Pufferfish are excellent pets since they thrive best in an aquarium. In a tank, it’s important to keep species that are compatible and comfortable with one another.
It’s hard to mix species with different temperaments and behaviors in a tank. So, Can puffer fish Live with Cichlids?
People must be aware of pufferfish behavior, temperament, and requirements. As a result, they can include species that can live with pufferfish.
The species you’re adding to the tank should all have the same habitat, temperament, and dietary needs.
In this article, the reader will learn about pufferfish habits and if they can cohabit alongside cichlids.
The article will also inform readers about the several species of pufferfish that can coexist with them.So, read the article to learn about the behavior and habitats of various species.
Contents
Can Puffer Fish Live with Cichlids?
No, pufferfish cannot live with cichlids. Because they have different needs in terms of living and eating.
Pufferfish and cichlids do not compromise each others’s behavior. As a result, in an aquarium, they can attack and destroy each other.
If you have a medium-sized tank, you can pair the pufferfish with some flag and rainbow cichlids. To avoid a fight, you must keep a close eye on them and give them food.
When they become hungry, they might attack and destroy one another.
Why Shouldn’t Keep Puffer Fish and Cichlids Together?
Cichlids and pufferfish should not be kept together for a variety of reasons. They have distinct personalities, attributes, and needs in terms of living conditions.
As a result, keeping pufferfish and cichlids alive in the same aquarium becomes impossible.
Different living environment requirements
Pufferfish have different requirements than cichlids in terms of temperature, PH level, and water hardness.
PH levels of 7 to 7.6 are ideal for pufferfish growth and survival. To live a healthy life in a tank, cichlids require PH levels of 7.8 to 8.6.
If the parameters are altered for pufferfish, cichlids will die, and pufferfish will die if the parameters are altered for cichlids.
Apart from that, pufferfish and cichlids have different nutritional requirements. Keeping a pufferfish and a cichlid in the same aquarium is therefore impossible.
API PH TEST KIT 250-Test Freshwater Aquarium Water pH Test Kit, 4 Piece Set
- Contains one (1) API PH TEST KIT 250-Test Freshwater Aquarium Water pH Test Kit, including 1 bottle of testing solution, 1 color card and 1 glass test tube with cap
- Helps monitor and adjust pH and prevent invisible water problems that can be harmful to fish
- Accurately reads pH 6.0 - 7.6 and helps avoid fish loss
- Because different geographies have different tap water conditions, and different fish need different pH levels to be healthy, API helps measure pH levels and detect pH fluctuation caused by fish waste, uneaten food and addition of tap water.
- Use for weekly monitoring and when water or fish problems appear
Last update on 2022-12-28 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Personality
In comparison to juvenile cichlids, adult pufferfish are more aggressive and temperamental. When fully mature, they are larger than cichlids. Pufferfish can reach a length of 8 inches, which is larger than most African cichlids.
Cichlids are also aggressive, and if the pufferfish is smaller than the cichlids, cichlids will attack pufferfish. If the size of the pufferfish and the cichlids are equal, the pufferfish will win the fight.
Because of the personality differences between the two species, keeping them together in a tank is not a good idea.
Species characteristics
All marine species and fish cannot coexist with pufferfish. They live a healthy existence alone in the tank because they are not social. The presence of other fish in the tank stresses pufferfish and makes them more aggressive.
If you keep a pufferfish and a cichlid in the same tank, they might not attack each other, but they will not enjoy each other’s company. To keep them healthy and living, they must be kept in a separate tank.
What Fish Can Live with Puffer Fish?
Fancy guppies, rasboras, tetras, danios, cherry shrimp, and Kuhli loaches are among the few species which can coexist with pufferfish. The best option is to keep a pufferfish alone in a tank. Pufferfish and fancy guppies go well together.
Guppies do not damage pufferfish since they are small. Guppies and pufferfish, on the other hand, share the same healthy living conditions.
As a result, while adding a new species to the pufferfish, it’s important to look at its attitude, habitat, and living requirements.
Cherry shrimp can also be added to the pufferfish tank. They are hunters, yet they are unable to harm pufferfish due to their small size. Both pufferfish and shrimp require similar water qualities, such as PH and temperature.
Final Sentences
Cichlids and pufferfish cannot coexist in the same tank because they require different environmental conditions to thrive.
Cherry shrimps, tetras, danios, rasboras, kuhli loaches, and fancy guppies are examples of species that share similar habitats and requirements with pufferfish.
So, examine the attitude and behavior of any species before adding it to the pufferfish aquarium.