I am going to start a tank with 4 or 5 amazon puffers. I was wondering what fish would be good tank mates for them. I know that the puffers are fin nibblers, so the tank mates would need to be fast and have short fins. I was thinking about danios, probably the glow fish or pearl varieties. I also heard that swordtails would work, because they move so fast. Would either of these two species work? Does anyone have any other suggestions? Thanks.
Amazon Puffer tank mates?
- Thread starter grace04
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Well firstly, puffers are fish, and this is the wrong forum to post this it. They are not "other aquatic creatures."
Secondly, puffers are brackish water fish, so if you plan on putting them in a pure freshwater tank, I'd only give them a few weeks to live, if that. They need salt in their tank. Moreover, what size tank do you have? Is it already set up? etc...
I'd recommend that you do a little more research on puffers and brackish water first before you look for tank mates though.
But to answer your question, other brackish fish can be certain gobies, scats, archerfish, mollies (if they're brackish mollies, some LFS have freshwater mollies that have been acclimated to freshwater, and can live comfortably in it)
Secondly, puffers are brackish water fish, so if you plan on putting them in a pure freshwater tank, I'd only give them a few weeks to live, if that. They need salt in their tank. Moreover, what size tank do you have? Is it already set up? etc...
I'd recommend that you do a little more research on puffers and brackish water first before you look for tank mates though.
But to answer your question, other brackish fish can be certain gobies, scats, archerfish, mollies (if they're brackish mollies, some LFS have freshwater mollies that have been acclimated to freshwater, and can live comfortably in it)
Do you know the species of puffer you are considering? There are freshwater puffers, brackish, and full-marine, and some change depending on age (more salt the older they get).
If it is a dwarf freshwater puffer, I've kept one with community fish with no problems at all (no fin nipping and no problems with it feeding in that setting). I think it depends on the temperament of the fish though, as I've heard some say they are prone to nipping other fish.
If it is a dwarf freshwater puffer, I've kept one with community fish with no problems at all (no fin nipping and no problems with it feeding in that setting). I think it depends on the temperament of the fish though, as I've heard some say they are prone to nipping other fish.
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This statement is not correct. Not all puffers are brackish fish.
Some are pure freshwater their entire lives.
Some start out fresh, move to brackish, and end up as adults as a full marine fish.
Some start out brackish and remain so.
Some start out brackish and move to full marine.
Depends on the species of puffer.
Some are pure freshwater their entire lives.
Some start out fresh, move to brackish, and end up as adults as a full marine fish.
Some start out brackish and remain so.
Some start out brackish and move to full marine.
Depends on the species of puffer.
This is a good forum to check out if you are interested in Puffers. http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/. They have species profiles which can be helpful plus they are divided into the categories of freshwater, brackish or saltwater puffers.
All puffers tend to have big personalities so what type of tank mates you can have really varies. I had one Dwarf Puffer who didn't mind shrimp as tank mates but my current Dwarf Puffer basically see everything that moves as food.
All puffers tend to have big personalities so what type of tank mates you can have really varies. I had one Dwarf Puffer who didn't mind shrimp as tank mates but my current Dwarf Puffer basically see everything that moves as food.