Bad idea to get shrimp?

I have a planted tank with live bearers, some tetras, female fighters and two bristlenose plecos.

I have always really fancied adding shrimp to the tank but have held off as I was worried they would disappear as my plecos are.... enthusiastic eaters.

Just really looking to confirm it wouldn't be a great idea to add shrimp? As much as I'd love to get some I don't want to them to just end up as lunch for the fish

What kind of tetras and live bearers ? what kind of shrimps ?

The plecs could accidentally suck up a baby once in a while, but the other two will hunt babies for sure.

Your chances are low with Neocaridina and caridina but a lot better with amano, Ghost could be ok but eat fish fry and fall as prey at the same time so it's 50/50 and they are not a lot bigger than caridina.

Your chances of success increases with the number of hiding places your shrimps can practically use that really prevent any predator to go beyond. Ex: cholla wood, both ends capped with pieces of sponges covered by java moss.

Many hiding places and a good initial colony to insure perpetuity... The cherries are the most at risk then the ghosts, then the amanos (that wont reproduce in captivity in opposition to the others.)

The temperament of some tetras are more peaceful towards shrimps. But both have a tendency to eat everything that fits.

MaloK said:

Ghost could be ok but eat fish fry and fall as prey at the same time

Click to expand...

Ghost shrimp will not eat fish fry. Ghost shrimp are typically harvested from lakes or ponds a nd sold. Sometimes a different species of shrimp that looks very similar and is carnivorous will get mixed in and sold to you accidentally. The carnivorous variety will eat fish fry and sometimes larger fish.

I have two tanks that my cherry shrimp are very happy in.
The first is a 54L with plants and a male betta fish named Clyde. Clyde hunted the shrimp constantly for the first few hours of adding them, but then he completely gave up because he couldn't catch any. He completely ignores the shrimp now, even the tiny babies.

The second tank only has 6-10 (I don't remember the exact number I added, no deaths) cherry shrimp, it's a 280L tank with a golden bristlenose, a bolivian ram cichlid, black kuhliis, hengels rasboras, beckfordi pencilfish and rosy tetras. Same story with the ram in particular, he hunted the shrimp curiously but gave up completely after a few hours as he couldn't catch them. I don't know if the cherries would have survived in the 280L without the plants and hardscape to hide in.

If you want, I'll take some more pictures for you tomorrow when the tank lights are on


54L with betta fish:



280L community: