CheckMyFishTankPea Puffer care
Carinotetraodon travancoricus · Freshwater · Intermediate level care
A tiny, smart and bold freshwater puffer that must be fed live or frozen foods.
Feeding
Once a day. A few pellets or a couple of frozen items per fish that are gone in a few minutes. Live or frozen snails, frozen bloodworms, brine shrimp.
Nips the fins of slow fish with long fins.
Eats shrimp and snails.
Claims a territory and guards it.
Good tank mates
Fish that pass every check with Pea Puffer in a 40 gallon tank: same water, overlapping temperature, nobody gets eaten and no bullies.
Do not mix with
- Silver Dollar: Silver Dollar grows big enough to eat Pea Puffer.
- Tinfoil Barb: Tinfoil Barb grows big enough to eat Pea Puffer.
- White Cloud Mountain Minnow: White Cloud Mountain Minnow and Pea Puffer need different water temperatures.
- Paradise Fish: Paradise Fish grows big enough to eat Pea Puffer.
- Angelfish: Angelfish grows big enough to eat Pea Puffer.
- Convict Cichlid: Convict Cichlid grows big enough to eat Pea Puffer.
- Oscar: Oscar grows big enough to eat Pea Puffer.
- Jack Dempsey: Jack Dempsey grows big enough to eat Pea Puffer.
Questions
What size tank does a Pea Puffer need?
At least 5 gallons. Adults grow to about 1 inches, so plan for the adult size, not the size at the store.
What temperature does a Pea Puffer like?
74 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit, with a pH of about 7 to 7.8. A steady temperature matters more than hitting one exact number.
How many Pea Puffer should I keep together?
One is fine. If you keep more, keep one male, since males fight each other.
What do Pea Puffer eat?
Live or frozen snails, frozen bloodworms, brine shrimp. Feed once a day: a few pellets or a couple of frozen items per fish that are gone in a few minutes.
Sources
Checked against these sources on 2026-11-10. When sources disagree we use the safer number.