-
Hiding Places
-
Providing plenty of hiding places is one way to ensure that your cichlids will ignore your plecos. Plecos are nocturnal and do most of their feeding and moving around at night. Therefore if there are ample hiding places, the cichlids will be more concerned with each other rather than the plecos.
Size
-
Larger specimens of pleco tend to fare better in a cichlid aquarium than small ones. Their armor is thicker, and a larger fish is generally less likely to be seen as food. Larger plecostomus are not well-known tank cleaners, however, so a majority of tank maintenance will have to come from you.
African Cichlids
-
African cichlids and plecos do not co-exist in the wild. Herein lies a potential problem. If your African cichlids are tank-raised, your chances of an aggressive confrontation with plecos is lowered. However, larger, wild-caught Africans may not be as accepting of a pleco.
South American Cichlids
-
The natural habitat of plecos is the rivers of South America. Generally speaking, most New World cichlids are pretty accepting of plecos. Sometimes, however, there are exceptions, as some individual South American cichlids may simply see a pleco as a potential protein source.
Level of pH
-
The pH level tolerable to South American cichlids is generally the same as what plecos are accustomed to, though plecos can tolerate harder water Consistency is key; make sure that your pH level is consistently maintained.
Other Options
-
If you find that your cichlids aren̵7;t accepting of your plecos and just won̵7;t leave them alone, consider a different bottom-dweller. Synodontis catfish are known to be acceptable companions to most cichlids.
-
Pleco Compatibility With Cichlids
You have a cichlid tank and you are looking to add some bottom-feeders for a little diversity. Will a pleco get along with them? The short answer is: ̶0;It depends.̶1; Cichlids are known to be quite aggressive, so it is best to use caution when adding a plecostomus to your aquarium.