Interesting aquarium pets to have together are the Pleco and Flowerhorn. Flowerhorn And Pleco As TankMates? While Plecos are known for cleaning the habitat and tank water, Flowerhorns are known to vigorously consume their food, leaving bits and parts floating in the water or at the bottom of the tank. This makes them a rather compatible combination.
Since Plecos are known to be bottom dwellers who spend their time swimming, hiding, and cleaning the bottom of the aquarium, Flowerhorn often lives in the middle to the upper half of the aquarium. As per my experience, Flowerhorn and Plecos do not frequently interact with one another.
The information in the following article will cover all the fundamentals of maintaining your Flowerhorn and Pleco together. Here, we’ll discuss the suitability of these fish for cohabitation as well as the factors an aquarist should take into account when housing them in the same tank.
Equipment List That Might Help You Choose For Flowerhorn Tank
| Types of equipment | Features | Link to amazon |
| SeaClear Acrylic Combo Aquarium |
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| Flipper Ollie & Hutch Wildwood 55 Gallon, Rustic Gray Aquarium Stand |
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| EHEIM NORTH AMERICA – JAGER HEATER 150W |
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EHEIM NORTH AMERICA – JAGER HEATER 150W |
| Marineland Penguin 350 BIO-Wheel Power Filter |
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| Penn Plax Aquarium Cascade Canister Filter |
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| Imagitarium 50-Gallon Terrarium Screen |
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| MingDak LED Aquarium Plant Light |
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| TEEMO Aquarium Groot Air Bubbler Decorations |
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| Penn-Plax Reptology Shale Step Ledge for Aquariums & Terrariums |
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Can Flowerhorn And Pleco Live Together?
If you know anything about Flowerhorn cichlids, you are aware that they are unusual, stunning, and aggressive fish that get along poorly with practically all other fish species. The ideal tank mate would prefer to keep a low profile and avoid getting in the Flowerhorn’s way.
This brings us to the Bristlenose Pleco, a well-known catfish that excels at the role of a tank scavenger.
For a variety of reasons, pairing the Flowerhorn with any tank mate will provide unique logistical challenges.
These consist of:
- Due to their aggressive nature, Flowerhorns exhibit great territoriality and will attack any fish that enters their territory.
- The requirement for high temperatures (78–85 °F), which many fish species are not used to.
- The Flowerhorn roams its area constantly because of its curiosity and high levels of energy.
- They dug around the substrate, uncovered plants, moved and toppled heavy tank decorations, and other destructive behaviors as a result of their destructive appetite.
- Since male Flowerhorns cannot stand each other in the same habitat, most people pair Flowerhorns with other Flowerhorns, preferably in compatible pairs. Nothing is set in stone when it comes to matching the Flowerhorn with other fish species.
There are some suggestions, but you should always err on the side of caution.
Are Plecos And Flowerhorn Compatible?
They are, to a certain extent. Since Plecos are bottom-dwellers, their main selling value is that they won’t interact with the Flowerhorn as much.
Most of the time, they prefer to stay hidden while eating on the organic debris and algae that are present near the substrate. Having said that, Flowerhorns frequently patrol the substrate when playing, digging, and in search of food.
Flowerhorns are opportunistic bottom feeders rather than bottom feeders, always on the lookout for a quick meal. They might face direct competition from the Plecos as a result of this, but you might manage it. They won’t permanently occupy the Pleco’s territory; instead, the latter will stay away from conflict.
How To Keep Flowerhorn And Pleco Together?
When attempting to coexist with Plecos and Flowerhorns in the same habitat, there are several factors to take into account.
Managing A Balanced Diet
Keeping any fish as pets requires managing a balanced food, but keeping two distinct fish can be challenging because of the varied nutrient needs and dietary requirements. Here, we’ll discuss the dietary requirements of Pleco and Flowerhorn as well as suggestions for meeting each species’ nutrient requirements.
Flowerhorn Diet
Being omnivorous, Flowerhorns require slightly more protein in their diet than other fish species do. They are fish, after all, cichlids. The Flowerhorn’s diet should typically contain about 40% animal protein in the form of shrimp, fish, bloodworms, daphnia, pellets, and even feeder fish.
The one thing about Flowerhorns that you should keep in mind is that, like other cichlids, they are quite voracious. They have a delicate and inefficient digestive system, which is also a trait of cichlids.
These two facts imply that it’s very simple to overfeed Flowerhorns, which will result in a number of health issues, constipation being one of them, including overeating. Additionally, overfeeding will damage their surroundings, and cichlids are sensitive to changes in water quality.
Therefore, Flowerhorns requires a carefully thought-out meal schedule that includes enough food for them to finish in 3–4 minutes. They rarely are full, so don’t rely on their appetite to tell you when they are.
- Hikari Flowerhorn Fish Food
- OKIKO flowerhorn Cichlid Fish
- Fluval A6581 Bug Bites Cichlid Pellets
- Amzey Dries Shrimp Fish Foods
- Appetizing Shrimp Mealworms
- Tetra Jumbokrill Jumbo Shrimp
- Ocean Pellets Humpy Xo Flowerhorn Food
Pleco Diet
Different feeding habits and diets are displayed by bristlenose Plecos. Since plecos are mostly herbivorous, these catfish eat whatever plecos can find on the substrate. Algae, debris, and other extinct plant and animal material fall under this category.
As bottom feeders, plecos will help maintain the tank clean, avoid algae blooms, and promote a more hygienic environment through their eating habits.
However, you shouldn’t assume plecos will meet their nutritional needs only from their environment. I advise giving them balanced meals once or twice a day, made up of a variety of foods, to guarantee optimum nutrient intake.
These include bloodworms, handmade vegetables, spirulina wafers, algae supplements, granules, and sinking pellets.
As they won’t swim to the water’s surface to gather them, don’t try to feed your Plecos any floating flakes.
- Ocean Nutrition Instant Baby Brine Shrimp 0.7-Ounces (20 Grams) Jar
- Omega One Freeze-Dried Blood Worms, 0.96 oz
- 200 Live Daphnia by Aqua L’amour
- Hikari Bio-Pure Freeze Dried Daphnia for Pets, 0.42-Ounce
Requirements For Space
Flowerhorns need a lot of room because they are very possessive and constantly swim around their habitat.
Since Flowerhorn cichlids can grow to be fairly large, often more than 10 to 12 inches, they need at least 70 gallons of water to be completely grown. For each Flowerhorn you put into the environment, you should double the space that is already there.
On the other hand, bristlenose Plecos are less demanding. Only 20 gallons per fish will be sufficient for them, especially considering that Plecos rarely grow larger than 5 inches.
With the right aquarium setup, the Pleco will enjoy the time of its life in a 70-gallon tank.
Tank Layout
Each fish species has specific needs for the design of its aquarium. Some species thrive in bare surroundings, while others need a variety of hiding places and vegetation.
Flowerhorn Habitat And Tank Requirements
You must give a tank with at least 55 gallons of space, ideally at least four feet long by two feet wide, as Flowerhorn cichlids are giant fish that demand a lot of room. A tank with at least 125 gallons is necessary if you choose to keep a pair of these fish as breeding stock.
The Flowerhorn cichlid is notorious for being highly destructive, tearing up living plants that they will also consume and burrowing in the substrate.
The best substrate is gravel, and your fish will enjoy a few rocks as well, but they must be well fixed to prevent tipping. However, do provide plenty of space because these fish prefer to spend most of their time swimming freely around the tank.
Check out what flowerhorn need in their tank from here.
Habitat And Tank Requirements For Plecos
Plecostomus are found in fast-moving rivers in tropical regions as their natural environment. Create a replica of this environment in the tank with the right substrate and accents.
Although Plecostomus catfish don’t require a substrate, it is preferred because Plecos like to burrow and swim at the bottom of the tank. To simulate the Pleco’s natural environment, mix gravel, rocks, and clay. Live plants give your Plecostomus tank a food source and a hiding place for the fish.
The tank for a Pleco needs to be at least 30 gallons in capacity and wider than it is tall. The majority of aquarium fish are smaller than Plecos, which are accustomed to having a lot of space to roam. For the majority of Plecostomus catfish, a tank size of 100 gallons is optimal since it provides the fish lots of area to roam around and mature.
In conclusion, the Flowerhorn tends to be more of the latter, mostly because of its aggressive, active, and inquisitive personality. Any object in their tank, whether it be a decoration, rock, plant, piece of driftwood, or another element, the Flowerhorn will inspect, bump into, and poke at it.
As a result, aquascaping is practically worthless in their situation.
On the other hand, bristlenose Plecos reside at nearly the opposite end of the range. They do best in aquariums that are densely planted, ideally with a variety of hiding places and driftwood to decorate the bottom.
All tank decorations, especially driftwood, will include algae, detritus, and other organic materials that Plecos will like, therefore, these structures will serve as Pleco’s food source.
As you can see, there are several obvious incompatibilities between the two species here, but I think you can make it work.
Recommendations For Keeping Them In The Same Tank Together
- Use larger decorative rocks that are heavier but not so massive as to obstruct the Flowerhorn’s important swimming space.
- Avoid using huge ornamental items because of this and the possibility that Flowerhorns will knock them over.
- Don’t make your Pleco’s hiding places too big, but make sure they are sturdy enough to survive the Flowerhorn’s curious nature.
- Avoid using decorative items that have rough, sharp edges because they could damage your Pleco and Flowerhorn.
- Always set the rocks straight on the tank floor, then cover them with the substrate. This will give them additional support and stop the Flowerhorn or the Plecos from digging under them.
- Avoid living plants, as the Flowerhorn will devour or destroy them in any case.
- Make sure there is plenty of driftwood nearby, so the Pleco has a continual supply of food.
With these safeguards in place, interactions and hostility between the Flowerhorn and the Pleco should be reduced.
Temperament
Although flowerhorns are aggressive and possessive, Flowerhorns will usually protect the center of the tank. And will act more aggressively toward fish that repeatedly ram their faces into them, which rarely happens with Plecos.
How to control the aggression of flowerhorn? Find out here!
Nevertheless, as Flowerhorns frequently hang out close to the substrate, the two will eventually come into contact.
As long as your Pleco has several places to hide, this isn’t necessarily a problem. Although Plecos are typically calm, they may become agitated if other fish enter their space.
Given that the cichlid can outgrow the Pleco three times over, it is unlikely that they will be able to intimidate the intruder with a Flowerhorn. Most of the time, Plecos reserve their most hostile behavior for fellow Plecos.
Water Requirements
Similar water conditions are preferred by both Flowerhorns and Plecos. While Plecos prefer to stay in the 73 to 81 F range, Flowerhorns are more comfortable in the 78 to 85 F range.
This indicates that you can easily overlap their tastes to ultimately accommodate both species.
Flowerhorns and Plecos aren’t very distinct from one another in terms of other aspects of the water. They require stable water with no ammonia or nitrites and water hardness ranging from 2 to 20 dGH.
Only the pH of the water makes a difference; Flowerhorns prefer pH levels between 7.0 and 8.0, while Plecos prefer values between 5.8 and 7.8. There is, therefore, a considerable opportunity for negotiation.
Can A Pleco Be Eaten By A Flowerhorn?
That is not likely to occur. Even though mature Plecos aren’t so little, Flowerhorns will consume smaller fish. They don’t really fit the cichlid’s diet and are too big for the Flowerhorns to consume completely.
However, all cichlids, including the Flowerhorn, are opportunistic predators. Too-small Plecos will surely be killed and eaten by them, especially when they are young and unable to protect themselves.
There are possibly 2 practical measures to stop that:
- Introducing the Pleco first-Placing the Pleco in the aquarium first will give it time to adapt to its surroundings. Ideally, do this when it is still a juvenile. The Flowerhorn should appear later, once the Pleco has settled in and become happy with its home.
- Making sure the layout is ideal-Plecos requires a well-planned hiding system, ideally one with caverns and tunnels. This enables them to flee in the event of an urgent threat, which is frequently the case when a Flowerhorn is present. Make sure the ornamental pieces are substantial and weighty enough to prevent the Flowerhorn from shattering, moving, or tipping them.
FAQ
What Other Fish Get Along Well With Plecos?
Plecostomus are bottom-feeding omnivores that can live securely with fish that are much smaller than themselves. Plecos typically get along well with other fish species such as cichlids, angelfish, barbs, bettas, other catfish species, gouramis, guppies, hatchets, loaches, mollies, and platies.
Do Plecos Clean Up Your Aquarium?
You might have even looked for fish that clean the aquarium. Plecos (short for Plecostomus and used to refer to fish of the family Loricariidae) are one of the most popular species acquired to help with algae cleanup in freshwater aquariums.
How Long Does A Pleco Take To Reach Its Adult Size?
A common Pleco takes roughly five years to reach its adult size. In its first year, a common Pleco generally grows 3-5 inches. Its growth will thereafter gradually slow until it reaches its ultimate size of 20–25 inches.
Conclusion
Flowerhorns won’t get along with too many tank mates because they aren’t exactly the friendliest fish species. Plecos, though, can function if you are aware of the needs of each species and can accommodate them both.
Due to their preference for various habitats, your Flowerhorns and Plecos won’t typically interact much.
However, I advise always observing how they interact. Consider separating them if their connection becomes too heated and you are unable to calm it down in order to prevent a potential disaster.