Dwarf pufferfish are often referred to as pea or pygmy puffers. They’re a type of small freshwater fish that originate in Southwest India. Unique in appearance with bright colors and tiny, fluttering fins, these fish are highly popular in the aquarist trade. If you’re thinking of adding pea pufferfish to your at-home aquarium, you may be wondering what kind of tank setup they require?
One pea puffer requires a 5-gallon tank with a heater, filter, light, air pump. A species-only planted tank with at least 3 fish is recommended. Decorations like rocks, caves, and driftwood should be added for extra coverage. The water should be pretreated, clean and warm with neutral parameters.
Now that you know what’s needed in terms of a pea puffer tank setup, let’s ‘dive deep’ into this topic and explore it further together. We’ll learn what type of heater, filter, light and air pump are best as well as what water conditions are required. We’ll also discover which plants are safe, what kind of food they need, what fish make the best tankmates, and if pea puffers are aggressive.
So, if you’re ready to more about pea puffer fish and how to care for them in captivity, then let’s begin!
What Tank Size is Best for Pea Puffers?
A single pea puffer can live in a minimum 5-gallon tank, though bigger is always better for this active and aggressive species. For each additional pea puffer you keep, you need to add 5-gallons of water. If you intend to keep a small school of 5 or 6 dwarf pufferfish, you should have at least a 30-gallon aquarium.
What Water Conditions are Best for Pea Puffers?
Pea puffers prefer warm water (at least 74-degrees Fahrenheit) with neutral parameters. Ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels must be at 0 and the pH should be between 6.5 and 7.5. Ensure the water is treated with a conditioning agent to keep it safe and slightly soft.
Do Pea Puffers Need a Heater?
Pea puffers are a type of tropical freshwater fish and as such, prefer warmer water. Therefore, a heater is required. The best theater for a pea puffer tank is a submersible one. If you live in a warm climate, you may not need a heater if your aquarium room temperature remains steady at 74-degrees Fahrenheit.
The temperature in a pea puffer tank should be stable and kept anywhere between 74- and 82-degrees Fahrenheit. If the tank isn’t warm enough, dwarf pufferfish will be less active and may become stressed or ill. If the tank is too cold for too long, pea puffers ill become sick, suffer, and eventually die.
Do Pea Puffers Need a Filter?
Pea puffers, like all tropical freshwater fish, need a filter in their tank. Sponge filters are not only the safest, but also the most effective. They work to eliminate dangerous toxins such as ammonia and nitrates while helping to circulate the water to promote better aeration.
Pea puffer, though adaptable, are quite sensitive to changes in their aquatic environment. Therefore, deep water changes of up to 50% weekly are recommended. When properly cared for and kept in a clean, safe tank, these little fish can live 3 years or more in captivity.
Do Pea Puffers Need an Air Pump?
Pea puffers don’t need an air pump if the filter in their tank is working properly and providing enough surface agitation. In completely still water, this little fish wouldn’t survive more than a day or two. Therefore, upgrading to a high-quality filter and/or adding an air pump is recommended.
An air pump or stone not only helps keep the water well-circulated, but it also promotes better aeration. As a bonus, an air pump provides enrichment for this species. They love to swim through and ‘play’ with the oxygen-rich bubbles.
Do Pea Puffers Need Light?
Like all living creatures, pea puffer need light. That said, this species prefers subdued lighting, so an adjustable LED aquarium light is recommended. Too bright light will startle and/or stress dwarf pufferfish so set the bulb to a dimmer setting and keep it on for just 8-hours per day.
Because pea puffers do best in a planted tank, you’ll need an aquarium light to help grow greenery. Live plants are best since they create a more natural environment while helping to keep the water clean. Add some rocks and other decorations for hiding places should your pea puffers need to escape the light.
Do Pea Puffers Need Plants?
Pea puffers must have plants in their tank. This species is endemic to the warm, highly vegetated waters of Southwest India. Plants not only provide shelter and shade, but they also help keep dwarf pufferfish peaceful, especially in a species-only tank with multiple fish.
The best plants for a pea puffer aquarium are java moss and java fern. Both are non-toxic and can grow in low-light. Anubias and anacharis are also good choices along with floating plants such as Amazon frogbit. If you prefer a low maintenance option, you can use artificial plants, but real greenery is better.
Do Pea Puffers Need Substrate?
Though substrate isn’t vital for pea puffers themselves, it is essential to help grow the plants they need to thrive. Coarse sand or fine gravel is best since they allow for better water/nutrient flow to plant roots. If you have fake plants, then opt for soft sand instead to reduce the risk of injury to your fish.
What Type of Food is Best for Pea Puffers?
Pea puffer are carnivorous and thrive on a meaty, protein-rich diet. The best foods for this species include frozen edibles like brine shrimp and blood worms. You can also offer them live foods such as blackworms and pest snails.
You should feed dwarf pufferfish twice a day – once in the morning and once in the evening. Offer them just enough food to be eaten in a 2- to 3-minute period. Be careful not to overfeed them as this will alter the water parameters in the tank.
What Tankmates are Best for Pea Puffers?
The best tankmates for pea puffers are other pea puffers and should be kept in a species-only tank environment whenever possible. Being sociable aquatic creatures, they do well in groups of at least 3. Females should always outnumber the males by a ratio of at least 3:1.
If a community tank environment is what you prefer, then you should keep pea puffers with small peaceful schooling fish like danios, mollies, platies, and tetras. Bottom-dwelling fish like cories, plecos and loaches as well as crustaceans like shrimp are ok too since they stay out of the way of pea puffers.
Are Pea Puffers Aggressive?
Pea puffers are quite aggressive and need to be in a tank with plenty of space if they’re to share their environment peacefully with other aquatic creatures. A planted tank with aquarium-safe decorations will help provide plenty of hiding places while helping to keep anxiety and tension to a minimum.
Final Thoughts
To conclude, just a single pea puffer needs a minimum 5-gallon tank with a heater, filter, light, and air pump. A planted, species-only tank is best with a group of at least 3 fish. Additional decorations like rocks, driftwood, and caves should be included as well. The water should be clean, slightly soft, and warm with neutral parameters.
I trust this article has provided all the information you need to setup your own pea puffer tank. Good luck and happy fishkeeping!
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