African Cichlid and Dwarf Puffer together?

[bregirl]

Hello!
I currently have a 38 gallon tank with a African Cichlid, two convict cichlids, a upside down catfish, and a algae eater. I have had the three cichlids for over a year and my catfish for 6months. My cichlids do great with small fish, especially mollies and guppies and never bother them. So now I am wanting a school of fish and I am Inlove with puffer fish and would love a small school of dwarf puffer fish! Does anybody have any experience with any dwarf puffer fish with Cichlids? I would unfortuantely get rid of my two convicts and my catfish and hope my African doesn't miss my two convicts! I was going to see everyone's advice and input on this before I got rid of my two convicts and my catfish because I do like my convicts! Thanks in Advance!

 

[Brookster123]

You do realize that dwarf puffers are an inch long grown.. they wouldn't last a day. That tank is already grossly overstocked, wouldn't add a thing. You can get a 10 gal and throw a couple puffs in there.

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[bregirl]

You do realize that dwarf puffers are an inch long grown.. they wouldn't last a day. That tank is already grossly overstocked, wouldn't add a thing. You can get a 10 gal and throw a couple puffs in there.

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I added in my post that my African is great with small fish like guppies and mollies and also that I would be getting rid of my two convicts and my catfish haha

 

[nirbhao]

?

(sigh)

 

[flchamp89]

Not an expert on puffers...not expert in anything. But have owned puffers in past. Really best for them to be by themselves.

I think dollar per gallon sale is now.

 

[DreaminginBlue]

Flchamp is right, dollar per gallon is starting April 2nd at Petco. If you really want puffers, you should get them their own tank. They don't do well with other fish, and definitely won't do well with cichlids.

 

[Brookster123]

I added in my post that my African is great with small fish like guppies and mollies and also that I would be getting rid of my two convicts and my catfish haha

Yah.. but... no.. Your African will eat dwarf puffers, don't care.. it's on like at a buffalo wing buffet.. nomnomnom

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[bregirl]

Yah.. but... no.. Your African will eat dwarf puffers, don't care.. it's on like at a buffalo wing buffet.. nomnomnom

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Hahaha he's never ate a fish in his life, if he won't eat a guppy or a Molly then I highly doubt he will eat a puffer fish haha

 

[bribo12]

You really can't just keep throwing random fish into a tank and pray it works. Eventually something is going to go wrong, water Paramus, territory disputes, etc...

Dwarf puffers are awesome but they really need their own tank with their own kind.

I'm not really a fw guy, I have a fw tank but I am all about salt now and I have a melanurus wrasse who gets along with everyone in the tank currently. I added a leopard wrasse and he almost killed it, added a firefish, almost killed it as well. Point being just because it hasn't doesn't mean it won't.

 

[Brookster123]

Hahaha he's never ate a fish in his life, if he won't eat a guppy or a Molly then I highly doubt he will eat a puffer fish haha

I can guarantee he will. It's literally the size of a skittle.

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[DreaminginBlue]

I agree with the above posters, it's not worth it to chance it. Even if your fish didn't eat the puffers (which I'm almost certain it would), the puffers probably wouldn't appreciate being housed with other fish. They like to be with their own kind in their own tank.
If you really want puffers, and want them to be happy and healthy, get them and have them in a separate tank.

 

[nirbhao]

I have both guppies and pea puffers. The guppies are about three times the size of the puffers.

 

[SherLar]

I wouldn't worry about the African as much as the convicts, but either way, your puffers would be munched in less than a day. Not a good mix at all. Maybe consider multiple tanks so you can keep a variety of fish.

 

[TMRC Exotics]

You just don't get it.

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[rgrimes68]

If I'm not mistaken you also need to worry about the water parameters. I have African Cichlids and their hardness and ph levels aren't good for a lot of other fish.

 

[Jess Pena]

I've had Dawrf Puffers with my Cichlids and I never had the problem of them wanting to eat the Puffers. 3 and 3. The problem I ran into wasn't attacking each other. It was feeding, I believe once the food was whoever grabbed it. Got it and ate it. And the others didn't get food. So all the Cichlids actually survived. I don't recommend putting them together unless you have the time to properly take care of them.

 

[TMRC Exotics]

No, more to the point they don't go together at all.

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[Brookster123]

I've had Dawrf Puffers with my Cichlids and I never had the problem of them wanting to eat the Puffers. 3 and 3. The problem I ran into wasn't attacking each other. It was feeding, I believe once the food was whoever grabbed it. Got it and ate it. And the others didn't get food. So all the Cichlids actually survived. I don't recommend putting them together unless you have the time to properly take care of them.

Pictures or it didn't happen...

 

[Jess Pena]

pictures or it didn't happen...

 

[Jess Pena]

Wasn't suppose to post double. Oops.