Malawi cichlids are some of the most colorful freshwater fish but with all the color comes a fair amount of aggression. This makes it so most fish aren’t good tankmates for Malawi cichlids. What is nice is most plecos are good tankmates for Malawi cichlids if you follow a few rules and guidelines
Now while most plecos are tough enough for cichlids there are a few things that you will need to do to make it successful.
Plecos are nocturnal fish and like to live in caves for protection. So it is important that your pleco has a cave or a hideout that can be used to escape from your Malawi cichlids.
Also, you will want to feed your plecos after you turn out the lights on your tank. Cichlids are furious eaters and will eat all the food before your pleco can get any
As with any Malawi cichlid tank, it’s important to overstock it so that the aggression in your tank is spread out to everyone and not just a few fish. This will help with your plecos as well.
If you overstock the tank your pleco will be less of a target for the Malawi cichlids.
Will cichlids kill plecos?
It is very possible that your cichlids will kill your plecos. Malawi cichlids are aggressive and will harass other fish to death.
This is rare if you follow a few rules. The first is to have a hiding space for your pleco that isn’t easy for your cichlids to fit into.
The second is to make sure to get a pleco that won’t fit in your Malawi cichlids mouth. There is a much bigger threat of your pleco being eaten than it being harassed to death.
Third, make sure that you have enough cichlids in your tank. Cichlids are best kept in an overstocked tank. It disperses aggression to all the fish and not just one fish in particular because it gets lost in the crowd while running away.
Can plecos live with mbuna cichlids?
Mbuna cichlids are considered some of the most aggressive African cichlids. While I agree that they are aggressive I don’t think people need to be scared of keeping them. They are one of my favorites to keep from lake Malawi and are the fish that got me obsessed with the fish hobby.
Mbuna cichlids tend to be on the smaller in size which makes it easier to keep plecos with them.
The main concern with cichlids and plecos is if the pleco can fit in the mouth of the Malawi cichlid because if it fits in their mouth a cichlid will eat it even if they are vegetarians.
Mbuna cichlids are a vegetarian fish and in the wild mainly eat algae. So they will compete with your plecos for food so feeding after your tank lights is a must.
While I don’t think I can guarantee 100% success rate for keeping plecos with mbuna cichlids, the success rate is high and definitely worth the risk.
Can plecos live with peacock cichlids?
Peacock cichlids are on the more gentle side of Malawi cichlids and this makes it easier to keep plecos with them. They are less likely to be aggressive to other fish.
That being said they do tend to get a fair amount bigger than mbuna cichlids, so their mouths are bigger, making it easier for your pleco to be eaten by them.
This is one reason that it is suggested to get some of the bigger varieties of plecos and buy them at a bigger size. If your plecos are bigger, then most of the risk is eliminated of them being eaten.
You can keep plecos with peacock cichlids. They won’t chase after you plecos constantly and as long as they don’t fit in the peacock cichlids mouth they won’t be eaten.
Can plecos live with hap cichlids?
Yes, you can keep plecos with hap cichlids. Hap cichlids are fairly calm and only aggressive with each other for mating rituals and to show dominance.
The main thing you will want to watch out for is that hap cichlids are the biggest type of cichlid from lake Malawi and they are a predator type of fish so they are always looking for a tasty meal.
Your pleco can easily become lunch for a hap cichlid if it is too small. They are large fish and have large mouths and many plecos can fit in. I would make sure to select a pleco that is full grown and at least 6 inches long. There are tons of types of plecos that are cool looking that are this size or bigger
Will plecos eat cichlid eggs?
Yes, plecos will eat cichlid eggs but they will only eat them if they have been abandoned. Malawi cichlids mostly carry eggs in their mouths so there is little risk of plecos eating the eggs.
Will plecos eat cichlid fry?
Plecos equally don’t have any interest in eating cichlid fry or babies.
Many people are concerned about their cichlid fry because they are small and vulnerable. And have no way of protecting themselves.
One reason people are concerned about their plecos eating their cichlid fry is that they have heard the common saying that if it fits in a fish’s mouth they will eat it.
This is true for most fish but plecos aren’t willing to put the effort out to catch cichlid babies.
The bigger threat to Malawi cichlid fry or babies is other cichlids. Cichlids often eat more cichlid babies than any of their tank mates.
Also, most Malawi cichlids protect their babies in their mouths from predators so a pleco would have an even harder time getting to the cichlid babies. They won’t do this though because they have zero interest in hunting down cichlid babies or fry.
Can bristlenose Pleco live with cichlids?
Bristlenose in my opinion is the best pleco to have in a cichlid tank. They are big enough that they don’t fit easily in a Malawi cichlid mouth but not big enough that they look odd in the tank.
They are not aggressive but they can take a beating without any injuries or much stress and they also can defend themselves with barbs in the gill area of their body. They are also not afraid to use them when necessary.
I also love that there are tons of different types of colors and shapes of bristlenose plecos. Some of my favorites are Green dragon, Super red, and L144 blue eye yellow bristlenose plecos.
Best plecos for cichlid tank
While there are very few plecos I wouldn’t suggest for a Malawi cichlid tank because of how expensive they are or fragile like the L046 zebra pleco. I have seen them successfully kept in Malawi cichlid tanks. You just have to be very careful with tank setup and removing extra aggressive fish.
As mentioned above I would suggest bristlenose plecos but there are plenty of cool plecos you can put in your tank as well. They also double as a glass cleaner for your tank since they love eating algae.
A few types that are great fits are L066 or L333 plecos. They are big enough and bulky enough that they can hold their own. Also, I love the black and white squiggly lines on their bodies.
L397 and L002 are also great options. They have a similar body build and personality of the L066 and L333 but have cool stripes and designs that are black and orange/red.
If you are wanting a monster fish living with your Malawi cichlids then you could go with a L047 mango pleco, L191 watermelon pleco, or L114 cactus pleco. What I love about large plecos is that it doesn’t matter if Malawi cichlids are aggressive because they are so big they can’t be bullied by Malawi cichlids.
Tips for keeping Malawi cichlids
The best tip for keeping Malawi cichlids is to overcrowd your tank. Malawi cichlids are very aggressive so if you have lots of fish in your tank then the aggression will be spread out to all the fish and make it so no one gets picked on.
One great rule for Malawi cichlids is to keep 1 fish for every 2 gallons of water. This rule helps with the rule above to spread aggression out in your tank.
Another way to help with aggression is to have large rocks or decorations to break up the line of sight and provide hiding spaces.
Because overcrowding tanks is the best way to help with aggression it creates a lot of fish waste in your tank to counteract this it is suggested to do at least one water change a week of 50% or more.
Keeping plecos with Malawi cichlids can be extremely fun and something I would suggest. With all the different types there is a pleco for everyone and every situation. Let us know what type of pleco is your favorite to keep with your Malawi cichlids.
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