I'm new to all this stuff, but I must learn quickly. I would like to begin by saying first I have inherited about 5 rather large fish. Three are kissing fish about 7 inches in length, one is a shark that's about 8, and an angelfish that's like 4 tall and 5 wide. Now, I have many other things in the tank, a newt, a snail, a frog, a blue gorami, and so on. I was told this would not be a good setting for a betta male at all, and he and the gorami would supposedly clash. Well, I picked out a lazy looking betta, put it in, hoped for the best, and the best happened. They see each other, they don't care. The betta sees the angelfish, doesn't care. "Neat" I thought. So I went to the cichlids, heard they were aggressive too. Picked out a docile one, no clashes still. Not even territorial shoves, just smooth sailing. So I'm thinking of getting a puffer, Ceylon, dwarf, and several others that I've read are docile (not of getting more puffers than one, but one of those several puffers). I know that this will depend entirely on the individual puffer's temperment, but I do well in picking nontermperamental "aggressive" fish. I know they might be moreso than say, a betta, but, I figured the bigger fish already there would help, as they did with the incoming aggressive newbies. I am deadset on some puffer, now which would be best?
coexisting aggressive fish
- Thread starter lastfirstborn
- Start date
I wouldn't add a puffer into a tank with a betta and angelfish. They will have their fins ripped off. Puffers are a nippy fish. What size is your tank?
How long have you had the 'success'? In what size tank? Sorry to be cynical, but there are many setups that allow keeping incompatible fish togther temporarily--just not in the long run. Puffers are in that group--many will co-exist with a variety of fish for quite some time, then overnight shred everything else in there.
Right now i have 2 green spotted puffers and a red chromide in my 7 gallon and they get along just fine. Sometimes they actually swim together back and forth. I had other chiclids with them but they were way to meen to the puffers and made them hide behind the filter but now there all ok. The only thing i would worry about is the betta and the puffer meeting, just make sure if you get one that its small ( about 1-2 inches), what size is your tank?
I agree with the other postings... the peace you see in your tank right now is probably temporary! How big is your tank and how long have you had all these fish together? I have to say it seems rather irresponsible to purposely put fish together that you know will not get along. You "hope for the best" but that is a life you may be sacrificing! If you want puffers, set up another tank for them... learn what environment they need and what they are compatible with. Sheesh.
Well, I got the puffer today. 'Tis a ceylon (they were being sold as "green spotted puffers", so maybe it's a figure eight?), and there were four being kept together in the same tank. I saw three upfront and this little tiny one smaller than all of them who had been constantly been nibbled on, hiding between the filter and the rock (they had to move the rock to get him (or her?) out). Now it's in my tank, and things appear to be going okay, as I stayed up all night watching them. The puffer's currently 2 cm or so, and just swims around. I too, was concerned about the betta and the puffer... they have met though, and so far things are fine (yes, I know it might be temporary). To answer all your questions, it's a 55 gallon tank, the betta is about 2 inches long, and it's been the way I have it now (minus the puffer) for about a month and a half. So the presence of a big shark, 3 big kissing fish, a sizeable angelfish and a well matured long plecostomus help nothing? Yes, if things do get violent I have another tank (also given to me), although it is smaller. I've read accounts myself of peaceful puffers being able to live in a community tank, are they not true? It was also said at the local fish store that the puffers I bought could eventually switch to flake food as they matured, and that there were no guarantees, but I had a possibility of having a peaceful society with all my current fish.