Common Pleco tank mates
Hypostomus plecostomus
Common Pleco gets along with 26 species, needs care with 150, and should avoid 12.
Fish24" adultPeaceful150+ gallons72–82°FpH 6–8
26Compatible
150With care
12Avoid
Best tank mates (hand-picked)
The most reliable companions for Common Pleco — peaceful, and matched on water temperature and pH.
Japanese Trapdoor SnailPeaceful snail, shares 72–82°F & pH 6.5–8Nerite SnailPeaceful snail, shares 72–82°F & pH 6.5–8Assassin SnailPeaceful snail, shares 72–82°F & pH 7–8Bladder SnailPeaceful snail, shares 72–82°F & pH 7–8Royal PlecoPeaceful fish, shares 73–82°F & pH 6.5–7.5Thai Micro CrabPeaceful crab, shares 72–79°F & pH 6.5–7.5Thai Micro Pom Pom CrabPeaceful crab, shares 72–79°F & pH 7–7.8Blue Mystery SnailPeaceful snail, shares 72–82°F & pH 7–8Colombian RamshornPeaceful snail, shares 72–82°F & pH 7–8
Stocking more than one fish?
Don’t check pairs one at a time. Add Common Pleco and every other fish you’re considering to the compatibility checker, and see how the whole community gets along at once — with tank-size and water-parameter conflicts flagged automatically.
Check my whole list →Best avoided (12 total)
A few to steer clear of — and exactly why:
OscarOscar is aggressive and will attack the peaceful Common Pleco.Blue Lobster CrayfishBlue Lobster Crayfish hunts along the bottom and will catch the bottom-dwelling Common Pleco, especially at night.Electric Blue CrayfishElectric Blue Crayfish hunts along the bottom and will catch the bottom-dwelling Common Pleco, especially at night.Marbled CrayfishMarbled Crayfish hunts along the bottom and will catch the bottom-dwelling Common Pleco, especially at night.Panther CrabPanther Crab hunts along the bottom and will catch the bottom-dwelling Common Pleco, especially at night.
Design the whole tank, not just the stocking
Skapelab plans a complete, buildable planted aquarium around your fish — a hand-illustrated layout, the exact plants and hardscape, a placement map, and a full equipment and shopping list. Free.
Design a tank with Common Pleco →The full compatibility list
Every species we checked against Common Pleco — tap to expand.
Compatible (26)
Assassin SnailSnail · 1"Batik Nerite SnailSnail · 0.6"Bladder SnailSnail · 0.5"Blue Mystery SnailSnail · 1.8"Colombian RamshornSnail · 2"Gold Mystery SnailSnail · 1.8"Horned Nerite SnailSnail · 0.5"Ivory Mystery SnailSnail · 1.8"Japanese Trapdoor SnailSnail · 2"Malaysian Trumpet SnailSnail · 1"Mystery SnailSnail · 2"Nerite SnailSnail · 1"Olive Nerite SnailSnail · 0.75"Pagoda / Spiky SnailSnail · 1.5"Pond SnailSnail · 2"Rabbit SnailSnail · 3"Ramshorn SnailSnail · 1"Red Racer Nerite SnailSnail · 0.75"Royal PlecoFish · 17"Spike-Topped Apple SnailSnail · 1.5"Spiky NeriteSnail · 0.7"Sulawesi SnailSnail · 2"Thai Micro CrabCrab · 0.4"Thai Micro Pom Pom CrabCrab · 0.8"Tracked Nerite SnailSnail · 0.8"Zebra Nerite SnailSnail · 1"
Keep only with care (150)
Amano ShrimpShrimp · 2"AngelfishFish · 6"Bamboo / Wood ShrimpShrimp · 3.5"Blue Phantom PlecoFish · 7"Flash Pleco (L204)Fish · 20"Flower ShrimpShrimp · 2.5"Ghost ShrimpShrimp · 1.5"Giant GouramiFish · 24"Giant Sulawesi SnailSnail · 3"Gold GouramiFish · 6"King Tiger PlecoFish · 6"Kissing GouramiFish · 12"Koi AngelfishFish · 6"Moonlight GouramiFish · 6"Opaline GouramiFish · 6"Red Nose ShrimpShrimp · 1.5"Siamese Algae EaterFish · 6"Siamese Algae EaterFish · 6"Typhoon PlecoFish · 12"Vampire ShrimpShrimp · 6"Yucatan MollyFish · 6"Adolfo's CoryFish · 2.25"Albino CoryFish · 2.5"Altum AngelfishFish · 7"Axelrod's RasboraFish · 0.6"Bandit CoryFish · 2"Betta (Siamese Fighting Fish)Fish · 2.5"Black King Kong ShrimpShrimp · 1"Black Kuhli LoachFish · 3"Black MollyFish · 4"Black Neon TetraFish · 1.5"Black Rose ShrimpShrimp · 1.5"Black Sail CoryFish · 2"Black Skirt TetraFish · 2.5"Blackstripe CoryFish · 2.2"Blue Bolt ShrimpShrimp · 1"Blue Dream ShrimpShrimp · 1"Blue GouramiFish · 5"Blue Tiger ShrimpShrimp · 1.2"Blue Velvet ShrimpShrimp · 1"Bolivian RamFish · 3.5"Brazos Dwarf CrayfishCrayfish · 1.5"Brilliant RasboraFish · 4"Bristlenose PlecoFish · 5"Bronze CoryFish · 2.75"Cajun Dwarf CrayfishCrayfish · 1.5"Candy Striped PlecoFish · 4"Carbon Rili ShrimpShrimp · 1.5"Cardinal ShrimpShrimp · 0.8"Cardinal TetraFish · 2"Cherry BarbFish · 2"Cherry ShrimpShrimp · 1"Chili RasboraFish · 0.7"Chocolate GouramiFish · 2"Chocolate ShrimpShrimp · 1"Clown PlecoFish · 3.5"Clown RasboraFish · 4"Colombian Zebra PlecoFish · 3.5"Croaking GouramiFish · 3"Crystal Red ShrimpShrimp · 1"DiscusFish · 8"Dwarf Cory (Habrosus)Fish · 1"Dwarf Crayfish (CPO)Crayfish · 1.75"Dwarf Emerald RasboraFish · 1"Dwarf Emerald Rasbora (nanus)Fish · 0.7"Dwarf GouramiFish · 3.5"Elegant CoryFish · 2"Ember TetraFish · 0.8"Emerald Cory (Brochis)Fish · 3"Emerald Dwarf RasboraFish · 0.9"Emerald Eye RasboraFish · 1.4"Endler's LivebearerFish · 1.2"False Julii CoryFish · 2"False Rummy Nose TetraFish · 2"Fancy Guppy (Female trio)Fish · 2.4"Fire RasboraFish · 1.6"German Blue RamFish · 2.5"Gold Kuhli LoachFish · 3.5"Green Jade ShrimpShrimp · 1"Green Neon TetraFish · 1"Green Tiger BarbFish · 2.75"GuppyFish · 2"Harlequin RasboraFish · 1.75"Hengel's RasboraFish · 1.2"Honey GouramiFish · 2"Julii CoryFish · 2"KribensisFish · 3.5"Kuhli LoachFish · 4"Lambchop RasboraFish · 1.25"Least RasboraFish · 0.8"Leopard Frog PlecoFish · 4.5"Licorice GouramiFish · 1.4"Longfin Bristlenose PlecoFish · 5"Mischling / Taiwan BeeShrimp · 1"MollyFish · 4"Neon Blue RasboraFish · 0.8"Neon Green RasboraFish · 0.8"Neon TetraFish · 1.5"Noble GouramiFish · 3"Oolong ShrimpShrimp · 1.2"Orange Eye Blue Tiger ShrimpShrimp · 1.2"Orange Rili ShrimpShrimp · 1"Otocinclus CatfishFish · 1.5"Painted Fire Red ShrimpShrimp · 1.5"Panda CoryFish · 2"Pearl GouramiFish · 4.5"Phoenix RasboraFish · 0.8"Pinto ShrimpShrimp · 1"Pitbull PlecoFish · 2.5"PlatyFish · 2.5"Pom Pom CrabCrab · 1"Pygmy CoryFish · 1"Pygmy RasboraFish · 0.8"Red Rili ShrimpShrimp · 1"Red Shadow Panda ShrimpShrimp · 1.2"Red-Line RasboraFish · 1.75"Rubber Pleco (Rubbernose)Fish · 4.5"Rummynose TetraFish · 2"Saddled CoryFish · 1.8"Sailfin MollyFish · 5"Schwartz's CoryFish · 2.5"Scissortail RasboraFish · 3.5"Shadow Panda ShrimpShrimp · 1.2"Skunk CoryFish · 2"Slender RasboraFish · 1.5"Smudge Spot CoryFish · 2.25"Snowball ShrimpShrimp · 1"Sparkling GouramiFish · 1.5"Spotted Tail CoryFish · 2.2"Sterbai CoryFish · 2.6"Strawberry RasboraFish · 0.7"Super Crystal Red ShrimpShrimp · 1.2"SwordtailFish · 5.5"Tail Spot Pygmy CoryFish · 1"Tangerine Tiger ShrimpShrimp · 1"Thick-lipped GouramiFish · 3.5"Threestripe CoryFish · 2.2"Tiger BarbFish · 2.75"Tiger ShrimpShrimp · 1"Two-Saddled CoryFish · 2.5"Variatus PlatyFish · 2.75"Venezuelan CoryFish · 2.5"White Glove ShrimpShrimp · 1.2"Wild-Type BettaFish · 2.5"Wine Red ShrimpShrimp · 1.2"Yellow King Kong ShrimpShrimp · 1"Yellow Neocaridina ShrimpShrimp · 1"Zebra DanioFish · 2"Zebra OtocinclusFish · 1.5"Zebra PlecoFish · 3.5"
Avoid (12)
Blue Lobster CrayfishCrayfish · 5"Carnival / Polka Dot Freshwater CrabCrab · 1.5"Electric Blue CrayfishCrayfish · 5"Fiddler CrabCrab · 2"Marbled CrayfishCrayfish · 5"OscarFish · 16"Panther CrabCrab · 3"Purple Vampire CrabCrab · 1.5"Red Claw CrabCrab · 2.5"Red Devil Vampire CrabCrab · 1.5"Thai Devil CrabCrab · 2"Thai Freshwater CrabCrab · 2.5"