I’ve kept pea puffers in a couple of different tanks. And, these guys have taught me a thing or two. In this blog, I’m going to talk about setting up a pea puffer tank and share my personal advice about keeping this crazy and unique little fish.
The Pea Puffer Tank: The Size
Pea puffers can live in a variety of tank sizes. But an important rule to remember is that each pea puffer (dwarf puffer fish) will require five gallons of water for itself. So, in other words, if you plan to keep four pea puffers, you will need at least a 20-gallon fish tank. These guys aggressive and territorial and need their space.
Substrate
Pea puffers can be kept in a tank with gravel or sand. Personally, I’m a fan of black sand. But have kept these fish in tanks with black gravel. Both types of substrate worked fine for my puffers.
Water Parameters for a Pea Puffer Tank
For pea puffers, the water should be kept pretty warm. Your dwarf puffer fish will do best in tanks where the water is 78 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit. Also, shoot for a pH of around 7.5.
Note, like a lot of freshwater fish, abrupt water changes aren’t good for pea puffers. They can be sensitive to changes in pH. So maintain balance in your tank and do 20 to 25% water changes every week. These guys are finicky eaters and it’s important that you clean old food matter in your tank to keep your pea puffers healthy.
Air Pumps
While I do use air pumps in some of my tanks, they aren’t required for pea puffers. Pea puffers can manage fine without an air pump. However, it won’t hurt a thing if you want an air pump in your tank.
Your Pea Puffer Tank and Plants
Pea puffers do well in planted tanks. Personally, I’m a fan of planted tanks when it comes to most fish. Plants help mitigate issues caused by fish waste in the tank that can be toxic. They produce oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide and ammonia. This is a huge reason for keeping real plants in an aquarium. Also, let’s not forget, aquarium plants make fish tanks look a lot better.
Additionally, plants provide places for pea puffers to hang out and make their territory. Plants also provide pea puffers with a place to hide when they feel threatened.
Types of Plants for a Pea Puffer Tank
I’ve used Anubias, Hornwort, Java ferns, and Java moss in my tanks. My pea puffers always seemed to love the Hornwort. Some of them always made claims to specific areas within the Hornwort plants.
Keeping Multiple Puffers
Now, as discussed above, pea puffers need about five gallons of water each in a fish tank. But, keeping multiple pea puffers together is a little more complex than that. Male pea puffers are pretty territorial and very aggressive. So with every male, have two female pea puffers.
Don’t let the pea puffer’s small size and cute appearance fool you. Pea puffers can be mean little fish. They are fin nippers and will bully the heck out of your other fish and can kill your fish, too.
Yes, there are certain fish that can be tank mates with pea puffer fish. But, I’d suggest setting up a pea puffer tank that is exclusively for pea puffers. That’s just my opinion.
So, it’s important to note that while pea puffers are very intriguing fish and can be lots of fun to have, they drastically impact what other types of fish you might be able to keep in your aquarium.
The Pea Puffer Tank: A Recap
Pea puffers are definitely intriguing little fish to keep. They are also a popular freshwater fish and kept by many aquarists around the world. Although dwarf puffers are very small, they are known for being highly territorial and aggressive. For this reason, I suggest keeping pea puffers in a tank that is solely for pea puffers.
Remember, how you house your pea puffers together is important as male puffers are very aggressive. They should be kept in groups, but for every male, there should be two females.
Also, remember to add some plants to your pea puffer tank. Plants release oxygen and are great for absorbing CO2 and ammonia in a fish tank. They also give pea puffers a place to hide and hang out. Plus, plants keep the tank interesting for your little puffers.
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