Care guide
Puffer fish care guide
Pea puffers are tiny, clever and completely full of attitude. They are also fin-nippers and predators, so they need a tank built around them.
Species-only tanks
Freshwater puffers nip fins and hunt anything slow. The safest setup by far is puffers alone.
- One pea puffer per 20 litres, minimum 40 litres for a small group
- Keep in a group of 5–6 to spread aggression, with more females than males
- Never house with bettas, guppies, shrimp or any long-finned fish
Diet & teeth
Puffers will not touch dry pellets. Their teeth grow continuously and must be worn down on hard-shelled food.
- Feed frozen bloodworm, brine shrimp and daphnia
- Offer live ramshorn or bladder snails regularly — this keeps teeth trimmed
- Feed once daily, small amounts
Tank setup
A heavily planted tank with sight breaks reduces squabbling and lets shy puffers hide.
- Dense planting, moss and driftwood
- Gentle flow — puffers are poor swimmers
- Temperature 24–27°C, pH 7.0–7.8
- Tight lid; puffers are curious
Before you buy
Puffers need a mature, fully cycled tank and a snail supply. Set both up before your fish arrives.
- Start a snail culture a few weeks ahead
- Cycle the tank fully — puffers are sensitive to ammonia
- Quarantine new arrivals if you already keep a group
Still not sure about something? Message us — we answer every question, whether you buy from us or not.