The Best Types Of Fish For Your Shrimp Aquarium

Types of Fish

 Keeping different types of tropical fish is a great hobby, and it’s an ideal one for anyone who keeps shrimp, because there are so many types that go well with them. But what with the sheer magnitude of available types of freshwater fish, it can be quite difficult to know which ones are suitable for keeping with shrimp.

It’s very important that you get the right types of freshwater fish for your shrimp tank – choose the wrong types of tropical fish and you could end up unleashing an Armageddon for your poor little shrimp! There have been dozens of stories reported to us of people releasing their new shrimp into their aquarium, only to see them instantly be gulped down by predatory fish who think it’s Christmas time!

The problem with shrimp and different types of fish is that for many of them, shrimp are the natural food for many types of freshwater fish. Many types of tropical fish see shrimp as delicious snacks, or even a part of their staple diet, and so if you go putting predatory fish into your shrimp tank, or vice versa, then you are almost certainly going to see a feast of shrimp, in which your beloved shrimp are on the menu.

Environment

One more thing to consider, while we are on this subject, is whether or not your shrimp are able to hide. In nature, shrimp spend most of their lives hiding out from types of freshwater fish. Indeed, some have a natural coloration that helps them to mimic their surroundings and help them to evade predators. Shrimp breeders have completely removed this line of defense for your shrimp, with selective breeding to make them look more beautiful. Many shrimp have colors that are rarely, if ever, seen in the wild – for example; solid reds, whites, blues etc. are never normally seen. Therefore, your brightly colored shrimp often look like a beacon for predatory types of freshwater fish.

The point of all this is not to deter you from keeping types of tropical fish with your shrimp. Rather, we just want to enlighten you so that you don’t make any mistakes. Some shrimp can be very expensive and if they get eaten, you will not be very happy about it.

So which types of fish are suitable for our shrimp? Luckily, there are a few fish you can keep with them safely. But, it would always be a good idea to have plenty of plants and bits and pieces in your tank for the shrimp to hide from the different types of freshwater fish. As well, you should remember the golden rule:

“If a shrimp looks like it can fit in a fish’s mouth, then the fish will probably eat it”.

So, with this in mind, let’s take a look at some of the best types of tropical fish for our shrimp aquariums:

 

Neon Tetras

These little fish are actually some of the best types of freshwater fish for keeping in large communities, as they don’t seem to harm anything. On top of that, the spectacle of these little guys swimming around together in a school of 7,8 or more can be an awesome sight. Peaceful and small fish, they are highly unlikely to bother your shrimp, and they are very adaptable as well, being able to live in a pH range from 5.0 to 7.0 quite comfortably. These types of fish are a beautiful addition to any shrimp tank and come well recommended.

Glow-light Tetras

Much like their neon cousins, the glow-light tetras are ideal types of tropical fish to keep with your shrimp because they are small and peaceable. They act in much the same way to their cousins as well, though they are perhaps a little bit more shy, and will take time to adjust to a new tank. During this time you can expect them to be hiding out with your shrimp.

Harelequin Rasboras

These small, intensely colorful fish are great types of tropical fish for your shrimp tank. They can be kept alone, or in shoals, or even with groups of other peaceful fish. Harlequin Rasboras generally prefer water that is slightly acidic and soft, but they can be kept in neutral or ever so slightly alkaline water without too many health problems. Note that they do like to eat live food, as well as flakes, and so if you are trying to breed shrimp then keeping them together is not such a good idea when the babies start popping out.

White Clouds

Extremely beautiful types of freshwater fish, don’t go making the mistake of assuming it looks like the white clouds that you see up in the shy. They take their name not from the clouds in the sky, but rather the mountain in China in which they were first discovered – the White Cloud Mountain.

They used to be known as a “poor man’s tetra” due to the coppery stripe that runs lengthwise along its body and the fact they have a similar body shape. These types of fish are not actually tropical fish, although they are often labeled as such, due to the way they do so well in tropical aquariums.

These types of freshwater fish are ideal for keeping with shrimp – they are peaceful, happy enough to eat flake food and leave your shrimp well alone.

Glassfish

A delightful and incredibly unique type of tropical fish, the glassfish gets its name from its distinctive translucent flesh. You can see right through them, making out their bone structure, internal organs and more.

There are several different types of glassfish, but most of them act and look similar enough. They are usually quite shy fish, and will spend a lot of time hiding out. Non-aggressive, they are unlikely to bother your shrimp too much, and usually they never grow to a large enough size to be much threat to them.

Don’t be put off by their false reputation for being difficult to keep alive. It’s said that these types of tropical fish need brackish water to survive, but in the wild they are actually found in streams rather than estuaries. So long as you keep them in true freshwater, you should have no trouble with them.

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