# figure 8 puffer



## emptyhead (Apr 16, 2007)

Anyone keep figure 8 puffers in a malawi tank?


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## Stickzula (Sep 14, 2007)

had 'em with red parrots, but not malawi's. I would guess that it is probably not a good idea. You could try it and see if they survive.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

The posts I've seen, the puffers take bites out of any tank mates.


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## earth intruder (Oct 14, 2008)

Figure 8 puffers' temperaments are pretty variable. I have a very mellow one that's never touched any of his tankmates... I would never keep him with Malawis, they'd tear him apart!

Then, some of them are hyperaggressive and could attack the cichlids.

Personally, I wouldn't try it.


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## MattH (May 23, 2009)

i tried a green spotted puffer in my malawi tank he started out okay but as i kept adding cichlids he wasnt very happy just off in the corner all the time... prolly cause the other fish were too fast and aggressive for his taste and he eventually died which was unfortunate... id say as long hes kept with just a few tank mates itll work at least it was for me, but didnt seem to like the crowding i guess...


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## rl1oyd (Mar 6, 2005)

I have an Mbu puffer, they are from Tanganika so water conditions are ideal.
He is a really cool fish but they have a tendancy to just sit on the bottom and do nothing till they are hungry.


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## jfly (Feb 17, 2009)

i had a puffer and it was nipping fins of my mbuna.. put him in breeder and woke up one morning puffer looked terrible and my mbuna all poisoned.. they were all acting blind and like eating each other.. after about 5 days they all got back to normal.. and the puffer flushed.. it should be a crime to sell these things at walmart and not give any info.. they are TOXIC

that was my first fish horror from my first tank... whew!! lesson learned


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## emptyhead (Apr 16, 2007)

jfly said:


> i had a puffer and it was nipping fins of my mbuna.. put him in breeder and woke up one morning puffer looked terrible and my mbuna all poisoned.. they were all acting blind and like eating each other.. after about 5 days they all got back to normal.. and the puffer flushed.. it should be a crime to sell these things at walmart and not give any info.. they are TOXIC
> 
> that was my first fish horror from my first tank... whew!! lesson learned


You bought a poisonous fish at Walmart?


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## BRANT13 (Feb 18, 2009)

jfly said:


> i had a puffer and it was nipping fins of my mbuna.. put him in breeder and woke up one morning puffer looked terrible and my mbuna all poisoned.. they were all acting blind and like eating each other.. after about 5 days they all got back to normal.. and the puffer flushed.. it should be a crime to sell these things at walmart and not give any info.. they are TOXIC
> 
> that was my first fish horror from my first tank... whew!! lesson learned


this sounds very unrealistic IMO...i think other things were at work not the puffer.....n2m i dont think a puffer would last very long if i threw it in with my mbuna


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## smcapelle (Jul 3, 2006)

I put a puffer in my tank with 4"-6" mbuna and the puffer from the local store had poisonous skin. 10 minutes after I put the puffer in the tank, I had 6 large mbuna sitting on the bottom in a poison enduced comma. they were biting the puffer. 3 died and 3 lived after a day of running around blind in a hospital tank. Lets just say that the puffer was taken out.

Just watch out.


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## cichlidaholic (Dec 7, 2005)

I wouldn't do it...I think enough reasons have been listed above. :thumb:


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