What Large Freshwater Fish Will Not Eat Ghost Shrimp?

[Maehlice]

I have a 29 gallon aquarium with 8 thriving, reproducing Ghost Shrimp.

I'm considering a major upgrade and transition next year to a 200 gallon tank -- within which I want to stock larger fish alongside my Ghost Shrimp family.

I don't want two aquariums, but I also don't want to lose my Ghost Shrimp to hungry tankmates.

What large (9-18 in.) freshwater fish are most likely to not harass Ghost Shrimp?

 

[Shaucid]

I don't know much about shrimp, but I would imagine that a large fish would think of a small shrimp as live food. My best guess on a good large fish that won't eat shrimp would be Bala Sharks or a Plec of some sort. I think a large cichlid or some of the oddball fish would eat them.

 

[ianeberle]

By general rule, if the fish is an omnivore or carnivore (ie. most freshwater fish) use this rule: if it fits in their mouth, they will eat it. Most catfish (not including plecos) will even try to eat shrimp if they are small enough. This is why ghost shrimp are $0.30 at the fish store - they are normally used as food. Most other shrimp like red cherry and crystal red shrimp are kept in species-only tanks so that isn't a problem.

I really don't have an answer to your question. If you want inverts in a large tank, look at crayfish or dwarf crayfish. Regular crayfish eat plants and will occasionally take out a small fish like a molly, but with your large fish, they would be perfect. Dwarf crayfish like orange CPO, though, are very friendly and much more colorful than ghost shrimp. Plus they have pinchers to defend themselves against hungry fishes.

 

[Maehlice]

By general rule, if the fish is an omnivore or carnivore (ie. most freshwater fish) use this rule: if it fits in their mouth, they will eat it. Most catfish (not including plecos) will even try to eat shrimp if they are small enough. This is why ghost shrimp are $0.30 at the fish store - they are normally used as food. Most other shrimp like red cherry and crystal red shrimp are kept in species-only tanks so that isn't a problem.

That's what I'm afraid of.

I actually bought the ghost shrimp as "feeders" to the barbs, but they didn't go for them. (After your other response to one of my posts, it makes sense now that they are eating the offspring and ignoring the larger adults.)

If you want inverts in a large tank, look at crayfish or dwarf crayfish.

Good suggestion. I have a red crawfish now and intend to introduce a few more in the large tank.

--- On a similar note ... ---

Shrimp manage to survive in the wild, so could a similar setup be achieved in an aquarium? Does anybody have any ideas about how to construct, plant or decorate an aquarium to give ghost shrimp a refuge in which to reproduce and hide?

Given enough shrimp in the tank, I would imagine they'd survive despite harassment.

 

[ianeberle]

In the wild, shrimp have so much more space to move around. In an aquarium, they're trapped. That's like in the wild, there are still some gazelles and things living because they have space to run away and hide from the lions and predators. If you trapped them in a cage, however, they would have nowhere to go.