Amazon Puffer Tank Mates

Amazon Puffer is peaceful, so its tank mates need choosing with care. Here are the 193 freshwater species that pair well with an amazon puffer — plus the 69 to avoid — with a live checker you can tune to your own tank.

The best tank mates for an amazon puffer

  • Ember Tetra ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 2 cm · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 24–28 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Neon Green Rasbora ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 2 cm · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
    Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 23–26 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Ramshorn Snail ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 2 cm · 20–28 °C (68–82 °F)
    Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 23–28 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Red Lip Nerite Snail ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 2 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 23–28 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Dawn Tetra ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 2.5 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
  • Nerite Snail ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 2.5 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 23–28 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Assassin Snail ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 3 cm · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
    Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 23–26 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
  • Endler's Livebearer ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 3 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
  • Glowlight Danio ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 3 cm · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
    Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
  • Gold Ring Danio ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 3 cm · 18–26 °C (64–79 °F)
    Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 23–26 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
  • Malaysian Trumpet Snail ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 3 cm · 21–27 °C (70–81 °F)
    Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
  • Neon Tetra ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 3 cm · 20–26 °C (68–79 °F)
    Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 23–26 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
  • Tail-spot Corydoras ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 3 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 23–28 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Trinidad Guppy ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 3 cm · 19–24 °C (66–75 °F)
    Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 23–24 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Pygmy Corydoras ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 3.2 cm · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
    Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 23–26 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
  • Glowlight Rasbora ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 3.5 cm · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
    Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 23–28 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Blue Danio ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 4 cm · 21–26 °C (70–79 °F)
    Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 23–26 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Emperor Tetra ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 4 cm · 23–27 °C (73–81 °F)
    Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 23–27 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Flame Tetra ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 4 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
  • Glowlight Tetra ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 4 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 23–28 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Golden Dwarf Barb ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 4 cm · 18–24 °C (64–75 °F)
    Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 23–24 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
  • Phoenix Tetra ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 4 cm · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
    Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 23–28 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Red Phantom Tetra ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 4 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
  • Rosy Tetra ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 4 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 23–28 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.

Amazon Puffer tank mates that can work with care

  • Afra Cichlid ⚠️ With caution
    Medium care · Semi-aggressive · 10 cm · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    Different pH ranges (6.5–7.5 vs 7.8–8.6); doable if you sit in the shared band, but not ideal long-term.
  • African Butterfly Cichlid ⚠️ With caution
    Medium care · Semi-aggressive · 8 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    African Butterfly Cichlid and Amazon Puffer are close in size, but the semi-aggressive one tends to dominate — add amazon puffer in a group to spread the pressure.
  • Agassiz's Dwarf Cichlid ⚠️ With caution
    Medium care · Semi-aggressive · 9 cm · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)
    Expect Agassiz's Dwarf Cichlid to harass Amazon Puffer at times; give dense cover and watch them at feeding.
  • Amano Shrimp ⚠️ With caution
    Easy care · Peaceful · 5 cm · 18–28 °C (64–82 °F)
    Amazon Puffer may eat Amano Shrimp or pick off its shrimplets — a densely planted tank with moss gives them a fighting chance.
  • Angelfish ⚠️ With caution
    Medium care · Semi-aggressive · 15 cm · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)
    Angelfish is semi-aggressive and may chase or nip the smaller Amazon Puffer — plant heavily and break up sight lines.
  • Arrowhead Puffer ⚠️ With caution
    Hard care · Aggressive · 12 cm · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
    Expect Arrowhead Puffer to harass Amazon Puffer at times; give dense cover and watch them at feeding.
  • Auratus Cichlid ⚠️ With caution
    Medium care · Aggressive · 11 cm · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
    pH preferences only just meet (Amazon Puffer 6.5–7.5 vs Auratus Cichlid 7.6–8.8) — target the overlap and acclimate slowly.
  • Badis ⚠️ With caution
    Medium care · Semi-aggressive · 8 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    Badis and Amazon Puffer are close in size, but the semi-aggressive one tends to dominate — add amazon puffer in a group to spread the pressure.

+ 70 more “with caution” pairings — see the interactive checker above.

Fish to avoid keeping with an amazon puffer

  • Wels Catfish ⛔ Avoid
    Hard care · Aggressive · 300 cm · 15–25 °C (59–77 °F)
    Wels Catfish (300 cm) is big enough to swallow the 8 cm Amazon Puffer whole.
  • Alligator Gar ⛔ Avoid
    Hard care · Aggressive · 250 cm · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    Alligator Gar (250 cm) is big enough to swallow the 8 cm Amazon Puffer whole.
  • Redtail Catfish ⛔ Avoid
    Hard care · Aggressive · 120 cm · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
    Amazon Puffer is bite-sized to a 120 cm predatory redtail catfish — it will be eaten.
  • Fire Eel ⛔ Avoid
    Medium care · Semi-aggressive · 100 cm · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    Fire Eel (100 cm) is big enough to swallow the 8 cm Amazon Puffer whole.
  • Clown Knifefish ⛔ Avoid
    Hard care · Aggressive · 90 cm · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    Amazon Puffer is bite-sized to a 90 cm predatory clown knifefish — it will be eaten.
  • Koi ⛔ Avoid
    Medium care · Peaceful · 90 cm · 4–28 °C (39–82 °F)
    Koi (90 cm) is big enough to swallow the 8 cm Amazon Puffer whole.
  • Spotted Gar ⛔ Avoid
    Hard care · Aggressive · 90 cm · 18–26 °C (64–79 °F)
    Spotted Gar (90 cm) is big enough to swallow the 8 cm Amazon Puffer whole.
  • Wolf Cichlid ⛔ Avoid
    Hard care · Aggressive · 72 cm · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)
    Size gap is too large (72 vs 8 cm): Wolf Cichlid will treat Amazon Puffer as food.

+ 61 more to avoid — the checker above flags every one.

Check any fish against an amazon puffer

Dial in your exact tank size and filter by result — the checker scores every species in our database against an amazon puffer, with the reasoning for each verdict.

Will it live with a Amazon Puffer?

We compare each fish against your amazon puffer on temperament, size, water parameters and swimming zone. Set your tank size and filter the results.

  • Ash Lipped Apisto✅ Compatible
    Semi-aggressive · 7 cm · Hard care · 24–29 °C (75–84 °F)
    • Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 24–28 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
    • Keep Amazon Puffer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Banded Dwarf Cichlid✅ Compatible
    Semi-aggressive · 7 cm · Medium care · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)
    • Peaceful + Semi-aggressive, but with no direct clash here; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
    • Keep Amazon Puffer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Black Kuhli Loach✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 8 cm · Easy care · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
    • Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 23–28 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
    • Keep Amazon Puffer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Bleeding Heart Tetra✅ Compatible
    Semi-aggressive · 7 cm · Medium care · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
    • Peaceful + Semi-aggressive, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 23–28 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
    • Keep Amazon Puffer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
    • Keep Bleeding Heart Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Bolivian Ram✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 8 cm · Medium care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    • Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 24–28 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
    • Keep Amazon Puffer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Bright Diamond Tetra✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 7 cm · Hard care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    • Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 24–28 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
    • Keep Amazon Puffer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
    • Keep Bright Diamond Tetra in a shoal of 8+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Brilliant Rasbora✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 9 cm · Easy care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    • Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 23–28 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
    • Keep Amazon Puffer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
    • Keep Brilliant Rasbora in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Buenos Aires Tetra✅ Compatible
    Semi-aggressive · 7 cm · Easy care · 18–26 °C (64–79 °F)
    • Peaceful + Semi-aggressive, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 23–26 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
    • Keep Amazon Puffer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
    • Keep Buenos Aires Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Burmese Loach✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 9 cm · Easy care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    • Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 23–28 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
    • Keep Amazon Puffer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Celebes Rainbowfish✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 7 cm · Medium care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    • Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 23–28 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
    • Keep Amazon Puffer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
    • Keep Celebes Rainbowfish in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Clown Pleco✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 9 cm · Medium care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    • Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 24–28 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
    • Keep Amazon Puffer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Congo Tetra✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 8 cm · Medium care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    • Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 23–28 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
    • Keep Amazon Puffer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
    • Keep Congo Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Costa's Tetra✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 7 cm · Easy care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    • Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 23–28 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
    • Keep Amazon Puffer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
    • Keep Costa's Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Croaking Gourami✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 7 cm · Easy care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    • Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 24–28 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
    • Keep Amazon Puffer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Glass Catfish✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 8 cm · Medium care · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
    • Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 23–28 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
    • Keep Amazon Puffer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
    • Keep Glass Catfish in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Gold Barb✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 7.5 cm · Easy care · 18–26 °C (64–79 °F)
    • Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 23–26 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
    • Keep Amazon Puffer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
    • Keep Gold Barb in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Semi-aggressive · 7 cm · Medium care · 24–29 °C (75–84 °F)
    • Peaceful + Semi-aggressive, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 24–28 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
    • Keep Amazon Puffer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Leopard Frog Pleco✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 9 cm · Medium care · 25–30 °C (77–86 °F)
    • Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 25–28 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
    • Keep Amazon Puffer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Pantanal Corydoras✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 8 cm · Medium care · 22–27 °C (72–81 °F)
    • Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 23–27 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
    • Keep Amazon Puffer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
    • Keep Pantanal Corydoras in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Scissortail Rasbora✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 8 cm · Easy care · 22–27 °C (72–81 °F)
    • Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 23–27 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
    • Keep Amazon Puffer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
    • Keep Scissortail Rasbora in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Silver Tetra✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 9 cm · Easy care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    • Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 24–28 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
    • Keep Amazon Puffer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
    • Keep Silver Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Splashing Tetra✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 8 cm · Medium care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    • Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
    • Keep Amazon Puffer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
    • Keep Splashing Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Thick-lipped Gourami✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 9 cm · Easy care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    • Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
    • Keep Amazon Puffer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Zebra Loach✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 9 cm · Medium care · 23–26 °C (73–79 °F)
    • Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
    • Keep Amazon Puffer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Afra Cichlid⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 10 cm · Medium care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    • Different pH ranges (6.5–7.5 vs 7.8–8.6); doable if you sit in the shared band, but not ideal long-term.
    • Afra Cichlid and Amazon Puffer are close in size, but the semi-aggressive one tends to dominate — add amazon puffer in a group to spread the pressure.
    • Your 120 L tank is below the ~150 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
    • Keep Amazon Puffer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
    • Keep Afra Cichlid in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • African Butterfly Cichlid⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 8 cm · Medium care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    • African Butterfly Cichlid and Amazon Puffer are close in size, but the semi-aggressive one tends to dominate — add amazon puffer in a group to spread the pressure.
    • Keep Amazon Puffer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Agassiz's Dwarf Cichlid⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 9 cm · Medium care · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)
    • Expect Agassiz's Dwarf Cichlid to harass Amazon Puffer at times; give dense cover and watch them at feeding.
    • Keep Amazon Puffer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Badis⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 8 cm · Medium care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    • Badis and Amazon Puffer are close in size, but the semi-aggressive one tends to dominate — add amazon puffer in a group to spread the pressure.
    • Keep Amazon Puffer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Bamboo Shrimp⚠️ With caution
    Peaceful · 8 cm · Medium care · 22–27 °C (72–81 °F)
    • Amazon Puffer may eat Bamboo Shrimp or pick off its shrimplets — a densely planted tank with moss gives them a fighting chance.
    • Keep Amazon Puffer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Bandit Cichlid⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 9 cm · Medium care · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
    • Bandit Cichlid and Amazon Puffer are close in size, but the semi-aggressive one tends to dominate — add amazon puffer in a group to spread the pressure.
    • Your 120 L tank is below the ~150 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
    • Keep Amazon Puffer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
    • Keep Bandit Cichlid in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Brichardi Cichlid⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 9 cm · Medium care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    • Different pH ranges (6.5–7.5 vs 7.8–9); doable if you sit in the shared band, but not ideal long-term.
    • Expect Brichardi Cichlid to harass Amazon Puffer at times; give dense cover and watch them at feeding.
    • Keep Amazon Puffer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Cockatoo Dwarf Cichlid⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 8 cm · Medium care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    • Cockatoo Dwarf Cichlid is semi-aggressive and may chase or nip the smaller Amazon Puffer — plant heavily and break up sight lines.
    • Keep Amazon Puffer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Convict Cichlid⚠️ With caution
    Aggressive · 10 cm · Easy care · 21–28 °C (70–82 °F)
    • Convict Cichlid and Amazon Puffer are close in size, but the aggressive one tends to dominate — add amazon puffer in a group to spread the pressure.
    • Keep Amazon Puffer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Daffodil Cichlid⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 10 cm · Medium care · 23–27 °C (73–81 °F)
    • pH preferences only just meet (Amazon Puffer 6.5–7.5 vs Daffodil Cichlid 7.8–9) — target the overlap and acclimate slowly.
    • Daffodil Cichlid is semi-aggressive and may chase or nip the smaller Amazon Puffer — plant heavily and break up sight lines.
    • Keep Amazon Puffer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Demasoni Cichlid⚠️ With caution
    Aggressive · 9 cm · Hard care · 23–27 °C (73–81 °F)
    • Different pH ranges (6.5–7.5 vs 7.8–8.6); doable if you sit in the shared band, but not ideal long-term.
    • Demasoni Cichlid is aggressive and may chase or nip the smaller Amazon Puffer — plant heavily and break up sight lines.
    • Your 120 L tank is below the ~200 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
    • Keep Amazon Puffer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
    • Keep Demasoni Cichlid in a shoal of 12+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Dwarf Gourami⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 8 cm · Medium care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    • Expect Dwarf Gourami to harass Amazon Puffer at times; give dense cover and watch them at feeding.
    • Keep Amazon Puffer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Electric Yellow Cichlid⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 10 cm · Medium care · 23–26 °C (73–79 °F)
    • Different pH ranges (6.5–7.5 vs 7.8–8.9); doable if you sit in the shared band, but not ideal long-term.
    • Expect Electric Yellow Cichlid to harass Amazon Puffer at times; give dense cover and watch them at feeding.
    • Your 120 L tank is below the ~200 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
    • Keep Amazon Puffer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Goldeneye Dwarf Cichlid⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 8 cm · Easy care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    • Expect Goldeneye Dwarf Cichlid to harass Amazon Puffer at times; give dense cover and watch them at feeding.
    • Keep Amazon Puffer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Lifalili Jewel Cichlid⚠️ With caution
    Aggressive · 9 cm · Medium care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    • Lifalili Jewel Cichlid is aggressive and may chase or nip the smaller Amazon Puffer — plant heavily and break up sight lines.
    • Keep Amazon Puffer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Mexican Tetra⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 9 cm · Easy care · 18–25 °C (64–77 °F)
    • Mexican Tetra and Amazon Puffer are close in size, but the semi-aggressive one tends to dominate — add amazon puffer in a group to spread the pressure.
    • Keep Amazon Puffer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
    • Keep Mexican Tetra in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Alligator Gar⛔ Not recommended
    Aggressive · 250 cm · Hard care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    • Alligator Gar (250 cm) is big enough to swallow the 8 cm Amazon Puffer whole.
    • Alligator Gar clearly outsizes Amazon Puffer and is aggressive; risky unless the tank is big and well-planted.
    • Your 120 L tank is below the ~3785 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
    • Keep Amazon Puffer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Clown Knifefish⛔ Not recommended
    Aggressive · 90 cm · Hard care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    • Amazon Puffer is bite-sized to a 90 cm predatory clown knifefish — it will be eaten.
    • Expect Clown Knifefish to harass Amazon Puffer at times; give dense cover and watch them at feeding.
    • Your 120 L tank is below the ~750 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
    • Keep Amazon Puffer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Fire Eel⛔ Not recommended
    Semi-aggressive · 100 cm · Medium care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    • Fire Eel (100 cm) is big enough to swallow the 8 cm Amazon Puffer whole.
    • Expect Fire Eel to harass Amazon Puffer at times; give dense cover and watch them at feeding.
    • Your 120 L tank is below the ~380 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
    • Keep Amazon Puffer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Koi⛔ Not recommended
    Peaceful · 90 cm · Medium care · 4–28 °C (39–82 °F)
    • Koi (90 cm) is big enough to swallow the 8 cm Amazon Puffer whole.
    • Your 120 L tank is below the ~3800 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
    • Keep Amazon Puffer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Redtail Catfish⛔ Not recommended
    Aggressive · 120 cm · Hard care · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
    • Amazon Puffer is bite-sized to a 120 cm predatory redtail catfish — it will be eaten.
    • Redtail Catfish is aggressive and may chase or nip the smaller Amazon Puffer — plant heavily and break up sight lines.
    • Your 120 L tank is below the ~5700 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
    • Keep Amazon Puffer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Spotted Gar⛔ Not recommended
    Aggressive · 90 cm · Hard care · 18–26 °C (64–79 °F)
    • Spotted Gar (90 cm) is big enough to swallow the 8 cm Amazon Puffer whole.
    • Spotted Gar clearly outsizes Amazon Puffer and is aggressive; risky unless the tank is big and well-planted.
    • Your 120 L tank is below the ~600 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
    • Keep Amazon Puffer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Wels Catfish⛔ Not recommended
    Aggressive · 300 cm · Hard care · 15–25 °C (59–77 °F)
    • Wels Catfish (300 cm) is big enough to swallow the 8 cm Amazon Puffer whole.
    • Expect Wels Catfish to harass Amazon Puffer at times; give dense cover and watch them at feeding.
    • Your 120 L tank is below the ~20000 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
    • Keep Amazon Puffer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Wolf Cichlid⛔ Not recommended
    Aggressive · 72 cm · Hard care · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)
    • Size gap is too large (72 vs 8 cm): Wolf Cichlid will treat Amazon Puffer as food.
    • Wolf Cichlid is aggressive and may chase or nip the smaller Amazon Puffer — plant heavily and break up sight lines.
    • Your 120 L tank is below the ~760 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
    • Keep Amazon Puffer in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.

Compatibility is computed from each species' care data — a strong starting point, not a guarantee. Individual temperament varies, so always introduce new fish slowly and watch them.

Setting up an amazon puffer community tank

Give the group a stable, planted 120 L+ tank with a gentle filter, a reliable heater and plenty of cover — broken sight lines and hiding spots let mid-water and bottom dwellers keep out of each other's way. Cycle it fully and stock gradually.

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How to choose the right tank mates for an amazon puffer

As a peaceful species, amazon puffer is easily bullied — favour other calm, non-nippy fish and steer clear of boisterous or aggressive tank mates. It ranges across the whole water column, so tank mates that keep to one level help reduce friction.

Amazon Puffer grows to about 8 cm, so avoid tank mates small enough to be seen as food — as a rule of thumb, skip anything under roughly 4 cm. Match its water, too: aim for 23–28 °C (73–82 °F), pH 6.5–7.5 and 2–12 dGH. Fish needing very different conditions — coldwater species, or hard-water lovers against a soft-water fish — rarely thrive side by side.

Amazon Puffer is a shoaling fish — stock a group of 6+ of its own kind first, then build compatible tank mates around them. Whatever you add, introduce new fish slowly, watch for bullying in the first days, and have a backup plan if temperaments clash.

Frequently asked questions

Can an amazon puffer live with other fish?

Yes — with the right companions. Our checker finds 193 compatible freshwater species for amazon puffer. Pick calm, similarly-sized fish that share its water needs and add them to a mature, well-planted tank.

What is the best tank mate for an amazon puffer?

Easy, peaceful, similarly-sized species top the list — for example Ember Tetra, Neon Green Rasbora, Ramshorn Snail. Use the checker above to match against your own tank size.

What fish should you avoid keeping with an amazon puffer?

Avoid Wels Catfish, Alligator Gar, Redtail Catfish and similar — usually a temperature, size or temperament clash. The full "avoid" list below gives the reason for each.

How big a tank do amazon puffer tank mates need?

Start from Amazon Puffer's own minimum and scale up with every addition. The checker above defaults to a 120 L community tank and flags pairings that need more room — drag the slider to match your setup.