The Puffer Forum

i'm so happy that my fahaka puffer "Ditto" is doing excellent together with three tiger datnoid, i was so shocked. i 80% possitive that the tiger are compatible with the fahaka puffer otherwise nothing else.

Have you any further info on this.
How long have you had the puffer?
how old is the puffer
how long have they been together?
what size tank are they all in?

After less than a month, I wouldn't really consider it a success. I have a feeling you are going to be unpleasantly surprised in the future.

EDIT: Do you still have both fahakas in the same tank?

Sometimes I think it is possible, with some species more than others, but it is always up to the individual puffer's personality. I have no personal experience to go on with this, but from what I have heard from those on here who've kept fahakas long term is that eventually they taste their neighbors! Not sometimes, but inevitably. I think it's best to be prepared with extra tanks if the puff has a bad day one day and then learns tankmates can be tasty... yum.

Something I recently discovered, and I think I may be onto something with this, is that puffers that show food aggression (chasing after tankmates during feeding time or stealing food) seem to be those less inclined to peacefully reside in a community setting. Of course I've only observed this myself with some F8s and juvie GSPs, and a puffer can always change. And, I am experimenting with my little theory with much less deadly fish (F8s). So, like I said, keep an eye on things and be prepared to separate at the first sign of aggression. I don't think I'd ever doom a fish to such an experiment with a fahaka, but if you must watch out for any nips.

Well I wish you every success with your Fahakas, please keep us posted with their progress with their tankmates and each other. I hope it all goes well for you.

yeah they have been in the same tank for four months by now and they hide in the same cave everyday and there is no sign of fin nip and injury on all three of my datnoid, i also got two silver prochilodus in the same tank and did excellent, but i would highly reconmend a tiger datnoid for people who want tankmate for their fahaka puffer, but do it when they are an inche or two inches so they will grow up together. ^ _ ^

Ok, now I'm confused. You posted on 6/30 that you were having two fahakas delivered to your door on 7/7. Oh wait, I see, you said that the guy who sold them to you said they'd been in the same tank for 4 months. Hmm... not sure I'd believe that, and I still wouldn't count on long-term success. Four months together, and even less than that with datnoids, definitely is not what I would call a success or characterize it as growing up together.

Just my opinion.

I am glad you have had success so far, but 4 months does not mean you are out of the woods yet. Just be aware they are still very capable of taking out the fish, or one another, at any time. Especially when they grow full size- juvie puffs are usually more docile than adults.

Even if you do successfully keep these puffers together for years and years and they never fight, please don't recommend this to other members- you may have especially docile puffs (most likely not), but it is so rare that anyone else who gets a Fahaka probably won't and therefore tankmates could be disastrous.

If you do want to try puffs that can many times tolerate tankmates, try DPs in a heavily planted tank, or a F8 puffer in a complex large tank. Even then there are a lot of factors, including each puff's individual personality, that determine whether or not it will work. Again, I don't mean to sound so pessimistic on this subject, but from what I read your tank is a risky one. Do please keep us updated as it would be fascinating to know if there was one known exception out there, but I'm afraid the puffs will turn on one another and take several casualties before they are separated.

I posted this reply to another similar thread on fahaka tankmates and I think it'll just become my standard reply:

Recommending that fahakas can be kept with tankmates is bad advice. Plain and simple. It basically amounts to saying that you don't care if your other fish get bitten in half someday. And who wants to hear advice from someone who doesn't care about their fish?

Sure it's worked for you for the past brief period of time. Will it continue to work when the fish reaches full size and for the rest of its 20 year life span?? 6 months is NOTHING. It's like looking at the flatness of a mile of road and concluding the world is flat. you simply don't have enough experience in the situation to make any valid conclusions.

Temperaments change. Aggression levels change. Territory needs change. You can't honestly tell me you think it's a good idea.

Fahakas are large, aggressive fish and need to be respected and treated as such. All the wishful thinking in the world won't change facts. Think about that for a while and see if you still feel the same way about keeping fahakas with tankmates.

The tone of it may seem a bit haughty, so check out the linked thread to put it in context.

Someday you will understand that Fahakas do not belong with tankmates. It just might take a half-eaten pleco to make you realize it.

I rescued my 12 " plec from my 6" fahaka. I thought they were living happily together for 6 months.

I saw a video of a fahaka eating a crayfish once. I think it it had tankmates. Not sure though. I don't really wanna go back and find the video and check.

yo, i bet you could get away with a neon tetra! lol, j/k... Too small for Fahaka to even car tho I'd bet...

(Yes I know neons often carry those worms... lol <---Disclaimer)

My fahaka slowly ate a whole school of neons.

Pufferpunk wrote:My fahaka slowly ate a whole school of neons.

Mine too!!!

I started with 22 in March and now I have four.

MP

Do you ever see it actually chasing them?