i was told that i can put a neon green or a figure 8. what ever that is. and how do i find these fish? and are they cichlids?

I don't understand your question. The neon greens that I know are a type of tetra. And usually when I hear figure 8, that is referring to a puffer. Put these fish with what? Find them...at the LFS. Unless these are names for other fish that are cichlids (which I don't recognize), then neither of these are cichlids.

Neon green is also a trade name for a type of puffer, so I believe whomever told you you could put these fish in with cichlids was referring to puffers.

Puffer enthusiasts would most likely give you advice not to house them with cichlids. Cichlid enthusiasts would most likely give you the same advice.

You could probably get away with it for a short while, but I think the difference in water parameter requirements, aggressiveness, and teeth would eventually make you wish you hadn't.

would you beleave this advice can from som1 at petsmart. this is why i asked. thank u trainer

cichlid1, I am honestly not surprised, but I wouldn't hold it against them. Some people are under the false assumption that African cichlids are brackish water fish due to the rift lake cichlids being tolerant of high hardness (erroneously simplified as 'salt') conditions.

As I said, you could probably do it for a short while, but neither group of fish would likely thrive in the tank. The fact that you are here and asking the question tells me that you'd like to do the right thing for your fish, and that would be to set up a separate tank for the puffer(s)

I agree with Trainer, you could probbly get away with it for a short time, but for different reasons. Not all puffers are brackish water fish, some are strictly fresh water, such as some of the amazonian species. I see the problem being that they can both be rather aggressive. The cichlids are usually fast moving and could really beat up the slower moving puffers, but at the same time those puffers have extremely strong dentition and could inflict major damage to your cichlids...esp when they are sleeping. Another thing to consider many puffers get huge so anything that fit in their mouth would be fair game to them.

Puffers are pretty cool and worthy of a tank of their own IMO. They are cute and very much a pet fish and interact with their keepers.