Can pea puffers live with tinfoil barbs?

Verdict

Yes, with care

Yes, with care. Pea puffers and tinfoil barbs can share a tank, but watch one thing. At 12 inches a tinfoil barb can swallow a small pea puffer. Fast, alert fish usually stay out of reach.

Pea puffer74–82°F · pH 7–8

Tinfoil barb72–80°F · pH 6.5–7.5

What to watch

Watch outAt 12 inches a tinfoil barb can swallow a small pea puffer. Fast, alert fish usually stay out of reach.
Watch outPea puffers are aggressive, though tinfoil barbs are big enough to shrug most of it off.
Watch outTinfoil barbs grow to 12 inches and need 125 gallons, far more than a tank set up for pea puffers.

What works

Both are fine at 74–80°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	Tinfoil barb
Temperature	74–82 °F	72–80 °F
pH	7–8	6.5–7.5
Adult size	1.0 in	12.0 in
Minimum tank	5 gal	125 gal
Temperament	Aggressive	Peaceful
Swims at	All levels	Middle
Group	Alone or in pairs	Groups of 5+
Diet	Carnivore	Omnivore

Better tank mates for pea puffers

CrayfishYes

All pea puffer tank mates

Better tank mates for tinfoil barbs

All tinfoil barb tank mates

Questions

Can pea puffers live with tinfoil barbs?

Yes, with care. Pea puffers and tinfoil barbs can share a tank, but watch one thing. At 12 inches a tinfoil barb can swallow a small pea puffer. Fast, alert fish usually stay out of reach.

What temperature suits both pea puffers and tinfoil barbs?

74–80 °F. Pea puffers need 74–82 °F, tinfoil barbs need 72–80 °F.

What size tank do pea puffers and tinfoil barbs need together?

At least 125 gal, set by the tinfoil barb. Add space for each extra fish.