# Pleco's and Cichlids?



## steve426

I have heard mixed opinions on keeping pleco's in an aquarium with cichlids. I have been told that the pleco's will sometimes kill cichlids in the middle of the night. Just wondering if anybody has had any bad experiences after mixing pleco's with there cichlids?


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## cindylou

I added a pleco w/ my cichlids hope that is false...So far so good... :fish: :fish:


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## lloyd

IME, it depends very much on the variant of either. many fancy/small pleco can get killed outright when added to established cichlid tanks. but not too often seen the other way around.


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## DJRansome

I have a bristlenose pleco with my cichlids as I wanted an algae eater. She is doing well. I think bristlenose have the best odds of success, and odds are improved when the bristlenose and cichlids are young and all introduced to the tank at the same time.

The danger is to the pleco, however. Cichlids like to peck at the eyes, sometimes killing the pleco in the process.


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## Toby_H

If you put a 12" Pleco in with a 3" Cichlid... the big fish might eat the little fish...

If you put a 12" Cichlid in with a 3" Pleco... the big fish might eat the little fish...

It's in a fish's nature to eat smaller fish... But if you take size and aggression into consideration when choosing tankmates, there is no reason why you cannot keep Plecos with Cichlids....


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## lloyd

to better address your Q: what type of pleco vs. cichlid mix are you considering?


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## cindylou

My Pleco is already in the tank..Not sure what kind he is..LFS sold him to me and said he would be fine...I also have 3 Syno cats in a quarantine tank that I just bought waiting to go in there..

55g.
2 Acei
2 yellow labs
2 jewels
1 bumble bee
1 auratus

:fish: :fish: :fish:


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## steve426

My tank is a 90g all male mix. it has just about everything you can imagine.
1 Red Shoulder Peacock
1 Lithobate
1 Venustus
1 Sulphur Head Peacock
1 Sunshine Peacock
1 German Red
1 Blue Neon Peacock
2 OB peacock
1 Red Empress
1 Rusty Cichlid
1 Cobue Afra
2 Frontosa
1 Crimson Tide
2 Species 44
1 White tail Acie
1 Hap Ahli (Electric Blue)
1 Strawberry Peacock
1 Eureka Peacock
1 Platinum Zebra
1 WC Tangerine Tiger (Protamelus)
1 Chilumba Peacock
1 Masoni Peacock
1 Yellow lab
1 Copadichromis Kandango (Red Fin)
1 Mamba Bay Peacock
1 Albino Peacock
1 Strawberry Peacock

It might seem like alot for one tank but only a couple of them are over 3 inches, many are still Juvies. All are very colourful and there is little to no aggression between the fish. The Pleco I added is an L014 Sunshine Pleco about 2.5 Inches.


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## DJRansome

cindylou, I think the pleco/malawi mix is not the only problem. In a 55G you have best odds of success with 3 species of mbuna, so first I would choose 3. Then, malawi do not pair, they are harem breeders. Each male needs three or more females to spread his aggression. So once you have chosen your 3 species, buy extra females. Auratus and Bumblebee are not a good fit for a 55G. Jewels will kill everything in the tank when they spawn. Acei and Labs like to be in groups of 5-6. So I'd buy 3 female Acei and 3 female Labs. Plus choose one additional mbuna species and buy 1m:4f.

Best of luck!

steve426, how long have those fish been together? I always thought more than one year was enough to judge compatibility, but I saw cichlidaholic say two years was better! :thumb:


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## cindylou

I know I am new at all this and listened to the LFS..Did no research at all till I found this forum..I am hoping everyday that they keep getting along I see very little agression so far..( a little chasing)...I heard cichlids could be aggressive but I didn't realize to what extent..I will keep my quarantine tank handy for emergency's..I set the tank up the end of Aug. so it hasn't been very long..  
Now that I am attached to my fish what do I need a 1000g. to keep them all safe? :lol: 
I will keep you all posted as to how my little unresearched hobby is going... :fish: :fish: :fish:


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## lloyd

steve426 said:


> My tank is a 90g all male mix. it has just about everything you can imagine.
> 1 Red Shoulder Peacock
> 1 Lithobate
> 1 Venustus
> 1 Sulphur Head Peacock
> 1 Sunshine Peacock
> 1 German Red
> 1 Blue Neon Peacock
> 2 OB peacock
> 1 Red Empress
> 1 Rusty Cichlid
> 1 Cobue Afra
> 2 Frontosa
> 1 Crimson Tide
> 2 Species 44
> 1 White tail Acie
> 1 Hap Ahli (Electric Blue)
> 1 Strawberry Peacock
> 1 Eureka Peacock
> 1 Platinum Zebra
> 1 WC Tangerine Tiger (Protamelus)
> 1 Chilumba Peacock
> 1 Masoni Peacock
> 1 Yellow lab
> 1 Copadichromis Kandango (Red Fin)
> 1 Mamba Bay Peacock
> 1 Albino Peacock
> 1 Strawberry Peacock
> 
> It might seem like alot for one tank but only a couple of them are over 3 inches, many are still Juvies. All are very colourful and there is little to no aggression between the fish. The Pleco I added is an L014 Sunshine Pleco about 2.5 Inches.


 best bet is to stuff the pleco in a corner, or lay it across the top of the other fish. otherwise, you might never see it again. :roll: my bet is that it hides 24/7/365. you simply have too much going on in there to entice any pleco out into the open. IMHO.


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## lloyd

cindylou said:


> Now that I am attached to my fish what do I need a 1000g. to keep them all safe?


 not quite, but a 6 foot tank goes a long way to help deal with aggression issues. most common pleco sold at lfs are of the gibbicep variant. HTH.


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## cindylou

The pleco is all over the glass at night...When the lights go out we have moon lights...


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## lloyd

cindylou said:


> The pleco is all over the glass at night...When the lights go out we have moon lights...


 that's a good time to offer it the odd algae wafer snack.


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## cindylou

That is what I do...Thanks :thumb:


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## JWerner2

lloyd said:


> steve426 said:
> 
> 
> 
> My tank is a 90g all male mix. it has just about everything you can imagine.
> 1 Red Shoulder Peacock
> 1 Lithobate
> 1 Venustus
> 1 Sulphur Head Peacock
> 1 Sunshine Peacock
> 1 German Red
> 1 Blue Neon Peacock
> 2 OB peacock
> 1 Red Empress
> 1 Rusty Cichlid
> 1 Cobue Afra
> 2 Frontosa
> 1 Crimson Tide
> 2 Species 44
> 1 White tail Acie
> 1 Hap Ahli (Electric Blue)
> 1 Strawberry Peacock
> 1 Eureka Peacock
> 1 Platinum Zebra
> 1 WC Tangerine Tiger (Protamelus)
> 1 Chilumba Peacock
> 1 Masoni Peacock
> 1 Yellow lab
> 1 Copadichromis Kandango (Red Fin)
> 1 Mamba Bay Peacock
> 1 Albino Peacock
> 1 Strawberry Peacock
> 
> It might seem like alot for one tank but only a couple of them are over 3 inches, many are still Juvies. All are very colourful and there is little to no aggression between the fish. The Pleco I added is an L014 Sunshine Pleco about 2.5 Inches.
> 
> 
> 
> best bet is to stuff the pleco in a corner, or lay it across the top of the other fish. otherwise, you might never see it again. :roll: my bet is that it hides 24/7/365. you simply have too much going on in there to entice any pleco out into the open. IMHO.
Click to expand...

Not so true. I see lots of active Plecos in packed tanks!

I myslef dont do it only cause I go with themes like my Tanganyika tank. Plecos dont come from Tanganyika so I dont do them in that tank, if you acclimate them slow the day you get themn home they are fine.


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## steve426

My pleco never hides and the tank is not that crowded. But thanks for the opinion Lloyd!


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## lloyd

steve426 said:


> My pleco never hides and the tank is not that crowded. But thanks for the opinion Lloyd!


 i was (sarcastically) joking...hence the emoticon. i often support the idea of keeping certain large cichlids as singles in a 55, so i'm far from the one who should chastise anyone averaging 3 gal. per fish with success. got a picture of the set up? opcorn:


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## steve426

I will very soon and when I do i will post it for sure. My son threw our camera in the tank one when I was cleaning it. As soon as I get a new one I will be taking pictures.


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## MRE

I have a 7" common pleco with my 3 yellow labs, 2 rustys, and 1 demasoni. All the cichlids are about an inch to inch and a half long and have had no problems with the pleco. The pleco did throw a little fit when I added the cichlids but none of them were hurt. Ever since the first day the pleco has just kept to himself.


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## LIVINGLIFE

I've had the Cichlids in my tank kill 2 plecos.


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## lvbengal

hello i am brand new to all this and decided to make cichlids my tank choice....i currently have a 40 gallon tank and purchase 7 cichlids that house it...
2 red blotchy zebras
1 dempsey
1 oscar
1 bumblebee
1 firemouth
1 convict
i provided them with ample hiding spots and they are all about 1.5 inches or so and so far its been a month and they all get along...by month end my new 135 gallon tank should arrive and i plan on moving these 7 cichlids along with a commen 3 inch pleco i have in a smaller tank along with some schooling fish like large danios or black tetras....I understand now that i have central, malawi, and south america all mixed up but preety much every pet store in town has told me that it should be fine especially in a huge tank with plenty of hiding spots and the fact that they are growing up together....the dempsey appears to be the early boss.... your opinions are welcomed as i trust this forum more the pet store folks....thanks


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