Reasons Not to Mix Puffers and Cichlids

[pica_nuttalli]

Off The Top Of My Head, Why You Shouldn't Mix Cichlids and Puffers:

• Freshwater puffers typically like softer, acidic-neutral water--the opposite of an African tank
• Brackish water puffers need a different sort of salt than that used with African Lake Cichlids
• Any puffer large enough to protect itself from a large NW Cichlid is large enough to do some serious damage
• Puffers sharing water needs and comparative sizes with Dwarf Cichlids are really nippy and Dwarves have pretty fins
• Even the smallest of puffers can and will damage delicate things like eyeballs
• Should a cichlid attempt to eat a puffer, the puffer might puff and lodge itself in the cichlid's throat--killing them both
• Should a cichlid succeed in eating a puffer, the toxins present in the flesh of all puffers would probably kill it

Please, feel free to give additional reasons this is a bad idea...

 

[SirMinion]

All good stuff and I heartliy agree except for:

• Freshwater puffers typically like softer, acidic-neutral water--the opposite of an African tank
  

Mbu puffers are found in the same African rift lakes as those cichlids, however,

• Any puffer large enough to protect itself from a large NW Cichlid is large enough to do some serious damage
  

...still rules it out!

 

[vantgE]

pH has really little effect on african cichlids ideally it should be high but once they are aclimatised as your lfs has done all that is required is to keep it stable, almost all the fish in your area whether recomended for soft or hard acidic or basic are kept in the same water, obviously this may affect you differently if you are on well water or else but you keep the fish in the same water if they are in one tank or another.

To a point of course, still keep africans at basic and hard levels


My understanding of it is puffers are either too delicate or too agresive to be with aafrican cichlids

 

[lucky62]

All good stuff and I heartliy agree except for:

• Freshwater puffers typically like softer, acidic-neutral water--the opposite of an African tank
  
  

Mbu puffers are found in the same African rift lakes as those cichlids, however,

• Any puffer large enough to protect itself from a large NW Cichlid is large enough to do some serious damage
  
  

...still rules it out!

This should considered for pinning , because newer members will come and ask these questions , over and over [ not that this is bad ],and will do so even if it's pinned .

But by pinning someone else could easily post a link

 

[andywg]

It could be pinned, but it would still be ignored...

 

[pica_nuttalli]

ah yes, but now that it exists, i can put the link in my sig and quickly post it in any further topics asking about this! i am the future reference ninja!!

 

[lucky62]

It could be pinned, but it would still be ignored...

But by pinning it someone else could easily post a link . If I know it's there , I'll post a link ............easier than beating my head against a wall by trying to explain .






Or Pica could put the link on her sig

 

[Aylana]

Great post reference ninja! Thought I would do my good deed for the day and bump this up as it was right at the bottom. Read it people, read it!!!!!

 

[Fishy411]

is it possible to make it so new people have to read all the pinned stuff before posting?