Pea puffer tank mates

Good matches

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The safest picks for pea puffers are crayfish. Each match shares pea puffers' temperature and pH and leaves them alone.

Tiny but nippy. Usually kept in a species-only tank.

Temperature

74–82°F

pH

7–8

Temperament

Aggressive

Minimum tank

5 gal

With care

58

Avoid

39

Good tank mates

• Crayfish74–77°F

Possible, with care

• Kuhli loach Water chemistry is a squeeze. The only pH that suits both is around 7.
• Corydoras Pea puffers are aggressive, though corydoras are big enough to shrug most of it off.
• Molly Pea puffers are aggressive, though mollies are big enough to shrug most of it off.
• Common pleco Pea puffers are aggressive, though plecos are big enough to shrug most of it off.
• Honey gourami Pea puffers nip at slow fish. Honey gouramis cannot get away.
• Blue gourami At 5 inches a blue gourami can swallow a small pea puffer. Fast, alert fish usually stay out of reach.
• Tiger barb Pea puffers are aggressive. Tiger barbs hold their own only in a big tank with places to hide.
• Platy Pea puffers are aggressive, though platies are big enough to shrug most of it off.
• African dwarf frog Pea puffers nip at slow fish. African dwarf frogs cannot get away.
• Firemouth cichlid At 6 inches a firemouth cichlid can swallow a small pea puffer. Fast, alert fish usually stay out of reach.
• Kissing gourami At 10 inches a kissing gourami can swallow a small pea puffer. Fast, alert fish usually stay out of reach.
• Congo tetra Pea puffers are aggressive, though congo tetras are big enough to shrug most of it off.
• Boesemani rainbowfish Pea puffers are aggressive, though boesemani rainbowfish are big enough to shrug most of it off.
• Bala shark At 13 inches a bala shark can swallow a small pea puffer. Fast, alert fish usually stay out of reach.
• Cherry barb Pea puffers are aggressive, though cherry barbs are big enough to shrug most of it off.
• Lemon tetra Pea puffers are aggressive, though lemon tetras are big enough to shrug most of it off.
• Bristlenose pleco Pea puffers are aggressive, though bristlenose plecos are big enough to shrug most of it off.
• Dwarf gourami Pea puffers nip at slow fish. Dwarf gouramis cannot get away.
• Yoyo loach At 5 inches a yoyo loach can swallow a small pea puffer. Fast, alert fish usually stay out of reach.
• Clown pleco Pea puffers are aggressive, though clown plecos are big enough to shrug most of it off.
• Chinese algae eater Pea puffers are aggressive. Chinese algae eaters hold their own only in a big tank with places to hide.
• Pencilfish Pea puffers are aggressive, though pencilfish are big enough to shrug most of it off.
• Paradise fish Pea puffers are aggressive. Paradise fish hold their own only in a big tank with places to hide.
• Electric blue acara At 6 inches an electric blue acara can swallow a small pea puffer. Fast, alert fish usually stay out of reach.
• Rainbow shark At 6 inches a rainbow shark can swallow a small pea puffer. Fast, alert fish usually stay out of reach.
• Harlequin rasbora Pea puffers are aggressive, though harlequin rasboras are big enough to shrug most of it off.
• Dwarf neon rainbowfish Pea puffers are aggressive, though dwarf neon rainbowfish are big enough to shrug most of it off.
• Zebra danio Pea puffers are aggressive, though zebra danios are big enough to shrug most of it off.
• Swordtail At 5 inches a swordtail can swallow a small pea puffer. Fast, alert fish usually stay out of reach.
• Black skirt tetra Pea puffers are aggressive. Black skirt tetras hold their own only in a big tank with places to hide.
• Otocinclus Pea puffers are aggressive, though otocinclus are big enough to shrug most of it off.
• Red tail shark At 5 inches a red tail shark can swallow a small pea puffer. Fast, alert fish usually stay out of reach.
• Rummy nose tetra Water chemistry is a squeeze. The only pH that suits both is around 7.
• Serpae tetra Pea puffers are aggressive. Serpae tetras hold their own only in a big tank with places to hide.
• Bolivian ram Pea puffers are aggressive, though bolivian rams are big enough to shrug most of it off.
• GloFish tetra Pea puffers are aggressive. Glofish hold their own only in a big tank with places to hide.
• Severum Water chemistry is a squeeze. The only pH that suits both is around 7.
• Pearl gourami At 5 inches a pearl gourami can swallow a small pea puffer. Fast, alert fish usually stay out of reach.
• Glass catfish Pea puffers are aggressive, though glass catfish are big enough to shrug most of it off.
• Apistogramma Water chemistry is a squeeze. The only pH that suits both is around 7.
• Clown loach At 8 inches a clown loach can swallow a small pea puffer. Fast, alert fish usually stay out of reach.
• Kribensis Pea puffers are aggressive. Kribensis hold their own only in a big tank with places to hide.
• Cardinal tetra Water chemistry is a squeeze. The only pH that suits both is around 7.
• Odessa barb Pea puffers are aggressive, though odessa barbs are big enough to shrug most of it off.
• Tinfoil barb At 12 inches a tinfoil barb can swallow a small pea puffer. Fast, alert fish usually stay out of reach.
• Upside down catfish Pea puffers are aggressive, though upside down catfish are big enough to shrug most of it off.
• Silver dollar Water chemistry is a squeeze. The only pH that suits both is around 7.
• Zebra loach Pea puffers are aggressive, though zebra loaches are big enough to shrug most of it off.
• Panda cory Pea puffers are aggressive, though panda corys are big enough to shrug most of it off.
• Dojo loach At 6 inches a dojo loach can swallow a small pea puffer. Fast, alert fish usually stay out of reach.
• Siamese algae eater Pea puffers are aggressive, though siamese algae eaters are big enough to shrug most of it off.
• Hillstream loach They only share 74–75°F. Keep the heater set there and steady.
• Gold barb They only share 74–75°F. Keep the heater set there and steady.
• Zebra pleco Pea puffers are aggressive, though zebra plecos are big enough to shrug most of it off.
• Rosy barb Pea puffers are aggressive. Rosy barbs hold their own only in a big tank with places to hide.
• Electric yellow cichlid Pea puffers are aggressive. Yellow labs hold their own only in a big tank with places to hide.
• German blue ram Water chemistry is a squeeze. The only pH that suits both is around 7.
• Killifish Water chemistry is a squeeze. The only pH that suits both is around 7.

Avoid

• Betta Pea puffers nip fins, and the long fins of bettas are an easy target.
• Guppy Pea puffers nip fins, and the long fins of guppies are an easy target.
• Angelfish An adult angelfish eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 1 inches pea puffers do.
• Cherry shrimp Pea puffers hunt shrimp. Adult cherry shrimp will be eaten.
• Goldfish Goldfish are coldwater animals (60–74°F); pea puffers need 74–82°F. They meet only at 74°F, the edge of both ranges.
• Neon tetra Pea puffers are aggressive and will bully peaceful neon tetras.
• Axolotl Axolotls are coldwater animals (60–66°F); pea puffers need 74–82°F. No temperature suits both.
• Mystery snail Pea puffers hunt snails, so mystery snails will be eaten.
• Oscar An adult oscar eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 1 inches pea puffers do.
• Ghost shrimp Pea puffers hunt shrimp. Adult ghost shrimp will be eaten.
• Endler's livebearer Pea puffers are aggressive and will bully peaceful endlers.
• Convict cichlid Both are aggressive, and convict cichlids are much bigger, so pea puffers lose.
• Ramshorn snail Pea puffers hunt snails, so ramshorn snails will be eaten.
• Sparkling gourami Pea puffers are aggressive and will bully peaceful sparkling gouramis.
• Black ghost knife An adult black ghost knife eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 1 inches pea puffers do.
• Nerite snail Pea puffers hunt snails, so nerite snails will be eaten.
• Assassin snail Pea puffers hunt snails, so assassin snails will be eaten.
• Bichir An adult bichir eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 1 inches pea puffers do.
• Jack Dempsey An adult jack dempsey eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 1 inches pea puffers do.
• Ember tetra Pea puffers are aggressive and will bully peaceful ember tetras.
• Amano shrimp Pea puffers hunt shrimp. Adult amano shrimp will be eaten.
• Celestial pearl danio Pea puffers are aggressive and will bully peaceful celestial pearl danios.
• Black neon tetra Pea puffers are aggressive and will bully peaceful black neon tetras.
• Bamboo shrimp Pea puffers hunt shrimp. Adult bamboo shrimp will be eaten.
• Elephant nose fish At 9 inches an elephant nose fish can swallow a 1-inch pea puffer whole.
• Chili rasbora Pea puffers are aggressive and will bully peaceful chili rasboras.
• Glowlight tetra Pea puffers are aggressive and will bully peaceful glowlight tetras.
• Hatchetfish Pea puffers are aggressive and will bully peaceful hatchetfish.
• Pygmy cory Pea puffers are aggressive and will bully peaceful pygmy corys.
• Pictus catfish An adult pictus catfish eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 1 inches pea puffers do.
• Koi 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.
• Blood parrot Pea puffers are aggressive, and slow, long-finned blood parrots cannot escape them.
• Peacock cichlid At 6 inches a peacock cichlid can swallow a 1-inch pea puffer whole.
• Flowerhorn An adult flowerhorn eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 1 inches pea puffers do.
• White cloud minnow White cloud minnows are coldwater animals (60–72°F); pea puffers need 74–82°F. No temperature suits both.
• African cichlid Both are aggressive, and african cichlids are much bigger, so pea puffers lose.
• Silver arowana An adult silver arowana eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 1 inches pea puffers do.
• Discus At 6 inches a discus can swallow a 1-inch pea puffer whole.
• Fancy goldfish Fancy goldfish are coldwater animals (65–74°F); pea puffers need 74–82°F. They meet only at 74°F, the edge of both ranges.

Planning a mixed tank? The tank mate checker tests every pair at once. Or read the pea puffer care sheet.