# Shrimp safe nano fish?



## greaser84 (Feb 2, 2014)

The only shrimp safe fish is the otocinclus catfish. People keep shrimp and fish together all the time, but the only fish you never have to worry about is the oto catfish. A great fish for your size tank is the celestial pearl danios if you can find them. Look those up you will not be disappointed. I find that cory catfish are shrimp vacuum's.


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## Projectp (Oct 7, 2013)

I have some celestial pearl danios and they seem pretty hardy. I crank CO2 and dose E.I. and all 10 have done great since the day I got them.


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## Ghia (May 1, 2014)

My experience : Celestial pearls eat shrimp. Micro-rasbora don't (Boraras brigittae, Boraras maculatus, Boraras merah). Threadfins and blue-eyes don't touch shrimp, either.
None of my cories touch shrimp, not even baby shrimp. It is funny to see the little baby shrimp actually using the cories' backs as resting spots.


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## Veritas (Aug 9, 2013)

Celestials will definitely go through stages of hunting shrimp. I haven't had too many issues, but have noticed the fry being chased from time to time.

Adding lots of hiding places, mosses, and such definitely helps the shrimp survive.


I'm considering adding a small family of Sparkling Gouramis and small school of Pygmy Corys to finish up the stocking of my 29g. Anyone have thoughts on that?


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## Texex (Aug 15, 2003)

Sparkling gouramis will hunt shrimp and will wipe out the baby shrimp.


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## Veritas (Aug 9, 2013)

Texex said:


> Sparkling gouramis will hunt shrimp and will wipe out the baby shrimp.



well thanks. That answers that! roud:


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## Oceangirl (Feb 5, 2013)

I lost an entire colony of Blue pearls in a 10 gallon, the tank was filled top to the bottom in moss. I had 6 in there, I fed them well too. The only safe fish is an otto or mystery snails


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## AquaAurora (Jul 10, 2013)

I wonder if anyone has tried dwarf pencil fish, or ricefish with shrimp.


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## amcoffeegirl (May 26, 2009)

I have guppies and platies with my shrimp. The shrimp seem to do well with them.


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## Stone454 (Jun 1, 2013)

http://rainbowfish.angfaqld.org.au/Gertrud.htm
I would guess any of the "Pseudomugil" variety of rainbows would be prety shrimp safe cool active little fish I am growing some out in a rcs tank, they might be able to eat the babies but not a juvie or adult, they only get to about 1.5" or so several varieties all pretty, I would ask around to make sure they are "safe" but I am pretty sure they are


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## msjinkzd (May 12, 2007)

AquaAurora said:


> I wonder if anyone has tried dwarf pencil fish, or ricefish with shrimp.


whic species? o. woworae will eat them like crack. N. marginatus will not be super effective. Reality is, any fish that CAN will eat baby shrimp. Depends on what your goals are for the tank. Do you wanta large quantity of shrimp, or a sustaining colony? 



Stone454 said:


> http://rainbowfish.angfaqld.org.au/Gertrud.htm
> I would guess any of the "Pseudomugil" variety of rainbows would be prety shrimp safe cool active little fish I am growing some out in a rcs tank, they might be able to eat the babies but not a juvie or adult, they only get to about 1.5" or so several varieties all pretty, I would ask around to make sure they are "safe" but I am pretty sure they are


They will absolutely eat young shrimp, they also eat their own fry like crazy. Depends again on what your goals are.


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## Oceangirl (Feb 5, 2013)

I had a pencilfish in Q and he didn't end up making it. He actually went after the baby ramshorn in there. I am sure he would have eaten a shrimp


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## Lonestarbandit (Feb 7, 2013)

The pygmy Cory cats are ok with nano shrimp, at least to my knowledge.
Haven't noticed mine eating shrimp and I have shrimplets running around.

Sent from my VS930 4G using Xparent Red Tapatalk 2


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## Betta132 (Nov 29, 2012)

Forktail blue eye rainbows are supposed to be pretty good with shrimp, from what I've seen. They'll nibble on baby shrimp, most likely, but they're little and probably won't hurt adults.


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## msjinkzd (May 12, 2007)

I keep all the mentioned fish and offer advice based on experience  I have had the best luck with microrasboras, though there are many species that are not as avid at hunting or too physically small to eat anything but young shrimp.


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## gabysapha (Oct 26, 2011)

Thank you to everyone for the replies! 

To the sparkling gourami posts, I kept a group a while back and they are excellent hunters and prowl slowly around the tank. They are stunning though! If I can order them from someone (msjinkzd?) I may make this 13g a sparkling gourami home. But, I do love self sustaining shrimp tanks. They look fantastic and it's nice to send off shrimp to other aquarists every once in a while  

Thank you to the input on pseudomugils and celestials eating shrimp, I was very curious about them specifically. I guess I'll aim for microrasboras as it seems to be the only fish that won't prey on the young shrimp as heartily. I hoped a surface dweller like halfbeaks would stay at the surface away from the shrimp, but that may be too risky. 

Perhaps a school of microrasboras is in my future. And if I'm desperate for color, I've kept male Endlers with shrimp and they didn't harass shrimp as much as I thought they would. Female Endlers are another story, however!


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## NJAquaBarren (Sep 16, 2009)

Have Endlers in a nano with RCS. No problems I can see. Both flourishing.


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