Can bristlenose plecos live with flowerhorns?

Verdict

No. Bristlenose plecos and flowerhorns should not share a tank. An adult flowerhorn eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 5 inches bristlenose plecos do.

Bristlenose pleco73–81°F · pH 6.5–7.5

Flowerhorn80–89°F · pH 7–8

What to watch

Deal breakerAn adult flowerhorn eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 5 inches bristlenose plecos do.
Deal breakerFlowerhorns are aggressive and will bully peaceful bristlenose plecos.
Watch outThey only share 80–81°F. Keep the heater set there and steady.

What works

pH 7–7.5 suits both.
They use different parts of the tank: bristlenose plecos the bottom, flowerhorns the mid.

Water side by side

The green band is the temperature range both can live in.

The green band is the pH both tolerate.

Size to scale

Adult length in an aquarium. A fish can swallow anything that fits in its mouth, roughly a third to half its own length for predators.

Care at a glance

	Bristlenose pleco	Flowerhorn
Temperature	73–81 °F	80–89 °F
pH	6.5–7.5	7–8
Adult size	5.0 in	12.0 in
Minimum tank	30 gal	75 gal
Temperament	Peaceful	Aggressive
Swims at	Bottom	Middle
Group	Alone or in pairs	One per tank
Diet	Herbivore	Carnivore

Better tank mates for bristlenose plecos

All bristlenose pleco tank mates

Questions

Can bristlenose plecos live with flowerhorns?

No. Bristlenose plecos and flowerhorns should not share a tank. An adult flowerhorn eats fish that fit in its mouth, and at 5 inches bristlenose plecos do.

What temperature suits both bristlenose plecos and flowerhorns?

80–81 °F. Bristlenose plecos need 73–81 °F, flowerhorns need 80–89 °F.

What size tank do bristlenose plecos and flowerhorns need together?

At least 75 gal, set by the flowerhorn. Add space for each extra fish.