Can pea puffers live with plecos?

Verdict

Yes, with care

Yes, with care. Pea puffers and plecos can share a tank, but watch one thing. Pea puffers are aggressive, though plecos are big enough to shrug most of it off.

Pea puffer74–82°F · pH 7–8

Common pleco72–86°F · pH 6.5–7.5

What to watch

Watch outPea puffers are aggressive, though plecos are big enough to shrug most of it off.
Watch outPlecos grow to 15 inches and need 125 gallons, far more than a tank set up for pea puffers.

What works

Both are fine at 74–82°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

	Pea puffer	Common pleco
Temperature	74–82 °F	72–86 °F
pH	7–8	6.5–7.5
Adult size	1.0 in	15.0 in
Minimum tank	5 gal	125 gal
Temperament	Aggressive	Peaceful
Swims at	All levels	Bottom
Group	Alone or in pairs	Alone or in pairs
Diet	Carnivore	Herbivore

Better tank mates for pea puffers

CrayfishYes

All pea puffer tank mates

Better tank mates for plecos

All common pleco tank mates

Questions

Can pea puffers live with plecos?

Yes, with care. Pea puffers and plecos can share a tank, but watch one thing. Pea puffers are aggressive, though plecos are big enough to shrug most of it off.

What temperature suits both pea puffers and plecos?

74–82 °F. Pea puffers need 74–82 °F, plecos need 72–86 °F.

What size tank do pea puffers and plecos need together?

At least 125 gal, set by the common pleco. Add space for each extra fish.