The Puffer Forum

I've read most threads/pufferpedia and understand that most Fahakas cannot have tank mates. However, IF I was to give it a try, what fish species would you recommend? I read that PufferPunk has some tankmates ( so jealous ) with a Fahaka. I haven't attempted to even put another fish with Marley yet so she is not used to being around other fishes so I have no idea on how she would react. (BTW: I can't sex my puffer, but I choose to believe it's a she =) ..

I wouldnt try it atall.... also depends on your niles age if she is young enough they tend to cope better older niles get in a bad routine of being killers if they have been alone for a while....

nothing is safe with them really even niles that seem to be placid. If you really must add tankmates think or large armoured catfish or maybe exo / serpae tetras something very fast that may stand a chance.

again its not reccomended

I second that. What Pufferpunk has going on with hers is quite rare I do believe. Yes it leaves her other fish alone but I heard he also say that anything new she tries to add gets destroyed. I tried a couple of cheap fish with mine and they were descimated in no time. Best to just get used to the fact that your Fahaka will be best on it's own.

firstly I'm no Fahaka expert and this is just a suggestion

If you really must try putting some fish with him I was told by my LFS that Malawi Cichlids are pretty tough fish, he said he had his in with his Oscars and had to take them out because they were bullying the Oscars to much
http://www.thetropicaltank.co.uk/Fishindx/cich-mal.htm

Maybe ask your LFS if you can take the fish back if they don't get on. Saying that though you could risk just having a blood bath in your tank

It's a waste of money. They'll eat whatever is in the tank with them.

I am going to answer the IF question here.......IF you do...I would do something CHEAP. You wont be spending a lot of money on something that might become dinner. And introduced slowly...maybe inside a breeder. Chances are, he will just have dinner though.

What about something beefy like Oscar's?

The thing with trying something cheap is that it's bound to be small and wimpy

The only other fish i even tried to put in with my Fahaka was a regular creek chub (river chub) these guys are super fast..he lasted a couple of days then he was dinner..

busybones wrote:The only other fish i even tried to put in with my Fahaka was a regular creek chub (river chub) these guys are super fast..he lasted a couple of days then he was dinner..

lol

It seems if you want to put something with a Fahaka the only way you may have a chance of it surviving is if you introduce it to the Fahaka's tank while the Fahaka is tiny and just see if it tolerates/gets used to them while it grows

Or maybe do it the other way round and introduce the tiny Fahaka to a tank with fish so that he hasn't determined his territory yet

Filbert's really an odd fish... I tried the small/fast route--eventually picked off an entire school of neons (took less than a week), Let tiger barbs live until they were huge--almost 3", before he started eating them. Let an Electric blue Jack Dempsey grow to an adult, before he did this:


The JD died a week after that.

When he was moved to a 55g (at 5") with 2 with plecos & a soft-shell turtle. Within 2 days, the whole back rim of the turtle's shell was scalloped, so he got his own tank.

He now lives in a 125g with:
12" Goldspot pleco
8 sailfin pleco
10" Yellow-finned chalcius
2 7" Clown loaches
9" Lancer catfish
7" Frontosa
8" & 9" Elephant noses (18 years old)
12” Black Ghost Knife

He has eaten more fish than I can remember. As a matter of fact, I just erased 4 fish off that list, which were on it last time I refered to it. I had a redtail& rainbow shark that lasted about 5 years with him. They're gone now too.

Occasionally there is a fin nipped but all in all, he's a wimp & the Goldspot & Frontosa are always kicking him out of his cave. After living with all these guys for years, my stepdaughter needed somewhere for her large parrot cichlid, since she was moving. I watch them for about an hour, went out that evening & within the 5 hours I was gone, it was dead--tail & eyes missing. Moral of this story: You can never really trust a fahaka!

I've often wondered is it because people introduce fish AFTER the fahaka's been in the tank for a while and established its territories that it becomes so vicious to other fish??? i mean it would seem to make a bit of sense no???

I certainly wouldnt risk it, when you have a lineatus do you really need tankmates?

Also i would have though bigger fish would be worst as they are more of a target.

I'm not saying stick a Fahaka and another fish in a 125, but what if the tank was something like a 180+ tank... would they be able to then have a tank mate is what i'm curious about...

Homer wrote:I'm not saying stick a Fahaka and another fish in a 125, but what if the tank was something like a 180+ tank... would they be able to then have a tank mate is what i'm curious about...

180 gal is actually that big of a tank thats around a 6x2x2. And considering that lineatus usually hits around 14-18" in length it will soon become small and tankmates as food. Could well work in somthing along the lines of a 8x3x2 like our shop display. Although really if you want a large puffer that will co-hab go with a Mbu or somthing. Just my opinion.

Bogwoodbruce wrote:

Homer wrote:I'm not saying stick a Fahaka and another fish in a 125, but what if the tank was something like a 180+ tank... would they be able to then have a tank mate is what i'm curious about...

180 gal is actually that big of a tank thats around a 6x2x2. And considering that lineatus usually hits around 14-18" in length it will soon become small and tankmates as food. Could well work in somthing along the lines of a 8x3x2 like our shop display. Although really if you want a large puffer that will co-hab go with a Mbu or somthing. Just my opinion.

dont get a mbu just keep the nile they are beautiful fish just leave it by itself. i really cant stress this enough