Compatibility Report
GuideMyTank compatibility analysis for Pea Puffer and Reticulated Hillstream Loach.
Planning verdict
incompatibleDo not plan a shared aquarium for this pair. Choose a different tank mate or maintain separate aquariums.
Pea Puffer and Reticulated Hillstream Loach receive a not recommended verdict from the current structured assessment. Pea Puffer is recorded as semi-aggressive with an aggression level of 5/10; Reticulated Hillstream Loach is recorded as peaceful with an aggression level of 2/10. The recommendation is based on the combined water, space, behavior, grouping, and predation checks below rather than on species names alone.
Pea Puffer has a recorded temperature range of 74–82°F and pH range of 6.8–8. Reticulated Hillstream Loach is recorded at 68–76°F and pH 6.5–7.5. Their shared planning window is 74–76°F for temperature and 6.8–7.5 for pH. A shared aquarium must stay inside the overlap rather than merely touching each species’ outer tolerance.
Reticulated Hillstream Loach sets the larger listed base aquarium requirement at 20 gallons; the other listed minimum is 10 gallons. Reticulated Hillstream Loach is the larger adult by the recorded maximum, reaching 3 inches, compared with 1.4 inches. These figures are starting constraints, not a stocking-capacity calculation, because the complete group sizes and bioload still matter.
Pea Puffer is a moderate species associated with the mid zone and moderate flow. Reticulated Hillstream Loach is moderate, uses the bottom zone, and has a high flow preference. Pea Puffer should be planned as a group of at least 6, while reticulated hillstream loach should be planned as a group of at least 3. The aquarium must support both social structures without forcing either species into insufficient space.
Pea Puffer is recorded as a carnivore with advanced care, while Reticulated Hillstream Loach is a herbivore with advanced care. Their listed preferred tank styles are species_only and stream. Feeding access, cover, open swimming room, filtration, and observation should be planned around the more demanding requirement rather than averaged between the two species.
Use these pair-specific boundaries before treating the verdict as an acceptable stocking plan.
Do not plan a shared aquarium for this pair. Choose a different tank mate or maintain separate aquariums.
These references support the underlying species records used by this assessment. They do not necessarily evaluate this exact pair together.
Continue with the most relevant care and compatibility resources for Pea Puffer and Reticulated Hillstream Loach.