Can pea puffers live with pearl gouramis?

Verdict

Yes, with care

Yes, with care. Pea puffers and pearl gouramis can share a tank, but watch one thing. At 5 inches a pearl gourami can swallow a small pea puffer. Fast, alert fish usually stay out of reach.

Pea puffer74–82°F · pH 7–8

Pearl gourami77–82°F · pH 6–7.5

What to watch

Watch outAt 5 inches a pearl gourami can swallow a small pea puffer. Fast, alert fish usually stay out of reach.
Watch outPea puffers nip at slow fish. Pearl gouramis cannot get away.
Watch outPea puffers are aggressive, though pearl gouramis are big enough to shrug most of it off.

What works

Both are fine at 77–82°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	Pearl gourami
Temperature	74–82 °F	77–82 °F
pH	7–8	6–7.5
Adult size	1.0 in	5.0 in
Minimum tank	5 gal	30 gal
Temperament	Aggressive	Peaceful
Swims at	All levels	Top
Group	Alone or in pairs	Alone or in pairs
Diet	Carnivore	Omnivore

Better tank mates for pea puffers

CrayfishYes

All pea puffer tank mates

Better tank mates for pearl gouramis

All pearl gourami tank mates

Questions

Can pea puffers live with pearl gouramis?

Yes, with care. Pea puffers and pearl gouramis can share a tank, but watch one thing. At 5 inches a pearl gourami can swallow a small pea puffer. Fast, alert fish usually stay out of reach.

What temperature suits both pea puffers and pearl gouramis?

77–82 °F. Pea puffers need 74–82 °F, pearl gouramis need 77–82 °F.

What size tank do pea puffers and pearl gouramis need together?

At least 30 gal, set by the pearl gourami. Add space for each extra fish.