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Last update: April 24, 2023

15 Best Peacock Eel Tank Mates – FishLab

Looking for some company for your peacock eel? You’re in luck! Finding the best peacock eel tank mates is a breeze once you know which facts make aquarium life suitable for one another. 

The Best Peacock Eel Tank mates include the fish that have the same peaceable temperament as the peacock eel, as well as being able to survive in similar tank conditions. Examples include the Reticulated Hillstream Loach fish, the kissing gourami, and swordtails, as well as many more.

In this article, we will not only provide you with our list of the 15 Best Peacock Eel Tank Mates, but some information on each, as well as a brief description of every aquatic creature in that list, so you can pick the best tank mate for your eel! Let’s get started. 

Peacock  Eel Tank Mates – What You Need to Know

Getting tank mates for your peacock eel is easy when you know exactly what your peacock eel needs to be happy. You’ll also need to understand what types of fish to stay away from, and why! In the interest of keeping you informed, we’ve detailed all of the factors you should be aware of when looking for the best peacock eel tank mates. 

Temperament

Temperament of a fish, or an eel, refers to what kind of attitude the animal has toward the other creatures and elements it is surrounded by. A peacock eel, for example, is very peaceful, not acting in aggression toward other creatures of a similar size.

 What this means is that you’ll need a fish with similar peaceful personalities as a tank mate, otherwise you could have a bullied eel in your tank!

Size

Size is another important factor to consider. If your peacock eel is much bigger than its tank mates, even with its peaceful nature, you could find it hunting smaller animals. On the flip side, if your peacock eel is much smaller than the big tank mates you’ve picked out, you’ll find it running for its life more often than not!

To be safe, get fish that are between 2 and 12 inches, with 5 to 6 inches being the sweet spot when it comes to tank mates for a peacock eel. 

Competition

Competition mainly refers to feeding time in your aquarium. A peacock eel generally eat during the evening or night time, and they love crustaceans, worms, and of course, insect larvae, which can all be either live or frozen. 

The danger comes when the tank is full of fish who eat the same sorts of food at the same time, and might be faster or more aggressive than the peacock eel and steal its food. To avoid this outcome, tank mates should not eat at the same time, in the same zone of the tank, or the same exact favorite foods as the peacock eel. 

Parameters ; Tank Setup

Finally, it is important to take note of the parameters and tank setup of a peacock eel. You will want tank mates that live in similar conditions. A peacock eel enjoys a tank size of 40 gallons, if not more. This space should be filled with driftwood and other places for the eel to hide in and out of. 

The temperatures are important, too. Peacock eels survive in a temperature that is between 73 and 79 degrees Fahrenheit. Fish that are meant to be tank mates with the peacock eel must be able to comfortably and healthily live in the same temperature!

15 Best Peacock  Eel Tank Mates

Without further ado, let’s get into our list of the 15 best peacock eel tank mates, found below!

  1. Silver Dollars
  2. Hatchetfish
  3. Blood Parrot Cichlids
  4. Lemonpeel Angelfish
  5. Kissing Gourami
  6. Forktailed Rainbowfish
  7. Swordtails
  8. Rainbow Kribensis
  9. Reticulated Hillstream Loach
  10. Bristlenose Pleco
  11. Yoyo Loach
  12. Zebra Loach
  13. Pearl Gourami
  14. Paradise Fish
  15. Chocolate Gourami

Let’s take a closer look at each tank mate species!

Also check out these other related posts:

1. Silver Dollars

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  • Scientific Name: Metynnis argenteus
  • Adult Size: 6 inches
  • Compatible With: Peacock Eel 
  • Care Level: Medium Difficulty
  • Origin: Guyana and Brazil

Silver Dollars are certainly a unique contrast, visually, to your longer and more dappled peacock eel. Silver Dollars are medium-sized fish with plain but shiny silver bodies. Their snub faces will give your tank a pleasing variety next to the long peacock eel. 

One of the greatest things about silver dollar fish is that they are suitable to live in a community tank and their peaceful nature matches up perfectly with peacock eels. 

Pros of keeping with Peacock  Eel:

  • No infighting
  • No competition for food

Cons of keeping with Peacock  Eel :

  • None!

2. Hatchetfish

shutterstock 2150840045
  • Scientific Name: Gasteropelecidae
  • Adult Size: 2 inches
  • Compatible With: Peacock Eel
  • Care Level: Medium Difficulty
  • Origin: Brazil, Peu, Bolivia, and Columbia

Because the Hatchetfish dwells mainly in the top of the tank and does not worry about bothering other fish, its temperament already makes for a great match for your peaceful peacock eel. However, hatchetfish have more to offer as tank mates.

Visually, they are already pretty striking. Shaped like the blade of a hatchet and coming in a variety of colors from speckled reddish brown to a silvery blue, these fish will make great accompaniments to your peacock eel!

Pros of keeping with Peacock  Eel:

  • No infighting

Cons of keeping with Peacock  Eel :

  • May compete for insect larvae food

3.  Blood Parrot Cichlids

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  • Scientific Name: Amphilophus citrinellus x Vieja synspilum
  • Adult Size: 8 inches
  • Compatible With: Peacock Eel
  • Care Level: Easy
  • Origin: Man-Made

Blood parrot cichlids make great tank mates for Peacock eels as long as they are given plenty of places to hide and room to swim. Their temperament is usually semi-aggressive, but only with other fish that are territorial. Therefore, with a peaceable peacock eel, this cichlid will have a calm life!

It is also worth noting that blood parrot cichlids will not eat the same foods as a peacock eel and so pose no threat. They are also beautiful, bred for their fiery color and beak-shaped head, as well as a small mouth. 

Pros of keeping with Peacock  Eel:

  • No food competition

Cons of keeping with Peacock  Eel :

  • Normally peaceful, but may become aggressive without enough room.

4. Lemonpeel Angelfish

shutterstock 1687204546
  • Scientific Name: Pomacanthidae
  • Adult Size: 5 inches
  • Compatible With: Peacock Eel
  • Care Level: Medium Difficulty
  • Origin: Indo Pacific Ocean

Also known as the lemon peel angel and dwarf angelfish, this is one of the prettiest types of angelfish you can find in aquarium communities. They are particularly beloved for their bright yellow color set off with electric blue and white accents, like the rings around their yellow eyes. 

These angelfish are semi-aggressive, but only if they are not givven enough room in their zones on the bottom and middle of the tank, and only if they are threatened by nosy or aggressive tank mates. Since the peacock eel does not fit those descriptions, you should be good to go with the lemonpeel angelfish!

Pros of keeping with Peacock  Eel:

  • No food competition

Cons of keeping with Peacock  Eel :

  • Can become aggressive without enough room.

5. Kissing Gourami

shutterstock 1905119026
  • Scientific Name: Helostoma Temminkii
  • Adult Size: 12 inches
  • Compatible With: Peacock Eel
  • Care Level: Easy
  • Origin: Thailand, Sumatra, Vietnam, Borneo, Cambodia, Java, Malay, Myanmar

A kissing gourami is named for its long, puckered lips and behavior of kissing one another between males! They are generally a pale rosy color, with a simple but pleasing classic shape and short fins. 

Kissing gouramis make great tank mates with peacock eels because, though they can be aggressive with fish that are much smaller, they do not get much larger than peacock eels themselves. They simply need enough room and obstacles in the tank to feel comfortable and avoid violence!

Pros of keeping with Peacock  Eel:

  • No food competition

Cons of keeping with Peacock  Eel :

  • Can become aggressive without enough room.

6. Forktailed Rainbowfish

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  • Scientific Name: Psuedomugil furcatus
  • Adult Size: 2 inches
  • Compatible With: Peacock Eel
  • Care Level: Easy
  • Origin: New Guinea

The forktailed rainbowfish adds not only bright cheery color to a tank, but a peaceful nature that will combine nicely with a peacock eel. They are blue-eyed, silver in color, accented with yellow striping and matching yellow fins. 

These fish are great community tank members, but only if they have enough of their own kind to mingle with. This helps the fish to feel safe rather than stressed. Keep 6 rainbowfish together.

Pros of keeping with Peacock  Eel:

  • No food competition. 
  • Peaceful.

Cons of keeping with Peacock  Eel :

  • None!

7. Swordtails

shutterstock 1655834740
  • Scientific Name: Xiphophorus helleri
  • Adult Size: 3 to 4 inches
  • Compatible With: Peacock Eel
  • Care Level: Easy
  • Origin: Central America and Mexico

Swordtails are a no-brainer if you are looking for a great fish to keep with peacock eels. They are naturally green in the wild, but in captivity they come in more variety, such as neon, painted, and red and yellow. All variants have long fins and bar-like stripes. 

They should be kept in groups of at least four for their own comfort, but they will breed quickly if kept with the opposite sex! However, their peaceful natures mean they will cause no trouble for your peacock eel. 

Pros of keeping with Peacock  Eel:

  • No food competition
  • Non-aggressive.

Cons of keeping with Peacock  Eel :

  • None!

8. Rainbow Kribensis

shutterstock 1604823793
  • Scientific Name: Pelvicachromis pulcher
  • Adult Size: 4 inches
  • Compatible With: Peacock Eel
  • Care Level: Easy
  • Origin: Africa

The rainbow kribensis has gone by many names, including purple cichlid, king cichlid thanks to its royal coloration, and the shorter “rainbow krib.” The rainbow krib earns all of its titles from its beautiful color. It can be purchased in just about every color on the spectrum, with sporty sharp fins and a longitudinal stripe spanning the body. 

The rainbow kribensis is great as a tank mate thanks to omnivorous diets that will keep it from eating all of the reacock eel’s food, and the peaceful nature they generally have. They are, however, territorial, and though they can’t really harm an eel, they may nip other cichlid’s fins if not provided with their own space. 

Pros of keeping with Peacock  Eel:

  • No food competition
  • Generally peaceful

Cons of keeping with Peacock  Eel :

  • Can become territorial with other fish if kept in too small a space

9. Reticulated Hillstream Loach

shutterstock 1067943476
  • Scientific Name: Sewellia lineolata
  • Adult Size: 3 inches
  • Compatible With: Peacock Eel
  • Care Level: Easy
  • Origin: Asia

This is a smaller breed of fish, but you will find that it’s beautiful yellow-to-tan coloration and spotted pattern matches well, visually, with your peacock eel! Not only that, this species generally occupies the bottom of the tank and is peaceful in nature.

Finally, one of the greatest perks of this species is that it will eat algae in the tank! Though it likes frozen and live foods, too, it is unlikely to compete for food with the peacock eel. 

Pros of keeping with Peacock  Eel:

  • No food competition
  • Cleans algae
  • No aggression

Cons of keeping with Peacock  Eel :

  • None!

10. Bristlenose Pleco

shutterstock 2243018505
  • Scientific Name: Ancistrus cirrhosus
  • Adult Size: 5 inches
  • Compatible With: Peacock Eel
  • Care Level: Easy
  • Origin: Amazon

The bristlenose pleco earns its name from the spiny face it sports, swimming along the bottom of your aquarium! Not only that trait, but its spots and flat head will add visual interest to your peacock eel’s tank. 

It makes a great tank mate thanks to a peaceful nature that minds its own business, and vacuums up substrate on the floor of the tank!

Pros of keeping with Peacock  Eel:

  • No food competition
  • No aggression
  • Cleans Tank Floor

Cons of keeping with Peacock  Eel :

  • None

11. Yoyo Loach

shutterstock 1387819124
  • Scientific Name: Botia lohachata
  • Adult Size: 5 inches
  • Compatible With: Peacock Eel
  • Care Level: Medium Difficulty
  • Origin: India

A silvery loach with the letters O and Y in the pattern of dark markings on its back, giving it its name. This fish thrives in a community of three or more of its own kind, as it is very social. 

That being said, the yoyo loach will make an excellent companion for a peacock eel thanks to its love for peaceful neighbors and lack of interest in anything but the peacock eel’s leftovers after feeding time!

Pros of keeping with Peacock  Eel:

  • Not aggressive
  • No food competition

Cons of keeping with Peacock  Eel :

  • None!

12. Zebra Loach

shutterstock 1057399580
  • Scientific Name: Botia striata
  • Adult Size: 4 inches
  • Compatible With: Peacock Eel
  • Care Level: Easy
  • Origin: Southern India

Named for its stripes, this fish is a stylish visual component to any tank. Add that to a peaceful nature, and you’ve got a great community fish. 

The emphasis is on community, however; while your zebra loach won’t bother your peacock eel, it will really be happiest in a group of five or more of its own kind. 

Pros of keeping with Peacock  Eel:

  • No aggression
  • No food competition

Cons of keeping with Peacock  Eel :

  • None

13. Pearl Gourami

shutterstock 639016642 1
  • Scientific Name: Trichopodus Leerii
  • Adult Size: 4 inches
  • Compatible With: Peacock Eel
  • Care Level: Easy
  • Origin: Sumatra, Thailand, Malaysia, and Borneo

The pearl gourami is long and thin, much like it’s fins. It has a type of “mother of pearl” look to it, and is always marked by a long black line ending in a characteristic spot!

This small fish makes for a great tank mate for a peacock eel because it is devoted to peace, and doesn’t do well with aggressive fish. It loves to be kept with fish near the same size and temper. 

Pros of keeping with Peacock  Eel:

  • No food competition
  • No aggression

Cons of keeping with Peacock  Eel :

  • None

14. Paradise Fish

shutterstock 1530306809
  • Scientific Name: Macropodus opercularis
  • Adult Size: 4 inches
  • Compatible With: Peacock Eel
  • Care Level: Easy
  • Origin: Asia

This fish does have a few semi-aggressive tendencies, but like others on this list, this is mainly due to poor amounts of room. The paradise fish tends to fight with any species that is larger and aggressive; it always wants to be king of the tank! However, peacock eels are not aggressive, so they should get along well together. 

A paradise fish is striped in several beautiful, iridescent colors, sometimes red, green, orange, and blue. These are speckled, as well, making a pleasing change of scenery in your tank. 

Pros of keeping with Peacock  Eel:

  • No food competition
  • No aggression as long as it is dominant. 

Cons of keeping with Peacock  Eel :

  • None!

15. Chocolate Gourami

shutterstock 639016705
  • Scientific Name: Sphaerichthys osphromenoides
  • Adult Size: 2 inches
  • Compatible With: Peacock Eel
  • Care Level: Difficult
  • Origin: Malacca, Sumatra, Borneo

This fish is well known and liked for it’s oval body and dark color, much like chocolate! This brownish hue is interspersed by around five stripes colored yellow or white, with a forked tail. 

These fish are slow and shy. They do not do well in any environment where they have to compete with more boisterous fish for food. Luckily, this makes them a great pairing with peacock eels!

Pros of keeping with Peacock  Eel:

  • No food competition
  • Peaceful

Cons of keeping with Peacock  Eel :

  • None! 

In Conclusion

To sum everything we’ve learned up, the 15 best Peacock Eel Tank Mates include larger and more peaceful fish such as the paradise fish, several gouramis, and even loaches. As long as the fish are able to live in temperatures and conditions that coincide with the preferences of a healthy peacock eel, and are large enough to avoid being hunted, you’ll have no trouble!

However, if the fish are not peaceful and are both larger than the peacock eel and aggressive, you may find yourself with problems. Look for fish that will not compete for the same nocturnal food choices as your eel, and will mind their own business peacefully. You’ll enjoy a vibrant and diverse tank in no time!

Ian Sterling

Ian Sterling, founder of Fishlab.com, began his aquarium journey over 30 years ago, driven by a deep fascination for fish and their diverse personalities. His website, Fishlab.com, is dedicated to making fishkeeping accessible and enjoyable, offering beginner-friendly guidance, expert insights, and a community for aquarists to connect and share experiences.

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