Can peacock cichlids live with clown plecos?

Verdict

Yes, with care

Yes, with care. Peacock cichlids and clown plecos can share a tank, but watch one thing. Different water: peacock cichlids want pH 7.8–8.6, clown plecos want pH 6.5–7.5.

Peacock cichlid76–82°F · pH 7.8–8.6

Clown pleco73–82°F · pH 6.5–7.5

What to watch

Watch outDifferent water: peacock cichlids want pH 7.8–8.6, clown plecos want pH 6.5–7.5.

What works

Both are fine at 76–82°F.
They use different parts of the tank: peacock cichlids the mid, clown plecos the bottom.

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

	Peacock cichlid	Clown pleco
Temperature	76–82 °F	73–82 °F
pH	7.8–8.6	6.5–7.5
Adult size	6.0 in	3.5 in
Minimum tank	55 gal	20 gal
Temperament	Semi-aggressive	Peaceful
Swims at	Middle	Bottom
Group	Groups of 4+	Alone or in pairs
Diet	Carnivore	Herbivore

Better tank mates for peacock cichlids

All peacock cichlid tank mates

Better tank mates for clown plecos

All clown pleco tank mates

Questions

Can peacock cichlids live with clown plecos?

Yes, with care. Peacock cichlids and clown plecos can share a tank, but watch one thing. Different water: peacock cichlids want pH 7.8–8.6, clown plecos want pH 6.5–7.5.

What temperature suits both peacock cichlids and clown plecos?

76–82 °F. Peacock cichlids need 76–82 °F, clown plecos need 73–82 °F.

What size tank do peacock cichlids and clown plecos need together?

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