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Shrimp / fish compatibility

Andy Pierce

Member
Joined
27 Nov 2020
Messages
633
Location
Cambridge, UK
I'm looking for guidance around which shrimp are compatible with which fish. I recently introduced some neocaridina (cherry shrimp) to my tank and all seemed good for the first few days, but they seem all gone now (no filter to get sucked into, and yes, they could in theory be hiding but I don't think so) and I noticed some suspicious looking tear-the-shrimp apart type behaviour from the five banded barbs (Five-banded barb - Fireplace aquarium). These may well be six-banded barbs but they are definitely NOT tiger barbs. They take absolutely no notice of the amano shrimp. There are also rummy-nosed tetras that could potentially be participatory and otto cats that would seem unlikely to be problematic. The neocaridinas were about half the size of the smallest of the amanos. I haven't kept these before so I don't have a sense of how big the cherry shrimp get but if these were juveniles would it worth trying to source some adults and see if they fare better? I don't care if they breed and all the baby shrimp get eaten.

Could people please help out by listing some suggested shrimp that are compatible with small, otherwise peaceful fish?
 
Those barbs are quite timid usually. I always go along with if the fish can fit it in their mouths its fair game. Cherry shrimp can grow to around 2 inch. I have some amano shrimp though, and they are quite big. Do you have plenty of hiding places? Shrimp will hide, and be a bit shy especially if they sense things around them that might look at them as food.

I do think the shrimp will be ok with the fish you have same with the ottos.
 
I completely agree that the barbs are a timid species but I don't necessarily think that makes them any safer with shrimp tbh. They just become more likely to munch them in the shadows rather than front and centre. Fish with social hierarchies seem more prone to ganging up on prey.
You will probably be ok with shrimp whilst the barbs are small but they do get a decent size and are a micropredator that eats crustaceans in nature.

Otto's are really the only shrimp safe fish there is, everything is a risk.
 
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