Pea Puffer vs Pearl Gourami

Side-by-side care comparison to help you choose.

	Pea Puffer	Pearl Gourami
Difficulty	Intermediate	Beginner
Adult size	1-1.5 inches	4-5 inches
Lifespan	4-5 years	4-5 years
Min tank size	10 gallons	20 gallons
Water temp	74-82°F	77-82°F
pH	6.5-7.5	6.5-7.5
Temperament	Semi-aggressive; can be nippy, especially among conspecifics; best in species-only tank	Peaceful, can be shy; males may become territorial during breeding
Tank mates	Best kept alone or with fast, small fish (e.g., danios, rasboras); avoid long-finned or slow fish	Peaceful community fish such as tetras, rasboras, corydoras, and other non-aggressive species.
Diet	Carnivorous; requires live foods (snails, bloodworms, brine shrimp) daily; may accept high-quality frozen foods	Omnivorous; feed high-quality flakes or pellets supplemented with frozen or live foods like bloodworms, brine shrimp, and daphnia 2-3 times daily.