You can’t trust the pea puffers’ small and innocent appearance. They can mess up your aquarium with their shenanigans just like a big fish.
If you don’t provide them with proper space they can even get sick. So it’s common to get confused about their proper tank sizes.
So, how many pea puffers per gallon can you keep?
To keep only one pea puffer, you need at least a 5-gallon tank. After the first one, for every additional fish, you need extra 3 gallons of space. In a 10-gallon pot, you can keep 2-3 pea puffers. For 6 pea puffers, you need a 20-gallon pot. The requirements changes if you keep other fish with them.
Don’t go yet. To decide on a perfect size pot for pea puffers, you must know some other things. Keep reading!
How Many Pea Puffers Per Gallon?
Pea puffers may look small as they only grow up to 1.4 inches. But that in no way means they only need a small place to live. They actually need a lot of space.
Let’s see the pot size requirements for the pea puffers.
How Many Pea Puffers In A 5-Gallon Tank?
You can keep only one pea puffer in a 5-gallon tank. This is the minimum tank size for pea puffers. That is a general rule.
For only one pea puffer, you will need to provide at least a 5-gallon pot. Anything smaller than that will create problems for the fish. It will feel suffocated and feel lethargic. It won’t swim like usual.
How Many Pea Puffers In A 10 Gallon Tank?
So, you have to provide 5 gallons of space for your first fish. For the second pea puffer in the aquarium, you don’t have to provide additional 5 gallons. Here, for every fish, you need 3 gallons of additional space for the next one.
So, in a 10-gallon aquarium, you can put 2-3 fish. 5 gallons for the first one, an extra 3 for the second. So, better to put only 2 fishes here. But as you have extra 2 gallons of space, you may keep another fish here.
Because pea puffers stay better in a 3 fish group rather than two. Try to keep 1 male and two females for their better bonding.
But in that case, you have to ensure that the fish are friendly to each other. In case a fish becomes aggressive, all of them may have problems in the 10-gallon tank.
How Many Pea Puffers In A 15 Gallon Tank?
In 15 gallons tank, you can keep a maximum of 4 pea puffers. So, 5+3+3+3, that’s 14 gallons for 4 fish. An additional 1 gallon can’t be used for additional 1 fish. That will be too cluttered for them as pea puffers like to have their space.
How Many Pea Puffers In A 20 Gallon Tank?
A 20-gallon pot is perfect to accommodate 6 pea puffers. So, 5+3+3+3+3+3=20, which means, all 6 fish get perfectly needed space. To keep 6 fishes in an aquarium, you have to provide proper hiding places for them.
However, you can keep 5 fish in this tank to give them more space and privacy. As for the male-female ratio, put 2 male pea puffers and 3/4 female pea puffers.
How Many Pea Puffers In A 30 Gallon Tank?
In a 30-gallon aquarium, you can keep 9 pea puffers. That means, 5+3+3+3+3+3+3+3+3 of space. This will be the tank distribution among the 9 fish.
However, some will recommend you keep 10 fish in this space.
But actually, you should not keep that additional extra fish. It will be disturbing for all the other fish. If the aquarium gets overcrowded, pea puffers get stressed and they show aggressive behaviour.
The recommended male-female ratio for pea puffers is 1:2. So, of the 9 fishes, keep 3 male and 6 female fish.
How Many Pea Puffers In A 40 Gallon Tank?
You can keep 11-12 pea puffers in a 40-gallon tank. This means, 5+3+3+3+3+3+3+3+3+3+3, for 11 fish in total. You will have 2 gallons of extra space. It’s not recommended but you can keep an additional 1 fish.
Of the 12 fishes, there should be 4 male and 8 female pea puffers.
Here’s a chart for the number of pea puffers you can keep in different gallon pots.
| Pot Size | Pea Puffers |
| 5 gallons | 1 |
| 10 gallons | 2-3 |
| 15 gallons | 4 |
| 20 gallons | 6 |
| 30 gallons | 9 |
| 40 gallons | 11-12 |
So, this is the tank size requirement for pea puffers. If you have extra fish that won’t fit in your gallon, you can sell them off. Or, you can buy a bigger fish tank.
Remember that, the recommended pot size is only if you keep only pea puffers. You can’t keep other fish together here.
To keep other fish, you have to consider some other factors. We will describe them in the next section.
What To Consider When Keeping Other Fish With Pea Puffer?
Pea puffers may look small and innocent. But in reality, they can be quite aggressive in nature. They like to claim their own territory and will disturb other fishes coming their way. If you want to keep other fish with them in the same tank, you need to consider some things.
Factor 1: Providing Additional Space
If you keep other fish with pea puffers, you have to give them their additional space. The space should be decided with both fish’s space needs. Leave enough space for your pea puffers. and then add other fish with their own space.
For example, suppose you are keeping Otocinclus with your pea puffers. Two Otocinclus will need at least 3 gallons of space. So, if you have a 15-gallon pot, keep 3 pea puffers and two Otocinclus.
This Otocinclus fish also needs extra care. Make sure you are providing them with that.
This is how you have to distribute space to two kinds of fish.
Factor 2: Don’t Put Big And Predatory Fish with Pea Puffers
Pea puffer has a moderate level of swimming skills. They can swim very fast. So, don’t put big, carnivorous fish with your small pea puffers. Because the big fish will gobble up the small pea puffers.
Factor 3: Don’t Put Fish With Long Fins
These naughty little pea puffers like to bite on other fish’s fins. Especially slow swimming small fishes. So, it’s better not to keep fish like that with your pea puffers.
Here are some best fish to keep with pea puffers.
- Kuhli loach
- Ember tetras
- Otocinclus Catfish
- Cherry Shrimp
- Bristlenose Pleco
- Corydoras Catfish
- Harlequin Rasboras
These are some cool-tempered fish that won’t get in the way of puffer fish.
But remember, whichever fish you consider, always provide enough space. Just like pea puffers, other different fish like silver dollar also need specific space. Know their space requirement thoroughly before keeping those fish.
FAQs
What Water Parameters Do Pea Puffers Need?
As sensitive fish, pea puffers require a certain type of water. The water temperature of the pot must be between 72°F to 82°F. And you have to set the Ph level between 7-8. The water hardness for the pea puffer aquarium should be 5-15 KH.
Can I Keep 2 Pea Puffers?
Yes, you can keep 2 pea puffers together. But you have to ensure to provide them with at least 8 gallons of space. So, get a 10-gallon pot for the 2 pea puffers. And monitor if the two pea puffers are friendly with each other or not.
How Often Should I Feed My Pea Puffers?
You should feed your pea puffers 2-3 times a day. And put food in an amount so that they can finish it in under 2 minutes. After 2-3 times you will get the exact amount of the food they require.
Final Words
That’s all about how many pea puffers per gallon you can keep. For the very playful and aggressive nature, you have to provide them with a bigger space.
But trust me even with all this space, your aquarium won’t look empty. Because of these cute little oddballs.
Have a good day. And best of luck with your pea puffers!
