TankmateChecker

Can discus live with plecos?

Verdict

No

No. Discus and plecos should not share a tank. Plecos sometimes latch on to slow, flat fish like discus and rasp their slime coat.

Discus

Discus82–88°F · pH 5.5–7

Common pleco

Common pleco72–86°F · pH 6.5–7.5

What to watch

Deal breakerPlecos sometimes latch on to slow, flat fish like discus and rasp their slime coat.

What works

Both are fine at 82–86°F.
pH 6.5–7 suits both.
They use different parts of the tank: discus the mid, plecos the bottom.

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

	Discus	Common pleco
Temperature	82–88 °F	72–86 °F
pH	5.5–7	6.5–7.5
Adult size	6.0 in	15.0 in
Minimum tank	55 gal	125 gal
Temperament	Peaceful	Peaceful
Swims at	Middle	Bottom
Group	Groups of 5+	Alone or in pairs
Diet	Carnivore	Herbivore

Better tank mates for discus

All discus tank mates

Better tank mates for plecos

All common pleco tank mates

Questions

Can discus live with plecos?

No. Discus and plecos should not share a tank. Plecos sometimes latch on to slow, flat fish like discus and rasp their slime coat.

What temperature suits both discus and plecos?

82–86 °F. Discus need 82–88 °F, plecos need 72–86 °F.

What size tank do discus and plecos need together?

At least 125 gal, set by the common pleco. Add space for each extra fish.