Baby shrimp survival tank mates?

**richberstler** · 12-18-2007, 04:32 AM

Thinking of possible tank mates for cherry red shrimp...

The babies are amazingly small, I've ruled out almost all non bottom feeders. What about corys? They don't appear much for pursuit if a healthy baby can get out of the way. Is that a safe assumption?

I also love kuhli loaches, but I think they might pursue.

Anyone with experience?

**Dave66** · 12-18-2007, 04:41 AM

Any fish will eat anything alive that's small enough to do so, Rich. You would need a grow-out tank for the youngsters before you could put them in with any of the benthic fish you mentioned.

Dave

**richberstler** · 12-18-2007, 04:48 AM

I do realize all small critters are food, but I would imagine the babies in the wild go through the same problems, granted in shallower water.

With the way these shrimp seem to brees, I could handle a 50% loss or less. Just curious what would give them the best odds. or am I missing that any cory will be quicker than teeny shrimp?

This question was also intertwined with my other ground cover question, but I thought it was best to keep the Qs seperate. Could the plants in the tank make a difference? Ground or floating?

Maybe Java Moss or Hornwort be the key with corys?

**Dave66** · 12-18-2007, 04:53 AM

If you have an area where the baby shrimp could hide, like a fine grate, hidden in a corner, most of them would make it. The more plants, driftwood and/or stones you have the more baby shrimp would make it and the more you'd make trading them with the LFS.

Dave

**Algenco** · 12-18-2007, 01:17 PM

shrimp are quick, I don't think cories will get them.

**kurly** · 12-18-2007, 01:29 PM

I hope not as I have 4 pygmy cories in the tank with my shrimp. My shrimp have not produced babies yet (only dropped eggs) so when they do I would hate for my cories to eat them.

**Fishguy2727** · 12-18-2007, 01:30 PM

For baby anything I keep them by themselves in a well planted tank.

In the wild most will be eaten. This helps weed out ther slow (mentally or physically) individuals which helps keep the population ideal. This is mentioned in my thread about why nature is not ideal.

I would just keep them by themselves.

**richberstler** · 12-19-2007, 06:10 PM

For breeding, maybe it is good to also use natural selection of the young... something I didn't originally consider.

Thanks for the input

**msjinkzd** · 12-20-2007, 11:20 PM

I now have 6 tanks with cherry shrimp. 5 of them are invert only as the shrimp are much more outgoing and fun to watch in an invert only set-up. That being said, I have a large mass of java moss in my community tank and I have at least 40 visible full-grown shrimp (from the 10 i started with). In the community tank are honey gourami, cherry barbs, neons, cardinals, and sterbai cory. The tank is heavily planted other than the moss and the shrimp are a brilliant color and seem to be thriving.

**richberstler** · 12-20-2007, 11:59 PM

Originally Posted by msjinkzd

I now have 6 tanks with cherry shrimp. 5 of them are invert only as the shrimp are much more outgoing and fun to watch in an invert only set-up. That being said, I have a large mass of java moss in my community tank and I have at least 40 visible full-grown shrimp (from the 10 i started with). In the community tank are honey gourami, cherry barbs, neons, cardinals, and sterbai cory. The tank is heavily planted other than the moss and the shrimp are a brilliant color and seem to be thriving.

Do you happen to have a pic of that community tank? So I get a general idea on what worked for you.