Can pea puffers live with yoyo loaches?

Verdict

Yes, with care

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

Pea puffer74–82°F · pH 7–8

Yoyo loach75–86°F · pH 6–7.5

What to watch

Watch outAt 5 inches a yoyo loach can swallow a small pea puffer. Fast, alert fish usually stay out of reach.
Watch outPea puffers are aggressive. Yoyo loaches hold their own only in a big tank with places to hide.

What works

Both are fine at 75–82°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	Yoyo loach
Temperature	74–82 °F	75–86 °F
pH	7–8	6–7.5
Adult size	1.0 in	5.0 in
Minimum tank	5 gal	40 gal
Temperament	Aggressive	Semi-aggressive
Swims at	All levels	Bottom
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 yoyo loaches

All yoyo loach tank mates

Questions

Can pea puffers live with yoyo loaches?

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

What temperature suits both pea puffers and yoyo loaches?

75–82 °F. Pea puffers need 74–82 °F, yoyo loaches need 75–86 °F.

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

At least 40 gal, set by the yoyo loach. Add space for each extra fish.