Medusa Pleco Tank Mates

Medusa Pleco is peaceful, so its tank mates need choosing with care. Here are the 198 freshwater species that pair well with a medusa pleco — plus the 24 to avoid — with a live checker you can tune to your own tank.

By The Aquarium DB Team • Updated June 7, 2026 • Full Medusa Pleco care guide →
Best matches

The best tank mates for a medusa pleco

  • Ember Tetra ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 2 cm · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 26–28 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
  • Neon Green Rasbora ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 2 cm · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
    Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 26–26 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Ramshorn Snail ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 2 cm · 20–28 °C (68–82 °F)
    Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 26–28 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Red Lip Nerite Snail ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 2 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
  • Dawn Tetra ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 2.5 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 26–28 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Nerite Snail ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 2.5 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 26–28 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Assassin Snail ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 3 cm · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
    Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
  • Cherry Shrimp ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 3 cm · 18–28 °C (64–82 °F)
    Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 26–28 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Endler's Livebearer ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 3 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 26–28 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Glowlight Danio ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 3 cm · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
    Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
  • Gold Ring Danio ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 3 cm · 18–26 °C (64–79 °F)
    Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 26–26 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Malaysian Trumpet Snail ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 3 cm · 21–27 °C (70–81 °F)
    Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 26–27 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Neon Tetra ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 3 cm · 20–26 °C (68–79 °F)
    Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 26–26 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
  • Tail-spot Corydoras ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 3 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 26–28 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
  • Pygmy Corydoras ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 3.2 cm · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
    Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 26–26 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Glowlight Rasbora ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 3.5 cm · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
    Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 26–28 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
  • Blue Danio ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 4 cm · 21–26 °C (70–79 °F)
    Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 26–26 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
  • Emperor Tetra ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 4 cm · 23–27 °C (73–81 °F)
    Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
  • Flame Tetra ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 4 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
  • Ghost Shrimp ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 4 cm · 18–28 °C (64–82 °F)
    Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 26–28 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
  • Glowlight Tetra ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 4 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 26–28 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Phoenix Tetra ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 4 cm · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
    Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 26–28 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Red Phantom Tetra ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 4 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 26–28 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
  • Rosy Tetra ✅ Compatible
    Easy care · Peaceful · 4 cm · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 26–28 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
With caution

Medusa Pleco tank mates that can work with care

  • Afra Cichlid ⚠️ With caution
    Medium care · Semi-aggressive · 10 cm · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    Different pH ranges (6.4–7.4 vs 7.8–8.6); doable if you sit in the shared band, but not ideal long-term.
  • Alligator Gar ⚠️ With caution
    Hard care · Aggressive · 250 cm · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    Alligator Gar may bully the smaller Medusa Pleco, though its armour makes it a hard meal — give it caves and driftwood to retreat into.
  • Altifrons Geophagus ⚠️ With caution
    Medium care · Semi-aggressive · 25 cm · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    Your 115 L tank is below the ~378 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Amazon Puffer ⚠️ With caution
    Medium care · Peaceful · 8 cm · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
    Your 115 L tank is below the ~120 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Angelicus Synodontis ⚠️ With caution
    Medium care · Semi-aggressive · 25 cm · 23–27 °C (73–81 °F)
    Your 115 L tank is below the ~200 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Arrowhead Puffer ⚠️ With caution
    Hard care · Aggressive · 12 cm · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
    Your 115 L tank is below the ~132 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Auratus Cichlid ⚠️ With caution
    Medium care · Aggressive · 11 cm · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
    pH preferences only just meet (Medusa Pleco 6.4–7.4 vs Auratus Cichlid 7.6–8.8) — target the overlap and acclimate slowly.
  • Bandit Cichlid ⚠️ With caution
    Medium care · Semi-aggressive · 9 cm · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
    Your 115 L tank is below the ~150 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.

+ 110 more “with caution” pairings — see the interactive checker above.

Avoid

Fish to avoid keeping with a medusa pleco

  • Wels Catfish ⛔ Avoid
    Hard care · Aggressive · 300 cm · 15–25 °C (59–77 °F)
    Temperature needs don't overlap (Medusa Pleco 26–30 °C vs Wels Catfish 15–25 °C).
  • Imperial Flower Loach ⛔ Avoid
    Hard care · Semi-aggressive · 50 cm · 15–22 °C (59–72 °F)
    Temperature needs don't overlap (Medusa Pleco 26–30 °C vs Imperial Flower Loach 15–22 °C).
  • Goldfish ⛔ Avoid
    Medium care · Peaceful · 30 cm · 18–22 °C (64–72 °F)
    Temperature needs don't overlap (Medusa Pleco 26–30 °C vs Goldfish 18–22 °C).
  • Black Collared Catfish ⛔ Avoid
    Hard care · Semi-aggressive · 27 cm · 23–25 °C (73–77 °F)
    Temperature needs don't overlap (Medusa Pleco 26–30 °C vs Black Collared Catfish 23–25 °C).
  • Weather Loach ⛔ Avoid
    Easy care · Peaceful · 25 cm · 5–24 °C (41–75 °F)
    Temperature needs don't overlap (Medusa Pleco 26–30 °C vs Weather Loach 5–24 °C).
  • Denison Barb ⛔ Avoid
    Medium care · Peaceful · 15 cm · 18–25 °C (64–77 °F)
    Temperature needs don't overlap (Medusa Pleco 26–30 °C vs Denison Barb 18–25 °C).
  • Mascara Barb ⛔ Avoid
    Medium care · Peaceful · 12 cm · 20–25 °C (68–77 °F)
    Temperature needs don't overlap (Medusa Pleco 26–30 °C vs Mascara Barb 20–25 °C).
  • Bearded Corydoras ⛔ Avoid
    Medium care · Peaceful · 10 cm · 18–24 °C (64–75 °F)
    Temperature needs don't overlap (Medusa Pleco 26–30 °C vs Bearded Corydoras 18–24 °C).

+ 16 more to avoid — the checker above flags every one.

Interactive tool

Check any fish against a medusa pleco

Dial in your exact tank size and filter by result — the checker scores every species in our database against a medusa pleco, with the reasoning for each verdict.

Tank-mate checker

Will it live with a Medusa Pleco?

We compare each fish against your medusa pleco on temperament, size, water parameters and swimming zone. Set your tank size and filter the results.

  • Banded Gourami✅ Compatible
    Semi-aggressive · 12 cm · Easy care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    • Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 26–28 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
  • Blue Gourami✅ Compatible
    Semi-aggressive · 13 cm · Easy care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    • Peaceful + Semi-aggressive, but with no direct clash here; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
  • Bristlenose Pleco✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 12 cm · Easy care · 23–30 °C (73–86 °F)
    • Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
    • Both favour the bottom of the tank — offer enough cover so they aren't always in each other's space.
  • Clown Rasbora✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 10 cm · Medium care · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
    • Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 26–28 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
    • Keep Clown Rasbora in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Convict Cichlid✅ Compatible
    Aggressive · 10 cm · Easy care · 21–28 °C (70–82 °F)
    • Peaceful + Aggressive, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 26–28 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
    • Both favour the bottom of the tank — offer enough cover so they aren't always in each other's space.
  • Cupid Cichlid✅ Compatible
    Semi-aggressive · 12 cm · Medium care · 24–29 °C (75–84 °F)
    • Peaceful + Semi-aggressive, but with no direct clash here; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
  • Giant Betta✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 12 cm · Medium care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    • Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 26–28 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Giant Danio✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 10 cm · Easy care · 20–27 °C (68–81 °F)
    • Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 26–27 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
    • Keep Giant Danio in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Giant Kuhli Loach✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 12 cm · Easy care · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)
    • Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 26–30 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
    • Both favour the bottom of the tank — offer enough cover so they aren't always in each other's space.
  • Golden Wonder Killifish✅ Compatible
    Semi-aggressive · 10 cm · Easy care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    • Peaceful + Semi-aggressive, but with no direct clash here; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
  • Keyhole Cichlid✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 10 cm · Easy care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    • Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 26–28 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Kribensis✅ Compatible
    Semi-aggressive · 10 cm · Easy care · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
    • Peaceful + Semi-aggressive, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 26–27 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
    • Both favour the bottom of the tank — offer enough cover so they aren't always in each other's space.
  • Kuhli Loach✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 10 cm · Easy care · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)
    • Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
    • Both favour the bottom of the tank — offer enough cover so they aren't always in each other's space.
  • Marbled Hoplo✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 14 cm · Easy care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    • Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
    • Both favour the bottom of the tank — offer enough cover so they aren't always in each other's space.
  • Molly✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 10 cm · Easy care · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
    • Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 26–28 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
  • Murray River Rainbowfish✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 11 cm · Easy care · 15–26 °C (59–79 °F)
    • Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 26–26 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
    • Keep Murray River Rainbowfish in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Paradise Fish✅ Compatible
    Aggressive · 10 cm · Medium care · 16–26 °C (61–79 °F)
    • Peaceful + Aggressive, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 26–26 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Pearl Gourami✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 12 cm · Medium care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    • Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 26–28 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
  • Porthole Catfish✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 10 cm · Easy care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    • Both are peaceful; temperature, pH and hardness ranges all overlap and neither outsizes the other enough to be a threat.
    • Both favour the bottom of the tank — offer enough cover so they aren't always in each other's space.
  • Rubber Lip Pleco✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 12 cm · Easy care · 20–26 °C (68–79 °F)
    • Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 26–26 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
    • Both favour the bottom of the tank — offer enough cover so they aren't always in each other's space.
  • Spotted Rubbernose Pleco✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 12 cm · Medium care · 20–26 °C (68–79 °F)
    • Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 26–26 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
    • Both favour the bottom of the tank — offer enough cover so they aren't always in each other's space.
  • Striped Eel Loach✅ Compatible
    Peaceful · 12 cm · Medium care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    • Both are peaceful, and their water overlaps around 26–28 °C — no size, zone or temperament conflicts.
    • Both favour the bottom of the tank — offer enough cover so they aren't always in each other's space.
  • Swordtail✅ Compatible
    Semi-aggressive · 14 cm · Easy care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    • Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 26–28 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
  • Tiger Betta✅ Compatible
    Semi-aggressive · 11 cm · Hard care · 22–27 °C (72–81 °F)
    • Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 26–27 °C, workable temperaments, and no predator-and-prey size gap.
  • Afra Cichlid⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 10 cm · Medium care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    • Different pH ranges (6.4–7.4 vs 7.8–8.6); doable if you sit in the shared band, but not ideal long-term.
    • Your 115 L tank is below the ~150 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
    • Keep Afra Cichlid in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Arrowhead Puffer⚠️ With caution
    Aggressive · 12 cm · Hard care · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
    • Your 115 L tank is below the ~132 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Auratus Cichlid⚠️ With caution
    Aggressive · 11 cm · Medium care · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
    • pH preferences only just meet (Medusa Pleco 6.4–7.4 vs Auratus Cichlid 7.6–8.8) — target the overlap and acclimate slowly.
    • Your 115 L tank is below the ~190 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
    • Keep Auratus Cichlid in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Boesemani Rainbowfish⚠️ With caution
    Peaceful · 11 cm · Medium care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    • pH preferences only just meet (Medusa Pleco 6.4–7.4 vs Boesemani Rainbowfish 7.5–8.5) — target the overlap and acclimate slowly.
    • Keep Boesemani Rainbowfish in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Bucktooth Tetra⚠️ With caution
    Aggressive · 12 cm · Medium care · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
    • Your 115 L tank is below the ~200 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
    • Keep Bucktooth Tetra in a shoal of 8+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Calvus Cichlid⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 14 cm · Medium care · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
    • Different pH ranges (6.4–7.4 vs 7.8–9); doable if you sit in the shared band, but not ideal long-term.
    • Your 115 L tank is below the ~120 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Daffodil Cichlid⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 10 cm · Medium care · 23–27 °C (73–81 °F)
    • pH preferences only just meet (Medusa Pleco 6.4–7.4 vs Daffodil Cichlid 7.8–9) — target the overlap and acclimate slowly.
    • Your 115 L tank is below the ~120 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Golden Vampire Pleco⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 11 cm · Medium care · 26–30 °C (79–86 °F)
    • Your 115 L tank is below the ~120 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Ice Blue Cichlid⚠️ With caution
    Aggressive · 12 cm · Medium care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    • Different pH ranges (6.4–7.4 vs 7.6–8.6); doable if you sit in the shared band, but not ideal long-term.
    • Your 115 L tank is below the ~190 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Pictus Catfish⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 12 cm · Medium care · 22–27 °C (72–81 °F)
    • Your 115 L tank is below the ~210 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Polka-dot Loach⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 13 cm · Medium care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    • Your 115 L tank is below the ~120 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Powder Blue Cichlid⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 12 cm · Medium care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    • Different pH ranges (6.4–7.4 vs 7.5–8.5); doable if you sit in the shared band, but not ideal long-term.
    • Your 115 L tank is below the ~170 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
    • Keep Powder Blue Cichlid in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Rainbow Cichlid⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 14 cm · Easy care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    • Your 115 L tank is below the ~130 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Red Zebra Cichlid⚠️ With caution
    Aggressive · 13 cm · Medium care · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
    • Different pH ranges (6.4–7.4 vs 7.6–8.6); doable if you sit in the shared band, but not ideal long-term.
    • Your 115 L tank is below the ~190 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
    • Keep Red Zebra Cichlid in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • T-bar Cichlid⚠️ With caution
    Semi-aggressive · 12 cm · Medium care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
    • Your 115 L tank is below the ~120 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • White Spotted Cichlid⚠️ With caution
    Aggressive · 12 cm · Hard care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
    • pH preferences only just meet (Medusa Pleco 6.4–7.4 vs White Spotted Cichlid 7.8–9) — target the overlap and acclimate slowly.
    • Your 115 L tank is below the ~200 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
    • Keep White Spotted Cichlid in a shoal of 8+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Bearded Corydoras⛔ Not recommended
    Peaceful · 10 cm · Medium care · 18–24 °C (64–75 °F)
    • Temperature needs don't overlap (Medusa Pleco 26–30 °C vs Bearded Corydoras 18–24 °C).
    • Keep Bearded Corydoras in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Black Collared Catfish⛔ Not recommended
    Semi-aggressive · 27 cm · Hard care · 23–25 °C (73–77 °F)
    • Temperature needs don't overlap (Medusa Pleco 26–30 °C vs Black Collared Catfish 23–25 °C).
    • Your 115 L tank is below the ~243 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Denison Barb⛔ Not recommended
    Peaceful · 15 cm · Medium care · 18–25 °C (64–77 °F)
    • Temperature needs don't overlap (Medusa Pleco 26–30 °C vs Denison Barb 18–25 °C).
    • Your 115 L tank is below the ~200 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
    • Keep Denison Barb in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Goldfish⛔ Not recommended
    Peaceful · 30 cm · Medium care · 18–22 °C (64–72 °F)
    • Temperature needs don't overlap (Medusa Pleco 26–30 °C vs Goldfish 18–22 °C).
    • Goldfish may bully the smaller Medusa Pleco, though its armour makes it a hard meal — give it caves and driftwood to retreat into.
    • Your 115 L tank is below the ~150 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Imperial Flower Loach⛔ Not recommended
    Semi-aggressive · 50 cm · Hard care · 15–22 °C (59–72 °F)
    • Temperature needs don't overlap (Medusa Pleco 26–30 °C vs Imperial Flower Loach 15–22 °C).
    • Imperial Flower Loach may bully the smaller Medusa Pleco, though its armour makes it a hard meal — give it caves and driftwood to retreat into.
    • Your 115 L tank is below the ~750 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Mascara Barb⛔ Not recommended
    Peaceful · 12 cm · Medium care · 20–25 °C (68–77 °F)
    • Temperature needs don't overlap (Medusa Pleco 26–30 °C vs Mascara Barb 20–25 °C).
    • Your 115 L tank is below the ~200 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
    • Keep Mascara Barb in a shoal of 8+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
  • Weather Loach⛔ Not recommended
    Peaceful · 25 cm · Easy care · 5–24 °C (41–75 °F)
    • Temperature needs don't overlap (Medusa Pleco 26–30 °C vs Weather Loach 5–24 °C).
    • Your 115 L tank is below the ~150 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Wels Catfish⛔ Not recommended
    Aggressive · 300 cm · Hard care · 15–25 °C (59–77 °F)
    • Temperature needs don't overlap (Medusa Pleco 26–30 °C vs Wels Catfish 15–25 °C).
    • Wels Catfish may bully the smaller Medusa Pleco, though its armour makes it a hard meal — give it caves and driftwood to retreat into.
    • Your 115 L tank is below the ~20000 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.

Compatibility is computed from each species' care data — a strong starting point, not a guarantee. Individual temperament varies, so always introduce new fish slowly and watch them.

Setting up a medusa pleco community tank

Give the group a stable, planted 115 L+ tank with a gentle filter, a reliable heater and plenty of cover — broken sight lines and hiding spots let mid-water and bottom dwellers keep out of each other's way. Cycle it fully and stock gradually.

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How to choose

How to choose the right tank mates for a medusa pleco

As a peaceful species, medusa pleco is easily bullied — favour other calm, non-nippy fish and steer clear of boisterous or aggressive tank mates. It mostly occupies the bottom of the tank, so it pairs naturally with species that use the other levels.

Medusa Pleco grows to about 12 cm, so avoid tank mates small enough to be seen as food — as a rule of thumb, skip anything under roughly 6 cm. Match its water, too: aim for 26–30 °C (79–86 °F), pH 6.4–7.4 and 2–12 dGH. Fish needing very different conditions — coldwater species, or hard-water lovers against a soft-water fish — rarely thrive side by side.

Medusa Pleco doesn't need its own kind to feel secure; think twice before keeping more than one if it is territorial. Whatever you add, introduce new fish slowly, watch for bullying in the first days, and have a backup plan if temperaments clash.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Can a medusa pleco live with other fish?

Yes — with the right companions. Our checker finds 198 compatible freshwater species for medusa pleco. Pick calm, similarly-sized fish that share its water needs and add them to a mature, well-planted tank.

What is the best tank mate for a medusa pleco?

Easy, peaceful, similarly-sized species top the list — for example Ember Tetra, Neon Green Rasbora, Ramshorn Snail. Use the checker above to match against your own tank size.

What fish should you avoid keeping with a medusa pleco?

Avoid Wels Catfish, Imperial Flower Loach, Goldfish and similar — usually a temperature, size or temperament clash. The full "avoid" list below gives the reason for each.

How big a tank do medusa pleco tank mates need?

Start from Medusa Pleco's own minimum and scale up with every addition. The checker above defaults to a 115 L community tank and flags pairings that need more room — drag the slider to match your setup.

← Back to the full Medusa Pleco care guide