Cherry / Other Dwarf Shrimp Tankmates

[eschaton]

In hopes of helping the community, I'm posting my experience with keeping Cherries with various fish. I'm hoping others can chime in here and we can develop a definitive list of "shrimp-safe" tankmates

Certainly safe (even for shrimplets)
Boraras ssp - Pygmy Rasboras
Cambarellus shuffeldtii - Cajun Dwarf Crayfish
Caridina multidentata - Amano Shrimp
Otocinclus ssp - Any of the many Oto species
Any "Pleco" regardless of size (so I've heard, not from experience)
Amano Shrimp
Snails

Safe for adults (in a heavily-planted tank enough shrimplets should survive to sustain a population)
Brachygobius ssp - Bumblebee Gobies
Corydoras ssp - Any "Cory" type species (dwarfs may leave shrimplets alone)
Crossocheilus siamensis - Siamese Algae Eater
Danio choprae - Glowlight Danio
Dario Dario - Scarlet Badis
Hymenochirus ssp - African Dwarf Frog
Hyphessobrycon amandae - Ember Tetra
Paracheirodon innesi - Neon Tetra
Poecilia sp - Endler's Livebearer
Pseudomugil ssp - Blue-Eyes/Dwarf Rainbows
Tateurndina ocellicauda - Peacock Gudgeon

Usually unsuitable for shrimp tanks
Barbs - All, including Cherry Barbs
Betta ssp (Some may ignore shrimp, but it's a Russian roulette)
Botia ssp - All, including the Dwarf Chain Loach (Botia Sidmunki)
Danio rerio - Zebra Danio (likely all larger Danios as well)
Gouramis - All, including the Sparkling Pygmy Gourami
Hemigrammus erthrozonus - Glowlight Tetra
Pufferfish - Some Dwarf Puffers may ignore shrimp, but generally unsuitable

In general, with a few exceptions, (listed above), most fish under two inches are fine with adult shrimp, and most shrimp over two inches are not.

I'll edit this as I go along if people can chime in with their experience.

 

[Liam]

I agree with most of your list, but Boraras Brigitte one of the smallest rasboras will eat shrimplets, they can’t eat them in one go but they can kill them, they have quite big mouths for their size. I removed them from the shrimp tank, even amano shrimp can kill shrimplets, I have seen it happen they dont do it much but they can, the amanos were not particularly hungry, female amanos can kill live food even when they are eating algae wafers. Ottos are 100% shrimplet safe.
As for adult shrimp, I have some wild type cherries given as a freebie with an order of shrimp, they are males I have four of them alive after 5 months with, cardinals, forktail and threadfin rainbows, dwarf chain loaches, boraras Brigitte, sundanino, cories, a couple of types of small killies and a pair of blue rams. The tank is four foot long and very heavily planted.
A good idea though; wish there were more fish that were shrimplet safe.

 

[Maximus]

Maybe it would be easyier to list what carn't go with them, i.e anything that could fit one in it's mouth.

Much easyier then listing indvidual species, we'll be here all day...

 

[xxBarneyxx]

I like this as it is something that get asked all the time (including by me when I was planning tank mates to go with Cherry Shrimp).

In general the rule of "if they can fit one in there mouth they will eat it" works pretty well. But a list of fish that can be kept with them could help people that maybe dont have any fish in mind but are generally looking at what is available and "shrimp safe".

In my tank I have Flame Tetras, Silver tip Tetras, a whiptail, one "small" pair of Rams and 6 peppers corys.

So far I have not seen any fish eating any of the shrimp at all (even the very small baby ones). The tank is heavily planted but I have seen lots of baby shrimp and ones small enough to be lunch out in the open without being bothered. I think the rams when they reach full size might be a problem but if the shrimp keep breeding this fast I will have about 3 million anyway by that point

 

[Luketendo]

Pearl Gouramis aren't suitable?!

Oh well I can't have any shrimps then.

 

[juwelfan]

What about Schistura obeini with Shrimp? Any ideas?

 

[Liam]

I have a different species of schistura, I expect they are fine with adults or even young dwarf shrimp they never bother amanos, I am guessing by how they eat that they could snack on baby shrimp.

 

[jaywings19]

Would Cherry Shrimp in a planted tank conflict with any of these fish?

Discus
Congo Tetra
Rainbowfish
Clown Loach (small)
Corydoras
Ottos

 

[shroob]

Apart from the cory's and otto's I think that cherries will end up on the menu sooner or later with the fish in that list.

 

[jaywings19]

Apart from the cory's and otto's I think that cherries will end up on the menu sooner or later with the fish in that list.

Are there any larger sized shrimp that would fit into my tank? I primarily want them to help battle some hair algae issues I'm experiencing in my planted tank. My ottos won't touch that stuff.

 

[eschaton]

Amano shrimp might be okay, but the Clown Loach is liable to eat them as well as they get older - or when they molt.

 

[shroob]

Agreed the loaches will be a problem for most if not all shrimp. BN plecs are meant to be good for algea, though it depends on the circumstances if they are suitable or not.

 

[Mikaila31]

I do have a female betta in a tank with cherry shrimp. My guessing that she does eat some of the smaller ones, but the large adults seem too fast for her. The tank is densely planted, but she does still tunnel thought the java moss looking for them. The population still increases despite her best efforts. I also have a female swordtail that doesn't bother them at all.

Cheers,
Mikaila31

 

[Rich1979]

Reply to Jaywings:

If you have a problem with hair algae, buy a siamese algae eater (chrosochielis siamensis). They are one of the few fish that deal with hair algae. Mine love it and my tank is kept clean with a team of 3 of these, a bristlenose plec, cherry, ninja, amano shrimp and nerite snails.
Suitable tankmates with shrimp are guppies, cardinal tetra, glowlight tetra, penguin tetra, harlequin tetra, red-line torpedo barbs, pentazona barbs, endler's live-bearer, celebe's rainbowfish, threadfin rainbowfish, corys, female bettas, nemachellus loaches, sailfin mollies, african fan shrimp (vampire shrimp)
I have all of the above living peacefully together in a large planted tank. They have all been fine for 2 years now.

Rich

 

[NoRp]

my shirmp have been fine with my dwarf Gourami's for about 6 months even the juvy shirmps i have in there are fine so far 1-2 months