Can peacock cichlids live with zebra plecos?

Verdict

Yes, with care

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

Peacock cichlid76–82°F · pH 7.8–8.6

Zebra pleco79–88°F · pH 6–7.5

What to watch

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

What works

Both are fine at 79–82°F.
They use different parts of the tank: peacock cichlids the mid, zebra 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	Zebra pleco
Temperature	76–82 °F	79–88 °F
pH	7.8–8.6	6–7.5
Adult size	6.0 in	3.5 in
Minimum tank	55 gal	30 gal
Temperament	Semi-aggressive	Peaceful
Swims at	Middle	Bottom
Group	Groups of 4+	Alone or in pairs
Diet	Carnivore	Carnivore

Better tank mates for peacock cichlids

All peacock cichlid tank mates

Better tank mates for zebra plecos

All zebra pleco tank mates

Questions

Can peacock cichlids live with zebra plecos?

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

What temperature suits both peacock cichlids and zebra plecos?

79–82 °F. Peacock cichlids need 76–82 °F, zebra plecos need 79–88 °F.

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

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