or aggression is shown, it is normally accidental. If kept in a community aquarium, plenty of variety in decor (i.e. open spaces, crowded areas, vegetated areas, caves, wood etc..) will help to reduce any compatability problems. As with other puffers, these fish can be prone to skin based problems, such as whitespot. A similar fish, Colomesus psittacus, can grow up to 25cm

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