Shrimp and Plecos?

[I_am_pena]

Hey guys I'm thinking of adding a few shrimp to my 20g aquarium, I only have one fish in it now which is a fairly medium sized pleco will it be an issue to add the shrimp w the pleco? The pleco is really laid back and hides in the same corner for 95% of the time

 

[Fishfur]

The plec may seem laid back, since he is on his own, but he's a big fish and may well be happy to eat shrimp if they suddenly appear. Plecs feed at night, so you might not see this happen, just find the shrimp gone.

He's also going to outgrow that tank quite fast, so you'll either need a bigger tank or a new home for him. And shrimp do prefer quieter tank mates.. something smaller that wouldn't stir up the whole substrate when it gets annoyed would be better, I think.

 

[I_am_pena]

I was told my pleco will grow according to the size of the tank, but if it does get too big ill just try and sell it to someone or online, as for the shrimp I was thinking of getting some cherry shrimp or some shrimp with color, I have plenty of hiding places so they can run from any danger if needed! Worst comes to worst ill just get a whole separate smaller tank for the shrimp ??

 

[Fishfur]

That is a myth. Fish grow to the size their genetics program them for.. though it's possible to stunt a fish if you keep it in tank too small for too long. Stunting is not growing to fit the tank, it's permanent damage to the skeletal structures.

Just be aware that shrimp need a tank that is well established, with plenty of biofilm, which takes 4 to 6 months to grow sufficiently for them. They eat it, and it seems to have other roles in fish and shrimp health not entirely understood yet. Newly cycled tanks and shrimp often result in a lot of dead shrimp, sadly.

Might want to rehome Mr. Plec before he gets too much bigger and put shrimp instead, as this tank would be nicely aged for them.