puffers in a cichlid tank???
- Thread starter livewyr25
- Start date
I don't think so, from what I understand puffers are brackish water fish.
But it might also depend on which kind of puffer.
But it might also depend on which kind of puffer.
there are plenty of fully freshwater puffers.
you just have to ask yourself if you are willing to have that kind of war going on in your tank. puffers are often really territorial, but have a big *** beak to chomp something like a cichlid with.
what species are you thinking about? There are species like the peruvian/south american/zebra puffer that are capable of living in peace with other species. and I am being sort of overdramatic about the whole thing. but puffers can just get really nasty, and the next thing you know you have a dead tankmate.
in the last week, someone posted on predatoryfish.net about a fahaka puffer killing his african tiger fish, and a porcupine puffer killed some kind of shark in a reef tank at my LFS the other day as well.
you just have to ask yourself if you are willing to have that kind of war going on in your tank. puffers are often really territorial, but have a big *** beak to chomp something like a cichlid with.
what species are you thinking about? There are species like the peruvian/south american/zebra puffer that are capable of living in peace with other species. and I am being sort of overdramatic about the whole thing. but puffers can just get really nasty, and the next thing you know you have a dead tankmate.
in the last week, someone posted on predatoryfish.net about a fahaka puffer killing his african tiger fish, and a porcupine puffer killed some kind of shark in a reef tank at my LFS the other day as well.
Dwarf puffers are too small, unless you're thinking more along the lines of kribs or apistos... and in that case, they may be too nippy. Any other FW puffers I know off get rather large, like in the 24'' range, but I am not sure.
odds are that either A) the cichlids will kill the puffer, thus poisoning themselves or B) the puffer will be overly territorial and kill many cichlids.
I have a puffer with my cichlids. it is quite expensive. fish I buy need to be bigger than the puffer to have a chance. My butterfly just got eaten, and I've lost about $70 in fish to him in the last 6 months. The problem is they are ambush hunters, they will wait till a fish is real close (the fish probably think he's a rock) then attack the fish at its belly, causing fatal damage. It is a cool fish, so I havn't gotten rid of him. you just need to have the patience and the money to find fish smart enough to stay away. Even My jack keeps to the opposite side of the tank.
Oh yea. I forgot to say, forget about anything other than the cichlids. No plecos, no "semi-aggressives" and no other kinds of cleaners. they will be pricey meals. I would steer clear of any other bottom dwellers and provide plenty of cover, and plenty of live food (goldies, shreeamps, or wormies)to keep it away from the others
A friend of mine had a 1 inch freshwater puffer in with an Oscar that was about 3-4 inches. That puffer ripped the Oscar a new one, and a little after that it was dead. I would be careful..
Puffers are not good fish for mixed tanks. They are obligate predators, extremely well equipped with teeth and strong jaws, and demanding on water quality along with being very messy eaters. The FW lurker predators that gonefishin mentioned (arrowhead, Congo, T. miurus, etc.) are fish-eaters (plus mollusks and shrimp), the active hunters tend more to inverts (mollusks and crustaceans) but when hungry (always, like Oscars) will give fish a try. the size range for FW puffers is from 1" to >2'