# are there any small schooling fish that are shrimp safe?



## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

im looking to put a school of small fish in my 20L, but need them to be shrimp-safe. any ideas?


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## snausage (Mar 8, 2010)

Harlequin rasboras were really the only thing that didn't go after my RCS in a now disassembled tank. I would say avoid most tetras, especially black phantoms and galaxy/lemons: they were completely peaceful until the shrimp arrived.


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Dwarf rasporas.

My B. brigittae will eat shrimplets, but I think they learned to do that b/c they started off in a tank at my hubby's office, so didn't get fed on weekends.


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## Armonious (Aug 16, 2010)

Just wondering laural, where did you get your B. brigittae from? I'm thinking that that is what I will go with once I stock my 10gal, but I have had trouble finding them for sale.


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

www.invertzfactory.com and I also got some from RMC, who sells on AquaBid a lot when he doesn't have stuff here listed in the S&S.


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## mordalphus (Jun 23, 2010)

I think franks has em too


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## AW0L (Jan 15, 2004)

Ive had chilis rasboras and ember tetras and even these guys will nip at shrimps. but a heavily planted tank helps. you might not get as many shrimps per a berried that make it to adult but some survive. ive seen my school of cpds tear through my 20 gallon shrimp tank while i housed them till i moved them into my bigger tanks. and during that time they ate almost all of the shrimplets.


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## Eden Marel (Jan 28, 2010)

Guppies aren't schooling, but I found them to be shrimp safe! And well they kinda school when it comes to food. They pack right next to each other and start begging at the top of the water line and it is just so funny.


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## dj2005 (Apr 23, 2009)

One of my RCS shot out ~40 shrimplets a couple days ago and I've been monitoring how the Ember Tetras have been interacting with these said shrimplets. Rarely they chase after one and even then they don't really try to eat it. They don't pay attention to juvie and adult RCS.


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## msnikkistar (Mar 23, 2010)

Pygmy coryadoras.  Mine school in a small shoal.


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## Dave-H (Jul 29, 2010)

Ive got neons and chilis in a tank that I'm hoping will produce some yellow cherry shrimp. I'm not sure how the babies will fare, but the tank is growing in nicely so I'm hopeful that the population will at least grow slowly. The chilis are awesome!


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## AoxomoxoA (Apr 22, 2010)

Otocinclus.


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## lotuseater (Aug 18, 2010)

The LFS recommended black neons and shrimp - the smaller shrimp became snacks while the larger ones just hide all day. I have to say that it was only the larger female black neons that got the smaller shrimp. I guess it's a size thing....


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## @[email protected] (Oct 24, 2007)

dirtyhermit said:


> Otocinclus.


lol, i figured any herbivore would do fine. 



lauraleellbp said:


> Dwarf rasporas.
> 
> My B. brigittae will eat shrimplets, but I think they learned to do that b/c they started off in a tank at my hubby's office, so didn't get fed on weekends.


really? i thought they sometimes cause problems. boraras are definitely awesome fish though. ill probably give it a try.


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## EKLiu (Jan 14, 2010)

dj2005,

How well do the ember tetras school? Is it a nice looking pack of fish, or just a bunch of loosely affiliated fish?


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## rickztahone (Jul 20, 2009)

i think out of all the school fish mentioned i like the B.Brigittae best but i am having a difficult time finding someone who sells them. i checked the link and i do not see them listed. lastly, does anyone else have experience with B.Brigittae and RCS? 



lauraleellbp said:


> Dwarf rasporas.
> 
> My B. brigittae will eat shrimplets, but I think they learned to do that b/c they started off in a tank at my hubby's office, so didn't get fed on weekends.





Armonious said:


> Just wondering laural, where did you get your B. brigittae from? I'm thinking that that is what I will go with once I stock my 10gal, but I have had trouble finding them for sale.





lauraleellbp said:


> www.invertzfactory.com and I also got some from RMC, who sells on AquaBid a lot when he doesn't have stuff here listed in the S&S.


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## mordalphus (Jun 23, 2010)

franksaquarium has them
http://www.franksaquarium.com/nanofish.htm


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## Dave-H (Jul 29, 2010)

I got mine from Franks.. happy customer.


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## rickztahone (Jul 20, 2009)

mordalphus said:


> franksaquarium has them
> http://www.franksaquarium.com/nanofish.htm





Dave-H said:


> I got mine from Franks.. happy customer.


Have either of you kept small shrimp with them though?


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## rickztahone (Jul 20, 2009)

Wow, those are some great looking specimens in that website. I will definitely buy frim him when my 55 is ready


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## mordalphus (Jun 23, 2010)

No, I do not keep shrimp with fish other than otocinclus. I don't trust fish with expensive potential food.


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## Dave-H (Jul 29, 2010)

Well, I've got about 8 yellow shrimp in the tank and 3 are currently berried (first time). I'm not really trying to breed them in numbers as much as I'm trying to have a stable population. So, it would be fine with me if the fish ate most, but not quite all, the baby shrimp. 

I'll let you know in about a month 
The baby shrimp will also be up against 12 neon tetras and a dwarf frog, but the tank is heavily planted with tons of hiding places, caves, crevices, so maybe they've got a shot 

Man those chili's are awesome, though! So much personality and yet they are so tiny.


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## rickztahone (Jul 20, 2009)

Dave-H said:


> Well, I've got about 8 yellow shrimp in the tank and 3 are currently berried (first time). I'm not really trying to breed them in numbers as much as I'm trying to have a stable population. So, it would be fine with me if the fish ate most, but not quite all, the baby shrimp.
> 
> I'll let you know in about a month
> The baby shrimp will also be up against 12 neon tetras and a dwarf frog, but the tank is heavily planted with tons of hiding places, caves, crevices, so maybe they've got a shot
> ...


Yeah im actually pretty taken by those chili's. I will get a school of 48 or so, and see how it goes. I will definitely keep my breeder shrimp in the 10 I currently have them in. They have outgrown that tank for sure. There must be at least 100 rcs in there from my original 15. They love that shiruki


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## spdskr (Nov 14, 2005)

I have RCS in all my tanks. Only in tanks without fish do I see young shrimp out in the open. While it is true than many small tetras and rasboras will ignore adult dwarf shrimp, only a blind or sick fish will not immediately eat a shrimp small enough to be swallowed. Stop and think about what these fish feed on in nature: insect larvae, small insects that land on the water's surface, small crustaceans (shrimp included), and other small aquatic invertebrates. If your goal is to have a tank of small fish and dwarf shrimp you can probably keep a stable population of shrimp over time as long as there are plenty of hiding places for their young and the mouths of the fish are relatively small. If, however, your goal is to breed expensive shrimp in large numbers, then you are better suited having a fish free tank.


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## Dave-H (Jul 29, 2010)

That sounds pretty good to me, actually. I would like the shrimp population growth to be slightly positive, meaning the population will grow but not much. That way, the fish get to snack on the baby shrimp and the population will be stable. We'll see!


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## rickztahone (Jul 20, 2009)

spdskr said:


> I have RCS in all my tanks. Only in tanks without fish do I see young shrimp out in the open. While it is true than many small tetras and rasboras will ignore adult dwarf shrimp, only a blind or sick fish will not immediately eat a shrimp small enough to be swallowed. Stop and think about what these fish feed on in nature: insect larvae, small insects that land on the water's surface, small crustaceans (shrimp included), and other small aquatic invertebrates. If your goal is to have a tank of small fish and dwarf shrimp you can probably keep a stable population of shrimp over time as long as there are plenty of hiding places for their young and the mouths of the fish are relatively small. If, however, your goal is to breed expensive shrimp in large numbers, then you are better suited having a fish free tank.


Great point! I do plan on having a pretty even mix of Flora and fauna and would like an even population of both shrimp and fish. I will try to have a lot of hiding spots but this will mean that i will have to have a stable plant population before introducing the fish. I will play it by ear and I will definitely keep all advise in mind.


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## Jaggedfury (Sep 11, 2010)

Try Microrasbora sp. Galaxy, they're super tiny, won't bother shrimp or shrimplettes. A bit similar to the Harlequin rasboras but both great small fish, exception of the Microrasbora sp. Galaxy cost about $6-$9 per fish at stores.


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## Vesh (Jan 16, 2010)

I had 3 small pencil-fish, 5 mosquito rasboras and 3 pigmy cories in 10 gal. with RCS. RCS multiplied like crazy. There was a lot of cover in that tank, though.


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## mysticalnet (Dec 2, 2007)

cardinal tetras


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## Cardinal Tetra (Feb 26, 2006)

I've got cardinals, lampeyes, and hengeli rasboras and my shrimp population is fine. I'm sure they get a couple of shrimplets here and there but they don't viciously hunt them down or anything. My tank is also very heavily planted.


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## AoxomoxoA (Apr 22, 2010)

I've got a school of Pygmy Corys now. They're absolutely awesome, & school very nicely. I really like them, & they do not eat shrimp :biggrin:


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## jetajockey (Aug 23, 2010)

I am keeping bn plecos with my shrimp. I also have CPDs in the tank at the moment but I'm going to move them to their own tank. They actually have allowed some of their fry to grow so far, but still, I don't want them eating my rcs. 

I'm going to use the tank as a growout for my black cory fry.


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