Can otocinclus live with peacock cichlids?

Verdict

Yes, with care

Yes, with care. Otocinclus and peacock cichlids can share a tank, but watch one thing. Different water: otocinclus want pH 6–7.5, peacock cichlids want pH 7.8–8.6.

Otocinclus72–79°F · pH 6–7.5

Peacock cichlid76–82°F · pH 7.8–8.6

What to watch

Watch outDifferent water: otocinclus want pH 6–7.5, peacock cichlids want pH 7.8–8.6.

What works

Both are fine at 76–79°F.
They use different parts of the tank: otocinclus the bottom, peacock cichlids the mid.

Water side by side

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

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

	Otocinclus	Peacock cichlid
Temperature	72–79 °F	76–82 °F
pH	6–7.5	7.8–8.6
Adult size	2.0 in	6.0 in
Minimum tank	20 gal	55 gal
Temperament	Peaceful	Semi-aggressive
Swims at	Bottom	Middle
Group	Groups of 6+	Groups of 4+
Diet	Herbivore	Carnivore

Better tank mates for otocinclus

All otocinclus tank mates

Better tank mates for peacock cichlids

All peacock cichlid tank mates

Questions

Can otocinclus live with peacock cichlids?

Yes, with care. Otocinclus and peacock cichlids can share a tank, but watch one thing. Different water: otocinclus want pH 6–7.5, peacock cichlids want pH 7.8–8.6.

What temperature suits both otocinclus and peacock cichlids?

76–79 °F. Otocinclus need 72–79 °F, peacock cichlids need 76–82 °F.

What size tank do otocinclus and peacock cichlids need together?

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