TankmateChecker

Can bettas live with pea puffers?

Verdict

No

No. Bettas and pea puffers should not share a tank. Pea puffers nip fins, and the long fins of bettas are an easy target.

Betta

Betta76–82°F · pH 6.5–7.5

Pea puffer

Pea puffer74–82°F · pH 7–8

What to watch

Deal breakerPea puffers nip fins, and the long fins of bettas are an easy target.
Deal breakerPea puffers are aggressive, and slow, long-finned bettas cannot escape them.

What works

Both are fine at 76–82°F.
pH 7–7.5 suits both.

Water side by side

The green band is the temperature range both can live in.

The green band is the pH both tolerate.

Size to scale

Adult length in an aquarium. A fish can swallow anything that fits in its mouth, roughly a third to half its own length for predators.

Care at a glance

	Betta	Pea puffer
Temperature	76–82 °F	74–82 °F
pH	6.5–7.5	7–8
Adult size	2.5 in	1.0 in
Minimum tank	5 gal	5 gal
Temperament	Semi-aggressive	Aggressive
Swims at	Top	All levels
Group	One per tank	Alone or in pairs
Diet	Carnivore	Carnivore

Better tank mates for bettas

All betta tank mates

Better tank mates for pea puffers

CrayfishYes

All pea puffer tank mates

Questions

Can bettas live with pea puffers?

No. Bettas and pea puffers should not share a tank. Pea puffers nip fins, and the long fins of bettas are an easy target.

What temperature suits both bettas and pea puffers?

76–82 °F. Bettas need 76–82 °F, pea puffers need 74–82 °F.

What size tank do bettas and pea puffers need together?

At least 5 gal, set by the betta. Add space for each extra fish.