Can pea puffers live with hillstream loaches?

Verdict

Yes, with care

Yes, with care. Pea puffers and hillstream loaches can share a tank, but watch one thing. They only share 74–75°F. Keep the heater set there and steady.

Pea puffer74–82°F · pH 7–8

Hillstream loach68–75°F · pH 6.5–7.5

What to watch

Watch outThey only share 74–75°F. Keep the heater set there and steady.
Watch outPea puffers are aggressive, though hillstream loaches are big enough to shrug most of it off.

What works

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	Hillstream loach
Temperature	74–82 °F	68–75 °F
pH	7–8	6.5–7.5
Adult size	1.0 in	2.5 in
Minimum tank	5 gal	20 gal
Temperament	Aggressive	Peaceful
Swims at	All levels	Bottom
Group	Alone or in pairs	Groups of 3+
Diet	Carnivore	Herbivore

Better tank mates for pea puffers

CrayfishYes

All pea puffer tank mates

Better tank mates for hillstream loaches

All hillstream loach tank mates

Questions

Can pea puffers live with hillstream loaches?

Yes, with care. Pea puffers and hillstream loaches can share a tank, but watch one thing. They only share 74–75°F. Keep the heater set there and steady.

What temperature suits both pea puffers and hillstream loaches?

74–75 °F. Pea puffers need 74–82 °F, hillstream loaches need 68–75 °F.

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

At least 20 gal, set by the hillstream loach. Add space for each extra fish.