Help choosing tank mates...

Hello everyone,

I'm an experienced fish keeper but have never kept africans before. I have a 450g tank that is housing some large clown loaches and a Mbu puffer (and some CA cichlids being sold, and that are currently separated). The tank has PFS and some large pieces of driftwood as decor. The flow through the tank is pretty even and gentle but is around 6000 g/h. I figured it might be best to house the puffer with other fish from it's natural habitat, or close to it. Does anyone have any suggestions on any africans that they feel might work? I don't know very much about them at all... Ideally it should be quick, smart, not very aggressive to non-conspecifics, not a bottom dweller, and above 3" if possible. Colorful is a bonus! If anyone has suggestions of a non-aggressive schooling fish that would be fine too! Keep in mind the puffer will get very large, and could be easily picked on by smaller fish. The puffer will be the focal point and I'm just looking for a little more movement and possibly color in the tank. It's currently about 15".

Looking forward to seeing what you guys can think of. If there's anything else you need to know to provide some possible candidates just ask! Thanks for any input.

timbo6684 said:

Electric labs are pretty mainstream but if you're looking for color and on the lower end of aggression you can't beat the good ole labidochromis caeruleus.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the suggestion. I'm not overly crazy about the electric labs but it's something I will keep in mind. I should have also mentioned that whatever will be added is likely going to be eating a lot of mussels and what not that the puffer leaves behind. They're very messy eaters, so if a high fat/protein diet is going to be an issue let me know!

timbo6684 said:

I had ob peacocks with my fahaka for awhile but just because I bred them and they were cheap. I wouldn't put any larger haps or peacocks with a puffer cause in the end my puffer was the only thing standing. Currently I have giant danios and while they aren't the most colorful they seem to be surviving...plus for 80¢ recently at petsmart I couldn't resist.

Click to expand...

I was thinking of trying Giant Danios as well, or perhaps some cheap rainbowfish. Most Mbus are a lot more chilled out than Fahakas, luckily. I haven't tried any tankmates with mine yet but he completely ignores the fish on the other side of the divider currently. I got him from another guy that kept him with an asian arowana, fly river turtle, dats, and a couple plecos and he only messed with the arowana. No bites on flesh but he did shred the fins pretty good.

timbo6684 said:

I only saw my fahaka go after the peacocks a handful of times but I'm pretty sure he was chomping at the on buffet overnight. Only other fish I looked into that was semi aggressive and schooling was the exodon tetra but I couldn't find any locally.

Click to expand...

I don't think I'd try exodons. I think they'd nip the fins of the puffer too much.


Does anyone have other suggestions?

Spartacus said:

tough call for me,because i don't know much about puffers.I will say this,peacocks are less aggressive than mbuna.usually albinos even less.

Click to expand...

That's about the extent of my African knowledge: Mbunas are generally the most aggressive, haps and peacocks are supposed to be the most mellow as a whole.

Mbu puffer gets up to about 30", is generally pretty lazy and chilled out unless he wants food (most of the time unless he just got fed a lot) and then he begs like a mad man. Eats mostly mussels, crabs, etc. so there will be a lot of scraps for others to scavenge if the loaches don't get them first. Mbu puffers are usually not too mean, but each fish is it's own personality so can't generalize too much. That's about the jist of them. Here's him begging:

[video=youtube;cRy7epsDzQk]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRy7epsDzQk#t=50[/video]