# Shrimp fry safe fish?



## stpeteplanter (Dec 30, 2009)

Allright, so I'm getting a little bored of my shrimp tank. The shrimp are just to lethargic and there isn't enough action. And I know until they get to breeding and have a hundred or so in there I just won't be happy with it. 

That said, I REALLLY want my shrimp to breed, and I want the fry to grow up n' such. 

Can anyone think of ANY top/mid water fry safe fish? Mind you it has to fit in 15g planted tank, but at this point I would take about anything as long as it won't it my fry. 

I have four ottos, and they just lay around and suck on stuff. I'm looking for a fish that actually swims (preferably schools), but still won't eat my fry. 

Thanks!
Nick

edit: forgot to mention, right now my tank is very sparsely planted. has a carpet of HC growing and some sprial vals. I am willing to plant almost the entire tank in a 'bushy' plant like Myriophyllum heterophyllum for the shrimp to hide in.


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## IneedAbiggerTank (Jan 15, 2010)

Hi, 
I currently have a large colony of Red Cherry Shrimp in a 14 Gal BioCube. In the tank I have a School of Rasbora Hengeli (Trigonostigma hengeli) and a few Cory Habrosus (one of the dwarf Cory species). Shrimp have been breeding like crazy and apparently the fish are perfectly safe for the shrimp fry. The rasbora hengeli school very nicely between mid and top water. The Habrosus do something pretty close to schooling (for a cory), and actually swim not just at the bottom but also at mid water sometimes and even reaching the surface once in a while, they swim around the tank a lot more than regular size cories. I used to have White Clouds in the tank and they did not harm the shrimp fry either (as far as I can tell). I am pretty sure Rasbora Espei (Trigonostigma espei), which is gorgeous and schools very nicely, would also be harmless, but I can’t find them locally, a few people sales them online from time to time. By the way, I also nave about 10 Olive Nerite Snails in the tank, and that is not a problem either.


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## IneedAbiggerTank (Jan 15, 2010)

One additional thought: In addition to be safer for the shrimp fry, a little more plants will make both fish and shrimp happier.


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## stpeteplanter (Dec 30, 2009)

Thanks for the reply. Just wondering, how densly planted is your tank? I'm thinking about lining the back wall with some 'bushy'/'fluffy' plants for shrimp fry to hide in and adding a few rasboras, probably the Espei that you mentioned. 

You figure your rasboras just don't get to the bottom of the tank where the fry stay to eat them? I don't care if one of every ten fry gets eaten, but I definitely want to keep a large colony.


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Stuff your tank with moss. :wink:


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## stpeteplanter (Dec 30, 2009)

That's a good idea. I have no experience with moss, though. Figure I should just get regular ole' java moss? 

I like the looks of spiky moss, but I have no idea how to 'plant' it n' such.


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Java moss, Xmas moss, spiky moss, suesswassertang, pellia... any or all of those would work. You don't have to do anything to them- you can tie them onto something or just ball them up and let them fall where they want...


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## IneedAbiggerTank (Jan 15, 2010)

To answer your question, my tank is pretty heavily planted for its size; you can take a look at it in my profile. Nevertheless, I see all the time pretty small (young) shrimp (maybe not newly hatched but very small indeed) out and about on the gravel and the leaves of my anubias nana, and the fish don’t even look at them.


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## stpeteplanter (Dec 30, 2009)

so I was thinking, how about an african butterfly fish? I know they're aggressive, but every single photo and video I've seen has its been at the very top of the water. Seems like they don't ever leave the surface. Figured I'd be safe to get one african butterfly fish? I really dig em. I know any shrimp that would venture to the surface would get gobbled up, but my shrimp don't ever get that high up.. Input? em


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## sbailiff (Jun 1, 2010)

Question: How did you modify the biocube to make the tank safe for shrimp? I can see shrimp easily getting caught in the back towers. So, how do you stop this?


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## AoxomoxoA (Apr 22, 2010)

stpeteplanter said:


> so I was thinking, how about an african butterfly fish? I know they're aggressive, but every single photo and video I've seen has its been at the very top of the water. Seems like they don't ever leave the surface. Figured I'd be safe to get one african butterfly fish? I really dig em. I know any shrimp that would venture to the surface would get gobbled up, but my shrimp don't ever get that high up.. Input? em


Those are cool looking fish. I read that they are jumpers. They remind me of Lion-fish so I immediately think their "spines" hold poison:icon_eek::icon_lol: 

I can't believe you're getting away with this thread LOL :fish:fish love to eat baby shrimp. Except for my Pristella Tetras


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## Noahma (Oct 18, 2009)

What about Thread Fin Rainbows, they have very tiny mouths and throats, that might be a good choice, and if you get a few females and a couple males you will have tons of displays, and they get to be fun to watch lol.


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