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Dwarf
Shrimp Tank Mates
A question that is often asked by new Dwarf Shrimp hobbyist is
what are makes for a good tank mate. Well the obvious answer
if you are planning on breeding the shrimp and being able to
raise the young is to avoid just about any fish. Even the
smallest fish found commonly in the aquarium trade will make a
quick meal out of baby shrimp, but there are a few options for
tank mates that work just fine.
The most common animals found in Dwarf Shrimp aquariums are
snails. Red Ramhorn Snails (Planorbis corneus), Malaysian
Trumpet Snails (Melanoides tuberculata) and Spixi Snails (Asolene
spixi ) are the most useful. These snails will not eat live
plants, they do not eat baby shrimp or live adults, and they
are all great scavengers. Having these snails in your aquarium
add life and help keep the aquarium clean, and each have their
own unique attributes that make them rather valuable to the
Dwarf Shrimp aquarium.
Red Ramshorn Snails are a very prolific species of snail. They
will eat a small amount of algae from the glass and other
surfaces as well as consume any uneaten food. This species is
often selectively bred for color and there are bright red,
pink, and even blue species available. These different colors
of snails ad quite a bit of beauty to the aquarium.
The Malaysian Trumpet Snail is a great snail for keeping
oxygen in the substrate. They spend most of their day burrowed
in the substrate and come out at night and during feeding
time. This snail is a great scavenger and devours uneaten
food. They are live bearing snails, so a small population will
grow rapidly.
Spixi Snails are a species of the popular Apple Snails. They
are a larger snail and are not appropriate for small
aquariums. Spixi Snails are popular because of their appitite
for hydra (a small stinging animal that could eat baby
shrimp). These snails also eat algae and uneaten food.
Snails are not the only animals that make good tank mates for
Dwarf Shrimp; there are a few fish that will not eat baby
shrimp. The most popular of these fish are the Otto cat (Otocinclus
sp.) and smaller species of Plecostomus. Both of these fish
are algae eaters with “sucker” type mouths. The Otto cat
is better for smaller aquariums while the Plecostomus spp are
more suited to larger aquariums.
If you plan on keeping Dwarf Shrimp but not breeding them or
raising the young, there are many fish that make great tank
mates. Endlers Livebearers, Guppies, many species of Tetras,
and most species of Killiefish make great cohabitants. One
thing that must be considered is aggressiveness and size. If
the fish is non-aggressive and has a mouth less than half the
size of a full grown shrimp, odds are the fish is adult shrimp
safe!
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