# What kind of cichlids can go with cherry shrimps?



## dekstr (Oct 23, 2007)

I wanted to get rams for the 55g community tank I'm going to set up during Christmas, but after some research, found out rams have been known to eat shrimp. Kind of discouraged, really wanted to keep them too.

What do cichlids do you think go well in a community tank with cherry shrimps? It seems that rams are the most docile and least territorial, and suitable for community tanks because of their size.

So now I'm kind of bummed out. :icon_conf


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## matt s (Jun 6, 2007)

I would say almost none, Its a risk with most. I think keyholes could work but like I said its a risk. What you should do is buy some shrimp and let the breed for A month or so then bring in the fish so if they do eat them you will still have some left.


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## Gatekeeper (Feb 20, 2007)

cichlids are a no go for cherries.


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## Spitfire_01 (Nov 17, 2007)

Yah None,,, I tried it as-well with the smallest of Apistos to shellies, Just to tempting for the little predators to lay off...


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## efish (Apr 23, 2006)

i've kept cichlids for a while. Jack Dempsey's usually have a bad rap, but i've had 3 and none have every been agressive and are usually the punching bag for my other cichlids. So every fish is different could be hit or miss. If they have never eaten live feeders, you will probably be able to get away with a Blue Acara (which i've also kept and was a punching bag, however it is not very colorful). Check out this site for other types of cichlids, they have a profiles section that lists agression level. 
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/ 

I've got a German Blue in my 20G tall tank, and intend on getting some cherries this weekend. I'll let you know by monday/tuesday if i see any causalties, but my ram doesn't seem to pick on my neons/tetra's at all. 

My suggestion would be to get the ram, then get 1 or 2 RCS at a store and see if they last. if not, decide which you want more, shrimp or GBR.


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## Tdon1md (Jun 3, 2007)

Well, they're not Cherries but I've got 10 Amanos on order that will be here Monday or Tuesday (weren't cheap either, well, very reasonable as Amanos go but they're expensive coruscations) and I've got 3 GBR's in my tank (30G). Never even gave a thought to the idea that my Rams might eat my shrimp. I'll let you know how it goes. The Rams are juvies, had them about a week, < 1". Maybe if they grow up together, I'll be ok?????????
________
ChocoBeauty


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## dekstr (Oct 23, 2007)

I already have 14 cherries--maybe more very soon due to propagation.

Thanks for the heads up guys--I'd like to see how the ram reacts to the shrimps--live food or not?

I went through a quick run through of most popular cichlid species. Pretty much the rams are the one of the smallest, least aggressive cichlid already. All bigger cichlids will not be able to resists shrimps, even if they are docile. I'm guessing even if some of the shrimps do survive in a tank with rams, you'll never see the surviving shrimps anymore since they'll always be hiding.

Rams will not attack/chase tetras and other smaller community fish unless they are in breeding mode. If you give them enough space for their own territory (about 2 feet in diameter from the primary breeding point, they generally won't hurt any other fish unless they are intruding on the territory. During non-breeding mode, they are generally very peaceful, even shy fish. One concern might be the bumbling corydoras--they tend to take zero interest in other fishes' territories, so they may be fatally injured by the ram if it mindlessly stumbles into their breeding zone.

I'd like to see your results with the amanos / cherries though. :drool:


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## armagedon48 (Jun 13, 2007)

shrimp are the bottom of the food chain in the wild and most fish that can fit a juvenile shrimp in its mouth, will.


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## Wasserpest (Jun 12, 2003)

I kept Rams with Cherries, and if they grow up together, they will leave the adult Cherries alone. In a densely planted tank, some juvies will survive and keep the shrimp population going.


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## Riley (Jan 24, 2006)

I think the short answer is NONE. No cichlids will work the shrimp long term I watched a docile Apisto. cacatouides slaughter an amano shrimp last night. Everyone wants to keep fish in there shrimp tank, its not possible in the long run really. If you want to propogate these shrimp...keep them by themselves or dont get shrimp. To ensure the long term success of shrimp dont put fish in the tank....even ottos will eat little shrimplets.


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## Riley (Jan 24, 2006)

I might add also....I have had cichlids like apistos in my shrimp tanks over the years....it will work for a while..but eventually the shrimp will dissappear never to be seen again. I know its tempting to add some more action to your shirmp tank, but if you want to keep growing up shirmp, and have a colony, the addition of most if not all fish will be devestating to the shrimp population.


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## pweifan (Nov 2, 2006)

I've found that dead cichlids can be kept with shrimp successfully


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## Riley (Jan 24, 2006)

It depends on your intentions and the cichlid. If you just want to look at a couple of shirmp....go ahead toss some rams in there...if you want to breed and raise shrimp....dont put them in there. Generally all cichlids are omnivores. Sure you can train a jack dempsey or a red devil to take nothing but prepared food but when the opportunity comes to get a live fish or shrimp meal they WILL take it. Same with a ram, the rams can be fed prepared foods all the time, but again if the opportunity arises to get a live snack...they will take it. If feeding time is missed....instinct will kick in and they will start hunting.


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## chaznsc (May 1, 2006)

hungry ones


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## Tdon1md (Jun 3, 2007)

Well, I may not get the chance to see if my Rams will eat my incoming Amanos. They've been stressed all day for God only knows what reason. Gasping at the top of the tank as well as gasping lifelessly while laying on the substrate. Everyone else in the tank if just fine. Did a 50% w/c, pointed my spraybar straight up creating a waterfall to increase O2 in the column, added baking soda to a dKH of 3 from dKH of 1, all with about a 3 hour observation between each change to look for improvements. They're still gasping but not at the top of the tank now so I guess it's a little better. My Ammonia and NitrIte are 0 so it's not a mini cycle. Being only a week old, after I gassed out the CO2, and coming from a pH of 7, I thought maybe a pH of 6.1 (CO2 level of about 30) was too much and it just now was starting to cause problems. Well, who knows. We'll see what happens. Sorry for the High Jack, just needed to vent a little.
________
How to roll a joint


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## Madfish (Sep 9, 2007)

pweifan said:


> I've found that dead cichlids can be kept with shrimp successfully


Thats is to good. But it is the truth you can try getting a dozen glass shrimp from you LFS for $1 and put them in there. If they are all gone in a hour then its a no go for the amamos.


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## limnidi (May 2, 2007)

I have seen my 1.5 inch apistogramma pandura eat a 1 inh adult shrimp. Eventually all of my shrimp disappeared in the tank. I think blue rams have smaller mouths and cannot gulp adult shrimp but they will go for small ones. You can probably keep some bamboo shrimp with cichlids.. They get to be 3 inches long.


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## fishscale (May 29, 2007)

For those of you who keep shrimp with other fish, how many shrimp would you need to sustain a population that gets eaten? I am trying to see if I might be able to start a colony in a tank that can breed enough to sustain itself. My main shrimp tank only has otos.


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## Tdon1md (Jun 3, 2007)

Just an update. I won't be able to give you a report on wether or not my Ram's eat my shrimp. All 3 are dead. 1 week to the day. And all other inhabitants are just fine. Must have been something they had b4 I got em'. Now I just hope whatever it was doesn't wipe out my tank.
________
Bacardia


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## yoink (Apr 21, 2005)

My experience was similar to WP's. I had a tank with a good cherry population, lets say 50-100, that I put a young pair of rams into. I thought they ate them all, but after a couple week I started to see adult shrimp. The population still grew, just alot slower than if there were no rams.


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