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My apologies if this is in the wrong place.

I plan on setting up a DIY tank. It will be about 210 liters. I'm wondering what the best stocking would be for the Amazon Puffer. I would like it to be the center of attention but would also like to keep other species that would be found in the same immediate area of the Amazon basin. What authentic tank mates should I go with and how many puffers should I keep with them?

I was thinking that some type of cichlid would be nice as well as a couple types of tetras and maybe one or two catfish species.

Any suggestions would be great! Thanks.

"A fish swims through the sea, while the sea is in a certain sense contained within the fish."
-mewithoutYou

I would just add some more Puffers and skip on the Cichlid's

"All water has a perfect memory and is forever trying to get back to where it was."
Toni Morrison.
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Best stocking for an amazon puffer is nothing, apart from another puffer of the same species. They have a severe tendancy to fin nip and take chunks out of any fish they are housed with. Puffers arent community fish. Asellus is unusual in that it tolerates its own species fairly well, so you can have more than one.

I have kept asellus puffers for years with no fighting or predation on others in the tank. That said, don't pick a slow fish with long fins. If you want a cichlid, I would recommend a ram, or a blue ram. They will not bother each other generally. Avoid most cichlids, though. I have kept the asellus puffer with neons and cardinals without problem. Medium sized cory cats would work well also. Plant the tank as these puffers like an interesting environment. Keep plenty of snails for the puffer to eat, and even then you will likely have to trim the teeth on occasion.

I have a differing opinion from longhairedigit, after years of keeping them, the asellus puffer and dwarf puffers are good in the "right" community tank.

Do not try to keep invertebrates alive with the puffer, although I have kept "wood shrimp" with small asellus puffers with no problems.

Rainbow fish are not natural environmental mates for the puffer, but their speed and activity level makes them good tankmates also, with the exception of the threadfin rainbow.

( makes pookiekiller stand in the corner with the other four people in the world who think its ok to keep puffers in community)