Can Pea Puffers Live With Guppies?

So your love for the popular Pea Puffers and Guppies extends to great heights and beyond, and you want to keep them together, but you’re unsure?

This might be more than a tricky question; you might want to understand their distinct traits for a proper answer.

Guppies are extremely popular among hobbyists and aquarists due to their gorgeous and colorful appearances that are unique from each other.

In addition, they are extremely docile and relatively one of the easiest fish to take care of.

On the other hand, while Pea Puffers are also low-maintenance and may have risen in popularity recently, they are extremely territorial and aggressive.

So, “Can Pea Puffers live with Guppies?” Unfortunately, the general answer is no, and many factors contribute to this case.

Read on to understand why putting Pea Puffers in the same tank as Guppies might not be in your best interest.

Understanding Pea Puffers

Pea Puffers, scientific name Carinotetraodon Travabcoricus, have a lot of different names like the pygmy pufferfish, dwarf pufferfish, Malabar pufferfish, etc.

, and they are small freshwater pufferfish that are native to India, the Western Ghats.

Although introduced in the mid-19th century, Pea Puffers today are incredibly popular for their cute size, which is approximately 1 inch, attractive and vibrant colors with green patches, ease of maintenance, and their famous “puppy-dog eyes.

”.

However, although Pea Puffers may be incredibly small, they are known to be extremely territorial and aggressive.

In addition, the Pea Puffers are carnivorous and have teeth that are beak-like, which have been adapted to crush snail shells, their main food source in nature.

While the Pea Puffers may seem abundant in their native territory in India, they are listed just above the endangered category, which is “vulnerable” on the International Union For Conservation’s list.

That said, Pea Puffers are, in nature, food for larger fishes, and so they normally thrive in properly maintained aquariums with natural hiding spaces made from plants and other ornamentation.

Thread carefully since this species of pufferfish is extremely sensitive to poor water conditions compared to other freshwater fishes, so you need regular maintenance of the tank.

Understanding Guppies

Most aquarists or hobbyists would not need an introduction to this fish species since they are one of the most popularly kept pets for their vibrant and grandiose diverse colors and their ease of caring.

Guppies are known to come in various shades of colors, all distinct from each other, and they grow up to 2.

5 inches in length on average, with the possibility of being smaller or larger.

These particular freshwater fishes are extremely friendly and social creatures, making them rightfully fitting in most aquariums that do not have aggressive tankmates like Pea Puffers.

Also, when it comes to care requirements like feeding, Guppies are versatile since they are omnivores, so they don’t need special diets like a particular food source to thrive happily.

However, ideal tank conditions, such as a large tank with an average size of 10-gallon for 5-6 Guppies and a water condition of 74°F to 82°F with an environment filled with lots of plantation and other hiding spots, are recommended.

Don’t let the common misconception of Guppies being extremely hardy fool you since while they can tolerate a range of temperatures, they thrive in warm and consistent temperatures like the one mentioned above.

Can Pea Puffers Live With Guppies?

There are numerous reasons why anyone would ask if Pea Puffers and Guppies can coexist peacefully in an aquarium.

For instance, both these species have similar tank and water conditions that may indicate they will survive and thrive together.

When it comes to the water conditions, generally, Guppies thrive in 72°F to 82°F and for Pea Puffers, 77°F to 79°F is essential for them to live happily.

As you can see, these water temperatures are extremely close enough for them to survive alongside each other.

On the other hand, the pH levels where both these species thrive are also similar, where the guppies are generally happy with 6.

8 to 7.

8, and for Pea Puffers, it’s normally 6.

6 to 7.

0, with both the species preferring slow-moving water.

In addition, they both prefer large tanks with plenty of hiding spots and spaces made of plants and other ornamentation for them to mate or be preoccupied with exploring to reduce stress levels.

However, most seasoned aquarists would advise you not to pair them together since Pea Puffers are generally aggressive and are prone to being hostile towards slow-swimming tank mates such as Guppies.

Compatibility Considerations

As mentioned, Pea Puffers are highly famous for their aggression.

Since they are carnivorous in nature, love to nip on meat, and tend to attack slower-swimming fishes, if you dump Guppies into the same aquarium, they’ll most likely take no time to attack their fins.

It would almost be like an all-you-can-eat buffet for the Pea Puffers.

On the contrary, it’s not only Guppies or slow-swimming fishes that Pea Puffers will be aggressive towards, but their own kind as well.

Seasoned aquarists or any hobbyist would advise you not to put two male Pea Puffers in the same tank since they’ll be liable for injuries within a short period.

However, even though it is not recommended, if you’re bent on keeping them together, it may be possible for them to co-exist together by following certain conditions.

Conditions such as providing a huge tank with a number of hiding spots and regularly feeding the Pea Puffers, keeping them well-fed which might possibly relax their aggression.

In addition, since female Pea Puffers are known to be less aggressive than their male counterpart, putting females with male Guppies would be the right choice to make.

Regardless, constant observation is highly needed to ensure both species’ safety if you plan on keeping them together.

That said, if there are any signs of aggression, make sure to separate them as soon as you detect even the slightest inconvenience since the welfare of the fish is all that matters.

Conclusion

Pea Puffers and Guppies are generally similar in the environment they thrive in, but other than this, they are widely distinct from each other regarding traits and personality.

Pea Puffers normally are highly aggressive, and keeping them together with Guppies is a recipe for disaster in the making, so we highly do not recommend putting both these fishes in the same aquarium.

However, if you truly will do anything to keep these two species of fish, you might want to consider keeping them in two separate aquariums where they will thrive indefinitely.