Brackish water fish compatibility and feeding

I'm planning out my first brackish tank and have a few fish I'm considering: puffer (probably figure 8), freshwater snowflake eel, freshwater lionfish, hogchoker flounder. I'm aware I can't house all these species together, but are there at least two or three out of that list that might get along? All the compatibility info I've looked at has said puffers, eels, and scorpion fish could live together but that's all in reference to saltwater creatures. I would also assume a flounder and a freshwater lionfish wouldn't be compatible because they're both bottom dwellers. Would a flounder be ok with puffers and an eel? They might make a good clean up fish for those messy eaters.

And about food, could I feed these fish an assortment of snails (for puffers), cherry shrimp, guppies/platies, and frozen food?

 

I've been reading up on freshwater snowflake moray eel and how to keep it and stuff cuz I've been interested in it a lot lately. From what I've read if it big enough to fit in it's mouth it's food, so the scorpionfish might not be the best to keep with the eels. The freshwater lion fish is a big guy and might eat the eels if they are small enough. They are quite lazy fish and just lay around a lot. If you want a tank with not a lot of movement then you might be able to do the eels with the freshwater lion fish. It's just at your own risk really.

Feeding wise I would recommend prepared foods like shrimp, worms, or something like that. I've got nothing against live foods, I just don't like the risk that comes with live foods. I work at a pet store, and have seen first hand at the tragedy of a fish getting sick and dying from eating a diseased fish for food. I don't recommend it but that's just my preference.

 

I have a figure 8 and it's the funniest fish I own. A total dog like personality. I wouldn't trade it for anything.

 

Thanks for the replies. I have a breeding tank for feeder fish & inverts and they're all very healthy. I've read about many people keeping saltwater eels and puffers together, so that might be the route I try with the brackish species.

 

I looked at a scorpian fish once. They are best kept as single species only. They will eat tank mates.

Some people keep figure 8s with other fish. Many people find it works better to keep them as single species tanks. This one depends on the individual fish. If you do decide to try, the most likely to be sucessful tank mate is a bumblebee goby. A few people have reported that the crabs they have fed to their puffers managed to cohabitate instead. YMMV.

Eels take larger tanks, 55 gallon at a minimum. As do the flounder, which you may not see a lot of if it buries itself in the sand. Still they are neat when they are out and about.