The Puffer Forum

From what I understand, nothing can really go with a Fahaka. However, I have been watching a lot of the youtube videos on them and notice numerous aquariums with Fahakas and community fish? I think if I would throw anything in with mine he would eat it or harass it to death. Some that caught my eye were an adult fahaka in with a couple bala sharks, then a med. size fahaka with a bunch of barbs and tetras? Do people just sacrifice those fish and replace them as necessary?

Thanks for any replies and btw my Fahaka is doing awesomely and I watch him more than i watch TV.

Thanks,
Dan

I'm sure many times people just live with the fahaka taking out fish now and again, replacing small community fish as needed. A well fed fahaka isn't the fastest thing you'll see moving, so they might only be replacing a couple small fish a month. With bigger fish, it's more a tossup game - the fahaka might decide to maul one particular fish to death, while totally ignoring a different type or different individual of the same type.

I keep a bunch of convict cichlid fry in the tank with my fahaka. yeah, she chomps one in half every now and then, but they were given to me for free for that purpose. Nick sounds right, most owners prob just accept that they will lose some tank mates.

it might help if you put them in with the fahaka at a very young age... Mine is just a few months old and plays very well with the gourami's i have in there.... but it will always be a question "For how long". One bad tempered day and they're toast hehe

I currently own and care for a Cross River Puffer which I understand is similar to a Fahaka in size and temperament. My Cross River Puffer is kept in a 92 gallon corner aquarium with other African cichlid species and have noted from experience that Green Severums especially and most Peacocks are compatible as long as they are of similar size relative to the puffer fish. I do not recommend by any means to include short body Green Terrors, German Red Peacocks, and small to medium sized Albino Peacocks which proved to be incompatible. I have also noted that keeping the puffer well fed appeases its temperament and reduces aggressive behavior towards other species...please let me know of any further information relevant to Cross River Puffers.

I personally wouldn't do the community thing, because I try to avoid potential death for my pets. I also wouldn't do it because constantly replacing the fish would mean constantly quarantining new fish and because I wouldn't be able to leave the house without a sitter for fear that the fahaka would kill a larger tankmate and leave it to rot until I got back. Me no like crashes!

I think putting ANY fish with a fahaka puffer is extremely risky. Some people just get/got lucky and their fahaka won't tear other fish to shreds.

Sounds like a potential heavy bioload in that tank when those fish become adults.

bout 4" Oscars could you mix them with 8" Fahakas?

Do you care at all about the oscars? If so, no.

I tried to put some cory's with my fahaka to keep the top layer of the sand clean... Before they swam in the tank my fahaka killed one right true the plastic bag... It depends per fahaka, but for the most of them: You will be eaten!

I bought some danios as tankmates for my fahaka. So far my fahaka has only nipped the fin of one of the fish, no serious injury. So far so good, my fahaka seems to have no interest in them now, although he will chase my finger around. Oh, and yeah, my fahaka is just a baby. I thought he was gonna murder them, but since he didn't, I might get some more danios, and maybe some tiger barbs.

It took about 6 months for my fahaka to finally get all the tiger barbs. They grew pretty large, eating his leftovers.