Have you kept ghost shrimp with...

[JohnPaul]

I am looking for ghost shrimp "friendly" fish. To indicate what I mean by that, let me explain...

A while back, I added some ghost shrimp to a tank with 6 zebra danios, 5 dwarf rainbowfish, and 3 cory cats. When they first were in, they would walk all over. But within a few minutes I saw a couple of the rainbows sort of picking at the shrimp--not really seriously attacking them, just sorta making little lunges at them when they would see them. Now, there is no way that a rainbowfish is actually going to eat one of these things--and I've seen rainbows when they are going after food, and it wasn't the same thing. But they would just pester the shrimp when they would see them.

Net result: from that time onward, I would never see any of my four ghost shrimp unless I was peering into a cave area, or a very very very thickly planted area. The only time the shrimp would ever "come out" was after the lights had gone out.

Well, earlier today due to disease, I had to euthanize my five rainbows. (If you care, I spoke about it in a thread on the sick fish forum.)

A few hours later, I was walking by my tank, and lo and behold, I see a ghost shrimp walking out in plain sight. Then I look to the other part of the tank, see another. I walk completely around, and all 4 ghost shrimp are alive and well, walking in plain sight, sometimes even swimming through the water column halfway up the height. Sometimes my zebra danios and cory cats will run into them and make them jump away, but it is always accidental--and the shrimp seem to recognize that!

SO... in my book, I would call zebra danios and cory cats "ghost shrimp friendly," while dwarf rainbowfish I would say are not.

Using that definition, can anyone else share what fish they have that are friendly to ghost shrimp? (Or, ones that aren't?) I am particularly interested in if anyone has had experience with any of the following:
-- lemon, serpae, or rummynose tetras
-- livebearers
-- German or Bolivian rams
-- cherry barbs
-- gouramis of any sort, esp. dwarf and pearl/opaline

Thanks!

[Psyhampster]

Unfortunatly, I can't help you with your problem, but condolences on the loss of your rainbows...

[RogerMcAllen]

Livebearers-yes
Tetras- probably, assuming those arn't some of the larger more agressive ones(I don't know my tetras)
Barbs I'd say maybe depending on the size
Rams and gouramis would definately be able to eat them, but I'm not sure if they actually would. A lot of times it comes down to individual personality.

[thanew]

i've kept them with everything from tetras, to adf's to goldfish (sadly) slap me for that last one.

they were fine with everything thats pretty small, but the minute you get larger fish problems arise. I had three ghost shrimp in a goldfish tank for the time being (other tanks substrate was being changed) and by the time i noticed, all three of the ghost shrimps were gone, i witnessed that one of the goldfish (it was a fantail) just gobbled it whole (it was about an inch - 1.5 inches)


so, keep them with smaller fish as larger fish will easily take them as a snack. they seem to love my african dwarf frogs (i have a small almost oddball tank, with shrimp, frogs and a crab now) and they all seem to be great together.

-thane

[Wizzard~Of~Ozz]

I have ghost shrimp in mine with Tetras all the way up to Congo Tetras, but I had about 14, now I can only ever see a couple at a time and can't really count them (75Gal with a bunch of plants and decor makes finding them a chore..) I also have Vampire Shrimp which are nice since they are too big to be eaten (about 2.5" each ATM)

I got the ghost shrimp with the understanding that if they got eaten then oh well, I can get 10 for 4$ or less..

I'm pretty sure my 10" plec has sucked up a few, whether they were dead or alive I don't know..

[czcz]

My cherry barbs are more interested in each other than shrimp. [acronym:b6a3f28505="For what its worth"]FWIW[/acronym:b6a3f28505], my smaller shrimp hid when I had a small blue gourami. My female betta killed two ghost shrimp within an hour of introduction. From what I've read, it seems even smaller labrynith fish are a gamble with shrimp.

[SwerveDriver]

I had a red honey gourami, two cherry barbs and a zebra danio in my tank when I introduced some shrimp. For the first two days I rarely saw them. I spotted one shrimp skimming the top surface late at night once, and I spotted my other shrimp along the bottom floor skimpering behind plants. I haven't seen them since.

I can't confirm their demise nor can I confirm who dunnit, although, I did find the shell of a shrimp which may have molted or was eaten. My gourami constantly eats, and she eats everything, flakes, pellets, vegetables, algae wafers, and even algae. She might have ate my shrimp. I would like to keep shrimp but if my gourami is uncompatable then I'll have to do without them.

[Rach101]

I had one once.. But i gave it to a friend cause my black widow tetras were also nipping and scaring the life out of him. But they didnt eat him.. or I atleast didn't give em the chance

[benji-star]

i have some in my tropical tank with adf platy and plec they are scavenging for food all around the tank all the time.

[SwerveDriver]

Just discovered that my one of my shrimp (cherry) is alive and well. It's been hiding during the day and only comes out at night. I don't have a clue about my other shrimp (yamato). So I guess my little red honey gourami doesn't eat shrimp after all.

Which means I'll probably buy a few more...