Can hillstream loaches live with peacock cichlids?

Verdict

No. Hillstream loaches and peacock cichlids should not share a tank. No shared temperature. Hillstream loaches need 68–75°F, peacock cichlids need 76–82°F.

Hillstream loach68–75°F · pH 6.5–7.5

Peacock cichlid76–82°F · pH 7.8–8.6

What to watch

Deal breakerNo shared temperature. Hillstream loaches need 68–75°F, peacock cichlids need 76–82°F.
Watch outDifferent water: hillstream loaches want pH 6.5–7.5, peacock cichlids want pH 7.8–8.6.

What works

They use different parts of the tank: hillstream loaches the bottom, peacock cichlids the mid.

Water side by side

The ranges do not meet, so one of them would always be too warm or too cold.

No pH suits both. One would live in the wrong water all the time.

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

	Hillstream loach	Peacock cichlid
Temperature	68–75 °F	76–82 °F
pH	6.5–7.5	7.8–8.6
Adult size	2.5 in	6.0 in
Minimum tank	20 gal	55 gal
Temperament	Peaceful	Semi-aggressive
Swims at	Bottom	Middle
Group	Groups of 3+	Groups of 4+
Diet	Herbivore	Carnivore

Better tank mates for hillstream loaches

All hillstream loach tank mates

Better tank mates for peacock cichlids

All peacock cichlid tank mates

Questions

Can hillstream loaches live with peacock cichlids?

No. Hillstream loaches and peacock cichlids should not share a tank. No shared temperature. Hillstream loaches need 68–75°F, peacock cichlids need 76–82°F.

What temperature suits both hillstream loaches and peacock cichlids?

None. Hillstream loaches need 68–75 °F and peacock cichlids need 76–82 °F, so the ranges do not meet.

What size tank do hillstream loaches and peacock cichlids need together?

At least 55 gal, set by the peacock cichlid. Add space for each extra fish.