Can pea puffers live with red tail sharks?

Verdict

Yes, with care

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

Pea puffer74–82°F · pH 7–8

Red tail shark72–79°F · pH 6.5–7.5

What to watch

Watch outAt 5 inches a red tail shark can swallow a small pea puffer. Fast, alert fish usually stay out of reach.
Watch outPea puffers are aggressive. Red tail sharks hold their own only in a big tank with places to hide.

What works

Both are fine at 74–79°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	Red tail shark
Temperature	74–82 °F	72–79 °F
pH	7–8	6.5–7.5
Adult size	1.0 in	5.0 in
Minimum tank	5 gal	55 gal
Temperament	Aggressive	Semi-aggressive
Swims at	All levels	Bottom
Group	Alone or in pairs	One per tank
Diet	Carnivore	Omnivore

Better tank mates for pea puffers

CrayfishYes

All pea puffer tank mates

Better tank mates for red tail sharks

All red tail shark tank mates

Questions

Can pea puffers live with red tail sharks?

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

What temperature suits both pea puffers and red tail sharks?

74–79 °F. Pea puffers need 74–82 °F, red tail sharks need 72–79 °F.

What size tank do pea puffers and red tail sharks need together?

At least 55 gal, set by the red tail shark. Add space for each extra fish.