Pea puffers with shrimp

By the Shrimp Tank Hub editorsUpdated Oct 26, 2026Research-based

The pea puffer (Carinotetraodon travancoricus), also sold as the dwarf, Malabar or pygmy puffer, is the smallest pufferfish, growing to about 1 inch (Seriously Fish, Aquarium Co-Op, The Shrimp Farm). It comes from rivers and lakes in the southwestern Indian states of Kerala and Karnataka and is listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN (The Shrimp Farm). Its size makes it look like a natural fit for a planted nano tank full of cherry shrimp. The references mostly disagree, and this page explains why.

Pea puffers at a glance

Will pea puffers eat shrimp?

• The Shrimp Farm: yes. Its pea puffer guide says shrimp are exactly what a pea puffer likes to eat, lists baby cherry shrimp among live foods, and says it wouldn't risk even larger Amano shrimp, which are sometimes suggested.
• Aquarium Co-Op: compares pea puffers to a dog prone to fighting and recommends a species-only aquarium with no other tank mates, including no algae eaters or clean-up crew.
• Practical Fishkeeping: puts dwarf puffers in the same category as bettas. Some individuals ignore shrimp; others hunt whole colonies in days. It calls it a gamble that may not pay off.
• Seriously Fish: says they are not usually recommended for community tanks and that reports of keeping them with freshwater shrimp have had varying success.

So "my puffer ignores my shrimp" stories are real, but they are the exception. Even a puffer that leaves adults alone will hunt shrimplets, so a breeding colony shrinks instead of growing. Our cherry shrimp tank mates guide rates dwarf puffers as high risk.

Why puffers and shrimp clash

• They are built to eat invertebrates. The Shrimp Farm cites wild studies showing a mostly animal diet of insect larvae, water fleas, copepods and other small invertebrates. Seriously Fish says they relish shellfish and live foods.
• They hunt by sight and curiosity. Aquarium Co-Op describes them as very curious fish with excellent eyesight that examine everything in the tank. A tiny shrimp moving through the moss is the kind of thing they investigate.
• Dry food often doesn't satisfy them. Seriously Fish and Aquarium Co-Op say pea puffers usually refuse dry food, so they are fed live and frozen foods, and live foods are exactly what shrimp look like to them.

Pea puffers and snails

Pea puffers are well known for eating small snails (The Shrimp Farm, Aquarium Co-Op, Seriously Fish). The Shrimp Farm says not to add a puffer just to deal with a snail outbreak, and in a shrimp tank a snail-eating fish is also a shrimp-eating fish. For gentler fixes, see pest snails in a shrimp tank. The sources differ on teeth: Seriously Fish says to feed snails to keep a pea puffer's teeth worn down, while The Shrimp Farm and Aquarium Co-Op say pea puffers don't need tooth trimming or a crunchy diet.

Water: compatible, but that isn't the problem

The overlap is our comparison of the published ranges. It shows the two can share water, but the issue is behavior, not chemistry.

If you want both: better options

• Two tanks. Keep the puffers in their own heavily planted tank and the shrimp in another. The Shrimp Farm recommends heavy planting with driftwood and leaf litter for puffers, and both The Shrimp Farm and Seriously Fish stress very good water quality. See shrimp in a jar and how many shrimp per gallon for small shrimp setups.
• A shrimp-safe fish instead. If you want a fish in the shrimp tank, the references rate otocinclus as the safest, and chili rasboras and white cloud mountain minnows as small fish that leave adults alone.
• Invertebrates for a puffer tank. The Shrimp Farm suggests dwarf crayfish as the best invertebrate for a puffer-only tank because they are too large to be eaten. Crayfish are not shrimp-safe, so this applies only to a tank without shrimp.

If you try it anyway

We don't recommend it, but if you decide to take the gamble Practical Fishkeeping describes, treat it the way our betta with shrimp guide suggests: an established, densely planted shrimp colony first, a backup colony in another tank, a well-fed puffer, and a plan to move the puffer if it starts hunting. Expect losses, especially of shrimplets, and don't try it with expensive shrimp.

Pea puffer basics

• Mature tank, clean water: The Shrimp Farm says to add pea puffers only to a fully cycled, mature tank with regular water changes and a generous filter, and Seriously Fish calls them very sensitive to declining water quality. See how to cycle a tank.
• Gentle flow and a heater: Seriously Fish says to keep water movement minimal, and Aquarium Co-Op recommends a gentle filter and a heater if the room is below their range.
• Keep them in water: The Shrimp Farm and Aquarium Co-Op both warn against lifting a puffer out of the water; move it with a cup so it can't gulp air.
• Health: Aquarium Co-Op notes wild-caught puffers may carry internal parasites. For any health question, ask a fish veterinarian or an experienced store, and never medicate a tank that holds shrimp; see is copper toxic to shrimp.

Common mistakes

• Adding a pea puffer to an established cherry shrimp colony to "see what happens".
• Buying a puffer to clear pest snails in a shrimp tank.
• Counting on Amano shrimp being too big to eat.
• Housing pea puffers with slow or long-finned fish such as bettas or guppies.
• Expecting a puffer to live on flakes.

Track it

Log temperature, pH, GH and TDS on the free Water Parameter Log printable so you can keep the tank in the range both species share.

Frequently asked questions

Can pea puffers live with cherry shrimp?

Usually not. The Shrimp Farm says shrimp are exactly what a pea puffer likes to eat, and Aquarium Co-Op recommends a species-only tank. A few keepers report puffers that ignore shrimp, but Practical Fishkeeping calls it a gamble.

Can pea puffers live with Amano shrimp?

Amanos are larger and sometimes suggested, but The Shrimp Farm says it would not risk it. Treat any puffer and shrimp tank as an experiment that may fail.

Will a pea puffer get rid of snails in a shrimp tank?

It will eat small snails, but The Shrimp Farm says not to add a puffer just to deal with snails, and a snail-eating puffer will also hunt shrimp. Reduce feeding and remove snails by hand instead.

What fish can I keep with shrimp instead of a pea puffer?

The references rate otocinclus as among the safest fish for shrimp. Chili rasboras, ember tetras and white cloud mountain minnows usually leave adult shrimp alone, though they eat some shrimplets.

Do pea puffers and shrimp need the same water?

Their ranges overlap at roughly 74 to 80 °F and pH 7.0 to 8.0 for cherry shrimp, but water is not the problem. The puffer hunting the shrimp is.

Sources: Seriously Fish, Carinotetraodon travancoricus (pea puffer) (Carinotetraodon travancoricus; 25 mm SL, probably the smallest puffer; 2–3 gallons per puffer; heavily planted, minimal water movement, very sensitive to water quality; 22–28 °C, pH 6.8–8.0, 5–25 dGH; relishes shellfish, worms, live and frozen foods; small snails to keep teeth down; dried foods not usually accepted; not usually recommended for community tanks, nips slow or long-finned fish; shrimp cohabitation reports with varying success); Aquarium Co-Op, Pea puffer care guide (smallest pufferfish, about 1 in; wild-caught may need deworming; use a cup, not a net; 5 gallons for one plus 3 per extra; 74–82 °F, pH 6.5–8.4, 7.2–7.5 ideal; gentle filter; frozen and live foods, pest snails; usually refuse dry food; no tooth problem; aggressive and territorial, species-only tank with no tank mates or clean-up crew; very curious with excellent eyesight); The Shrimp Farm, Pea puffer care (Kerala and Karnataka; Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List; 10 gallons for a trio plus 2.5 per extra; heavily planted, driftwood and leaf litter; mature, cycled tank and oversized filter; pH 7.5–8.3, 72–82.5 °F, TDS 100–250; avoid slow or long-finned fish such as guppies and bettas; shrimp are exactly what a pea puffer likes to eat, wouldn't risk Amanos; dwarf crayfish as an invertebrate option; mostly animal diet; small snails, don't add a puffer just for snails; live foods include baby cherry shrimp; never take out of water; no tooth trimming needed); Practical Fishkeeping, What can I keep with shrimp? (dwarf puffers with shrimp are a gamble that may not pay off, as with bettas). Cherry shrimp ranges from our cherry shrimp care guide (The Shrimp Farm). Checked October 26, 2026.