Can pea puffers live with koi?

Verdict

No. Pea puffers and koi should not share a tank. Koi are coldwater animals (59–77°F); pea puffers need 74–82°F. They overlap only at 74–77°F, the edge of both ranges.

Pea puffer74–82°F · pH 7–8

Koi59–77°F · pH 7–8.5

What to watch

Deal breakerKoi are coldwater animals (59–77°F); pea puffers need 74–82°F. They overlap only at 74–77°F, the edge of both ranges.
Watch outAt 24 inches a koi can swallow a small pea puffer. Fast, alert fish usually stay out of reach.
Watch outPea puffers are aggressive, though koi are big enough to shrug most of it off.

What works

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	Koi
Temperature	74–82 °F	59–77 °F
pH	7–8	7–8.5
Adult size	1.0 in	24.0 in
Minimum tank	5 gal	Pond
Temperament	Aggressive	Peaceful
Swims at	All levels	All levels
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 koi