Can I Have Some Shrimp In My Community Tank?

[Ben M]

hi, i have a 4ft community tank, it measures 120cm x 40cm x 45cm, and holds 216l. i am currently heavily planting it with Taiwan moss, crypts etc. and i would like to keep/breed some red cherry shrimp in it. the temp is 24c, and i am increasing the flow in the tank with a koralia in the near future. the current fish in the tank are: 20 Trigonostigma hengeli, 5 SAE'S, 3 otocinclus, 5 normal harlequins, 4 serpae tetras, 8 cherry barbs, 5 cardinal tetras, 4 rummy nose tetras and 4 kribs. however, i am selling the kribs, as they are getting too aggressive, and i will be adding a shoal of corydoras trilineatus and possibly some 5" plecs. could i keep any rcs with these fish, and would it be ok to add some bolivian rams, or would they eat the shrimp?

thanks

 

[Haych]

I am not 100% sure on what all fish are like with shrimp, but rule of thumb is if it fits in a mouth it will be eaten, and I can guarantee this could happen, I had a cherry shrimp in with my betta and he ate it!

plus, breeding wouldn't be possible in a community tank, the babies would deffo get eaten.

 

[Ben M]

hi, so is it a definite no for the bolivians? but should they be ok with the other fish? i thought that some of the baby shrimp might be able to hide in the taiwan moss wall that is going across the whole of the back of the tank. would that work

 

[Haych]

I couldn't tell you about the bolivians, I don't know much about them.

You could try it, nothing in this hobby is as black and white as people make out, but I had moss balls in with my betta but the poor shrimp is nowhere to be seen (haved moved the whole tank round too!)

 

[~T~]

Some may survive though bolivians will have no problems eating both adults as well as young.

 

[Ben M]

hi, i don't think i'll get any bolivians then. but would the shrimp be ok with all of the other fish i have/am getting?

thanks

 

[~T~]

hi, i don't think i'll get any bolivians then. but would the shrimp be ok with all of the other fish i have/am getting?

thanks

The cherry barbs probably will, shrimp are on the menu for pretty much all barbs.

 

[Ben M]

i think i'll not get the shrimp then, i'm trying to persuade my parents to let me have a 10gal low tech planted, so if i'm allowed one i'll put some shrimp in it.

cheers

 

[lordofthesea]

with kribs and bolivian rams?

death sentance for the shrimps. once their shells are broken, everything else will have a nibble too.

also, new plants will mean copper in the water which is also a death sentance for shrimps.

pretty much, nothing could be more dangerous for shrimps than your tank!

 

[Ben M]

oh, i am selling the kribs, and i did think that the bolivians would be dodgy, so i was just checking with them. but i thought they would be ok with the other fish, but seemingly not. i don't think the plants would have copper on, because i am buying them off members on forums. i'll wait until i get a new tank.