Pea puffer
Carinotetraodon travancoricus
FishFreshwater
- Care level
- Moderate
- Temperament
- Semi-aggressive
- Minimum tank
- 40 L
- Maximum size
- 3 cm
- Temperature
- 24–28 °C
- pH
- 6.5–7.8
- Diet
- Carnivore
Care at a glance
At three centimetres the pea puffer is the smallest pufferfish in the world, and it behaves like a miniature predator: hovering motionless in the water, rotating its eyes independently, then darting at prey with intent. For such a small fish that makes for surprisingly good watching.
It does not eat dry food. Plan on frozen or live food, and on snails — it needs those to wear down its constantly growing teeth, so a running bladder or ramshorn snail culture is not a luxury. It is also a fin nipper and eats shrimp, so in practice only a species tank works. Stock more females than males and provide plenty of planting as sight breaks.
Good to know
Best not combined with
Related species
Values are mainstream hobbyist guidance, not gospel — always watch what your own animals need.
In the BlubHub app you link your inhabitants to this database and see the care info next to your own water parameters.