Spotted Pleco Tank Mates

• Banjo Catfish✅ Compatible
  Peaceful · 15 cm · Medium care · 20–26 °C (68–79 °F)
  • Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 20–26 °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.
• Bearded Corydoras✅ Compatible
  Peaceful · 10 cm · Medium care · 18–24 °C (64–75 °F)
  • Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here; 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.
  • Keep Bearded Corydoras in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
• Black Kuhli Loach✅ Compatible
  Peaceful · 8 cm · Easy care · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
  • Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here; 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.
• Bolivian Ram✅ Compatible
  Peaceful · 8 cm · Medium care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
  • Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here; 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.
• Bristlenose Pleco✅ Compatible
  Peaceful · 12 cm · Easy care · 23–30 °C (73–86 °F)
  • Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 23–26 °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.
• Burmese Loach✅ Compatible
  Peaceful · 9 cm · Easy care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
  • Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 22–26 °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.
• Clown Pleco✅ Compatible
  Peaceful · 9 cm · Medium care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
  • Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 24–26 °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.
• Elephant-nose Knifefish✅ Compatible
  Peaceful · 35 cm · Hard care · 24–29 °C (75–84 °F)
  • Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 24–26 °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.
• Giant Kuhli Loach✅ Compatible
  Peaceful · 12 cm · Easy care · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)
  • Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 24–26 °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.
• Kuhli Loach✅ Compatible
  Peaceful · 10 cm · Easy care · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)
  • Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 24–26 °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.
• Leopard Frog Pleco✅ Compatible
  Peaceful · 9 cm · Medium care · 25–30 °C (77–86 °F)
  • Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here; 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)
  • Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here; 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.
• Medusa Pleco✅ Compatible
  Peaceful · 12 cm · Medium care · 26–30 °C (79–86 °F)
  • Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here; 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.
• Pantanal Corydoras✅ Compatible
  Peaceful · 8 cm · Medium care · 22–27 °C (72–81 °F)
  • Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 22–26 °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.
  • Keep Pantanal Corydoras in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
• Porthole Catfish✅ Compatible
  Peaceful · 10 cm · Easy care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
  • Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 22–26 °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.
• Rubber Lip Pleco✅ Compatible
  Peaceful · 12 cm · Easy care · 20–26 °C (68–79 °F)
  • Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 20–26 °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.
• Snowball Pleco✅ Compatible
  Peaceful · 16 cm · Medium care · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)
  • Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here; 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.
• Spotted Rubbernose Pleco✅ Compatible
  Peaceful · 12 cm · Medium care · 20–26 °C (68–79 °F)
  • Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here; 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.
• Spotted Talking Catfish✅ Compatible
  Peaceful · 15 cm · Easy care · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
  • Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here; 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.
• Striped Eel Loach✅ Compatible
  Peaceful · 12 cm · Medium care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
  • Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 24–26 °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.
• Upside-down Catfish✅ Compatible
  Peaceful · 10 cm · Easy care · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
  • Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here; 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.
• Weather Loach✅ Compatible
  Peaceful · 25 cm · Easy care · 5–24 °C (41–75 °F)
  • Compatible on the things that matter: shared water near 18–24 °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.
• Zebra Loach✅ Compatible
  Peaceful · 9 cm · Medium care · 23–26 °C (73–79 °F)
  • Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, and their water overlaps around 23–26 °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.
• Zebra Pleco✅ Compatible
  Peaceful · 10 cm · Hard care · 26–30 °C (79–86 °F)
  • Semi-aggressive + Peaceful, but with no direct clash here, 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.
• Altifrons Geophagus⚠️ With caution
  Semi-aggressive · 25 cm · Medium care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
  • Spotted Pleco and Altifrons Geophagus can both be territorial; doable with space and dense planting, but watch for chasing.
  • Your 200 L tank is below the ~378 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
  • Keep Altifrons Geophagus in a shoal of 6+ or it gets stressed and nippy.
• Angelicus Synodontis⚠️ With caution
  Semi-aggressive · 25 cm · Medium care · 23–27 °C (73–81 °F)
  • Spotted Pleco and Angelicus Synodontis can both be territorial; doable with space and dense planting, but watch for chasing.
• Black Collared Catfish⚠️ With caution
  Semi-aggressive · 27 cm · Hard care · 23–25 °C (73–77 °F)
  • Both are a bit pushy (semi-aggressive + semi-aggressive) — workable only in a larger tank with cover and broken sight lines.
  • Your 200 L tank is below the ~243 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
• Clown Loach⚠️ With caution
  Peaceful · 30 cm · Medium care · 25–30 °C (77–86 °F)
  • Your 200 L tank is below the ~400 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
• Galaxy Pleco⚠️ With caution
  Semi-aggressive · 25 cm · Medium care · 22–26 °C (72–79 °F)
  • Spotted Pleco and Galaxy Pleco can both be territorial; doable with space and dense planting, but watch for chasing.
• Gold Nugget Pleco⚠️ With caution
  Semi-aggressive · 28 cm · Hard care · 24–29 °C (75–84 °F)
  • Both are a bit pushy (semi-aggressive + semi-aggressive) — workable only in a larger tank with cover and broken sight lines.
  • Your 200 L tank is below the ~250 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
• Goldfish⚠️ With caution
  Peaceful · 30 cm · Medium care · 18–22 °C (64–72 °F)
  • Spotted Pleco is semi-aggressive and may chase or nip the smaller Goldfish — plant heavily and break up sight lines.
• Kissing Gourami⚠️ With caution
  Semi-aggressive · 30 cm · Medium care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
  • Both are a bit pushy (semi-aggressive + semi-aggressive) — workable only in a larger tank with cover and broken sight lines.
  • Your 200 L tank is below the ~280 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
• Leopard Cactus Pleco⚠️ With caution
  Semi-aggressive · 30 cm · Hard care · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)
  • Both are a bit pushy (semi-aggressive + semi-aggressive) — workable only in a larger tank with cover and broken sight lines.
  • Your 200 L tank is below the ~380 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
• Mango Pleco⚠️ With caution
  Semi-aggressive · 28 cm · Hard care · 25–32 °C (77–90 °F)
  • Spotted Pleco and Mango Pleco can both be territorial; doable with space and dense planting, but watch for chasing.
  • Your 200 L tank is below the ~265 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
• Peacock Eel⚠️ With caution
  Semi-aggressive · 30 cm · Medium care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
  • Both are a bit pushy (semi-aggressive + semi-aggressive) — workable only in a larger tank with cover and broken sight lines.
• Pearl Cichlid⚠️ With caution
  Semi-aggressive · 28 cm · Medium care · 22–28 °C (72–82 °F)
  • Both are a bit pushy (semi-aggressive + semi-aggressive) — workable only in a larger tank with cover and broken sight lines.
• Silver Cichlid⚠️ With caution
  Semi-aggressive · 30 cm · Medium care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
  • Spotted Pleco and Silver Cichlid can both be territorial; doable with space and dense planting, but watch for chasing.
  • Your 200 L tank is below the ~280 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
• Sunshine Pleco⚠️ With caution
  Semi-aggressive · 30 cm · Hard care · 23–29 °C (73–84 °F)
  • Both are a bit pushy (semi-aggressive + semi-aggressive) — workable only in a larger tank with cover and broken sight lines.
  • Your 200 L tank is below the ~473 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
• True Parrot Cichlid⚠️ With caution
  Semi-aggressive · 33 cm · Hard care · 23–28 °C (73–82 °F)
  • Spotted Pleco and True Parrot Cichlid can both be territorial; doable with space and dense planting, but watch for chasing.
  • Your 200 L tank is below the ~380 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
• Yellow-spotted Pleco⚠️ With caution
  Peaceful · 35 cm · Medium care · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
  • Your 200 L tank is below the ~280 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
• Alligator Gar⛔ Not recommended
  Aggressive · 250 cm · Hard care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
  • Two assertive fish, one genuinely aggressive: Spotted Pleco and Alligator Gar will hold territory and clash.
  • Alligator Gar may bully the smaller Spotted Pleco, though its armour makes it a hard meal — give it caves and driftwood to retreat into.
  • Your 200 L tank is below the ~3785 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
• Clown Knifefish⛔ Not recommended
  Aggressive · 90 cm · Hard care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
  • Spotted Pleco and Clown Knifefish are both territorial and at least one is outright aggressive — expect serious fighting.
  • Clown Knifefish may bully the smaller Spotted Pleco, though its armour makes it a hard meal — give it caves and driftwood to retreat into.
  • Your 200 L tank is below the ~750 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
• Mbu Puffer⛔ Not recommended
  Aggressive · 67 cm · Hard care · 24–28 °C (75–82 °F)
  • Spotted Pleco and Mbu Puffer are both territorial and at least one is outright aggressive — expect serious fighting.
  • Your 200 L tank is below the ~757 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
• Ocellaris Peacock Bass⛔ Not recommended
  Aggressive · 70 cm · Hard care · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)
  • Spotted Pleco and Ocellaris Peacock Bass are both territorial and at least one is outright aggressive — expect serious fighting.
  • Your 200 L tank is below the ~750 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
• Redtail Catfish⛔ Not recommended
  Aggressive · 120 cm · Hard care · 24–27 °C (75–81 °F)
  • Two assertive fish, one genuinely aggressive: Spotted Pleco and Redtail Catfish will hold territory and clash.
  • Redtail Catfish may bully the smaller Spotted Pleco, though its armour makes it a hard meal — give it caves and driftwood to retreat into.
  • Your 200 L tank is below the ~5700 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
• Spotted Gar⛔ Not recommended
  Aggressive · 90 cm · Hard care · 18–26 °C (64–79 °F)
  • Two assertive fish, one genuinely aggressive: Spotted Pleco and Spotted Gar will hold territory and clash.
  • Spotted Gar may bully the smaller Spotted Pleco, though its armour makes it a hard meal — give it caves and driftwood to retreat into.
  • Your 200 L tank is below the ~600 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
• Wels Catfish⛔ Not recommended
  Aggressive · 300 cm · Hard care · 15–25 °C (59–77 °F)
  • Two assertive fish, one genuinely aggressive: Spotted Pleco and Wels Catfish will hold territory and clash.
  • Wels Catfish may bully the smaller Spotted Pleco, though its armour makes it a hard meal — give it caves and driftwood to retreat into.
  • Your 200 L tank is below the ~20000 L this pairing really wants — crowding raises aggression.
• Wolf Cichlid⛔ Not recommended
  Aggressive · 72 cm · Hard care · 24–30 °C (75–86 °F)
  • Spotted Pleco and Wolf Cichlid are both territorial and at least one is outright aggressive — expect serious fighting.
  • Your 200 L tank is below the ~760 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.