Indian Pea Puffer (Carinotetraodon travancoricus)

The Indian Pea Puffer (Carinotetraodon travancoricus) is the smallest pufferfish in the world and quite possibly the smartest inch of fish you will ever keep. It hovers like a tiny helicopter, studies you through the glass with independently swiveling eyes, learns feeding routines in days, and hunts snails with genuine strategy. This is a personality fish in a nano package, best kept in its own planted tank where nothing distracts from the show. Browse the rest of our freshwater livestock and supplies to build its kingdom.

Care Guide

• Tank size: 5 gallons for a single puffer, 10 or more for a small group. Plan roughly 5 gallons per puffer with one male per group in smaller tanks.
• Water parameters: 74 to 80°F, pH 7.0 to 8.0. Stability matters; drip acclimation is strongly recommended on the ride home.
• Planted and busy: dense plants and hardscape breaks give these curious hunters things to patrol and keep multiple puffers out of each other's face. Guppy Grass is an easy way to add instant cover.
• Feeding: strict carnivore. Frozen bloodworms and brine shrimp are the staples, plus small pest snails for enrichment and natural tooth wear. Most refuse dry food, so plan on frozen.
• Species tank strongly preferred: pea puffers nip fins and harass slow tank mates. They are worth a dedicated tank, and a dedicated tank is worth them.

Specifications

Compatibility

The honest answer: pea puffers are best alone. They will nip the fins of slow fish, pester bettas and gouramis, and hunt dwarf shrimp with delight. In larger, heavily planted tanks experienced keepers sometimes succeed with fast surface dwellers, but a species tank is the setup where these fish thrive and show their full behavior. If you want a community-friendly nano centerpiece instead, look at the Clown Killifish or a school of Ember Tetras.

Recommended Foods & Supplies

• SFBB Frozen Bloodworms the daily staple
• Ocean Nutrition Frozen Brine Shrimp Plus
• Guppy Grass instant planted cover

FAQ

Do they really need snails?
Snails are excellent enrichment and help wear down the beak-like teeth, though pea puffers rarely suffer the overgrown-tooth problems of larger puffers. Ask us in store, we usually have small pest snails on hand for puffer keepers.

Can I keep more than one?
Yes, in a bigger planted tank. Aim for about 5 gallons per puffer, keep one male per small group, and break up sight lines with plants so squabbles fizzle out.

Will it puff up?
Only under serious stress, and you should never try to trigger it. A puffing pea puffer is a frightened pea puffer; the everyday charm is the hovering, hunting, and people-watching.

Why won't it eat pellets?
Wild instincts. Pea puffers are ambush carnivores that key on movement and scent, so nearly all of them hold out for frozen or live food. Frozen bloodworms thawed in tank water almost never fail.