Can pea puffers live with dojo loaches?

Verdict

Yes, with care

Yes, with care. Pea puffers and dojo loaches can share a tank, but watch one thing. At 6 inches a dojo loach can swallow a small pea puffer. Fast, alert fish usually stay out of reach.

Pea puffer74–82°F · pH 7–8

Dojo loach59–77°F · pH 6.5–8

What to watch

Watch outAt 6 inches a dojo loach can swallow a small pea puffer. Fast, alert fish usually stay out of reach.
Watch outPea puffers are aggressive, though dojo loaches are big enough to shrug most of it off.

What works

Both are fine at 74–77°F.
pH 7–8 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	Dojo loach
Temperature	74–82 °F	59–77 °F
pH	7–8	6.5–8
Adult size	1.0 in	6.0 in
Minimum tank	5 gal	55 gal
Temperament	Aggressive	Peaceful
Swims at	All levels	Bottom
Group	Alone or in pairs	Groups of 3+
Diet	Carnivore	Omnivore

Better tank mates for pea puffers

CrayfishYes

All pea puffer tank mates

Better tank mates for dojo loaches

All dojo loach tank mates

Questions

Can pea puffers live with dojo loaches?

Yes, with care. Pea puffers and dojo loaches can share a tank, but watch one thing. At 6 inches a dojo loach can swallow a small pea puffer. Fast, alert fish usually stay out of reach.

What temperature suits both pea puffers and dojo loaches?

74–77 °F. Pea puffers need 74–82 °F, dojo loaches need 59–77 °F.

What size tank do pea puffers and dojo loaches need together?

At least 55 gal, set by the dojo loach. Add space for each extra fish.