What Fish Eat Shrimp? Ultimate Guide to Shrimp-Eating Fish Species

Feed or be fed

Many fish are natural predators of shrimp; housing the two together will likely mean they behave differently. Shrimp may hide more frequently and breed less frequently.

Freshwater shrimp can be slow to settle in to new tanks. However, if your shrimp are still hiding after a few weeks, it is possible that the fish are hunting them at night.

If you’re seeing ‘berried’ (pregnant) female shrimp but no babies, or you’re not getting berried females when your water parameters are perfect, then take a long, hard look at the other tank inhabitants.

Shrimp can miss out at feeding time. Fish are usually quicker to the food and less inclined to be scared off by a shrimp’s threat displays. Equally, fish that are shrimp-friendly tend to naturally compete for the best algae or biofilm.

Without their habitual diet, young shrimp are less likely to survive. Aquascapers may also wish to avoid keeping fish with their shrimp simply to avoid the damage that they can do to live plants.

Spiny eels love to snack on shrimps.

All this before we even address the damage that live fish can do to shrimp! The problem is that fish will often eat anything that fits in their mouths. That’s largely true, but not always.

Many fish will indeed automatically hunt anything that is small enough for them to eat, but some won’t. Some fish are physically able to eat shrimp, still don’t appear to. Then there are those that will eat juvenile shrimp but not adults. So which fish are best to keep with shrimp?

First, we can dismiss any large fish and members of the cichlid family (and yes, that does include angelfish and discus). Even dwarf cichlids are hunting machines and they will quickly clear up any shrimp they can find. Amano shrimp (Caridina multidentata) are a staple of planted aquariums and may survive. But they will certainly have a sense to hide.

Many other aquarium fish dont belong with shrimp. These include goldfish, large rainbowfish, large gouramis, spiny eels, larger livebearers and most loaches.

With any of these, it is not a matter of if but when they will eat your shrimp. Personally, I would include the larger tetras and barbs into this group. Although, I am sure there will be hobbyists who have successfully kept them together.

Pseudomugil can possibly be tank mates with shrimp.

Then there are the fish that might or might not eat your shrimp.

These will almost certainly eat the young, but if you are not interested in breeding them then this could be a happy-medium. Nevertheless, it is worth giving your shrimp colony time to build up before you add the fish.

By including a plethora of hiding places and plants, and keeping the fish well-fed, you can reduce losses. Guppies, rasboras, small danios, kuhli loaches, pencilfish, clown killifish, and corys are just some of the options here.

White Cloud Mountain minnows and the small rainbowfish of the Pseudomugilidae are also good potential tankmates.

One fish in particular that people want to keep with their shrimp is the Siamese fighter, Betta splendens. Successfully keeping them with inverts appears to come down to individual ‘personality’ and a fair bit of chance.

I know people who have kept a betta that ignored shrimps entirely. Others have had whole colonies hunted down in a matter of days. The same applies to dwarf puffers (Carinotetraodon travancoricus); again, this is a gamble that may not pay off.

Related article: How to feed your new Betta splendens

Otocinclus are 100% safe

All things considered, which fish are completely safe to keep with shrimp of all sizes?

In the first instance, if it’s an algivore, then it won’t be interested in (or often even capable of) eating your shrimp. Sadly, these tend no to be the bright, colourful fish of people’s dreams.

Instead, they are rather drab and shy grazers that venture out to shuffle over plants or stones around the tank. Otocinclus and their close cousins Parotocinclus or Hypoptopoma are the principal candidates.

For something a little more exotic, look at zebra otos (Otocinclus cocama). Expect to pay considerably more than for a standard Otocinclus. If you have the space and want something more substantial, then thin but lengthy suckermouths like Farlowella could be the way forward.

For those in need of a flash of colour, have a look at the dwarf rasboras in the genus Boraras. This genus includes the popular chilli rasbora (B. brigittae).

These are visually punchy, peaceful, relatively cheap and small enough to live with shrimp in nano tanks. They have the added advantage of having tiny mouths. Any mortalities will be of the youngest baby shrimp.

Ultimately, the question isn’t “what fish can I keep with my shrimp?” but “should I keep fish with my shrimp?”. Of course, the decision is entirely up to you.

It can work well if you are simply interested in keeping adults, rather than breeding.

however, once you watch your male shrimp race around your tank to find a newly-moulted female releasing her pheromones. Then your berried female increasing in girth, until you can see the developing eyes in the eggs. I can guarantee that the last thing you will want is for your precious shrimplets to disappear.

With a little bit of patience a shrimp-only tank can swarm with active, exotic invertebrates, that rival any fish. Try it; your shrimp will thank you for it.

Crystal red bee shrimp.

Related article: An introduction to shrimp

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