Will any cichlids allow freshwater shrimp to survive?
- Thread starter Fishionista
- Start date
Welcome aboard
Cherry shrimp no go with cichlids. A few people on a different forum tried. Possibly Amano shrimp.
I occasionally have kept shrimp with cichlids if they are large enough.
But then if they are large enough to avoid being eaten, they may also turn the tables and eat the fish
The one above eating a catfish, was about 10" long and filled a 5 gallon bucket
But when cichlids find some shrimp to big and formitable to attack individually, they can sometimes attack em-masse, and dismember shrimp, like a pack of wolves
I like to keep shrimp in planted sump/refugiums, separate from cichlids, where they can keep filter media clean, by policing up larger chucks.
I use a 125 gal sump to filter my cichlid tanks, so thee is plenty of room to house a population of shrimp
But then if they are large enough to avoid being eaten, they may also turn the tables and eat the fish
The one above eating a catfish, was about 10" long and filled a 5 gallon bucket
But when cichlids find some shrimp to big and formitable to attack individually, they can sometimes attack em-masse, and dismember shrimp, like a pack of wolves
I like to keep shrimp in planted sump/refugiums, separate from cichlids, where they can keep filter media clean, by policing up larger chucks.
I use a 125 gal sump to filter my cichlid tanks, so thee is plenty of room to house a population of shrimp
Attachments
I believe these are Macrobrachium crenulatum, but could be a number of species.
I catch them in almost all the rivers of Panama, from large rivers like the Mamoni, to small streams, where I live on the island of Taboga.
Where I catch them pH is always around 8ish, and nitrates undetectable.
They are consummate escape artists and can easily leave the aquatium.
I catch them in almost all the rivers of Panama, from large rivers like the Mamoni, to small streams, where I live on the island of Taboga.
Where I catch them pH is always around 8ish, and nitrates undetectable.
They are consummate escape artists and can easily leave the aquatium.
I have a 40 gal with a breeding colony of Cherry Shrimp. When the colony gets big I commonly pull out a few and throw them in various cichlid tanks.
Usually, as soon as they hit the water most/all are eaten. But, those that hit the decor sometimes last a while. Typically it's the bigger cichlids that pay less attention to them once the shrimp are settled in.
I suspect... if you really planned out the decor, creating lots of areas the shrimp can get into that the cichlids cannot... and you gave the shrimp enough time to get well established before introducing the cichlids... you could get a colony to persist within the cichlids environment.
I've wanted to do this for a long time... but I've never had a big tank I was willing to let sit, all set up for cichlids, for a year or so with just shrimp. I have a DIY tank now that's slowly getting built that I plan to start this way. But I'm 95% sure I'll get it all set up, load it with shrimp... then 2 weeks later add the cichlids and lose the shrimp.
Usually, as soon as they hit the water most/all are eaten. But, those that hit the decor sometimes last a while. Typically it's the bigger cichlids that pay less attention to them once the shrimp are settled in.
I suspect... if you really planned out the decor, creating lots of areas the shrimp can get into that the cichlids cannot... and you gave the shrimp enough time to get well established before introducing the cichlids... you could get a colony to persist within the cichlids environment.
I've wanted to do this for a long time... but I've never had a big tank I was willing to let sit, all set up for cichlids, for a year or so with just shrimp. I have a DIY tank now that's slowly getting built that I plan to start this way. But I'm 95% sure I'll get it all set up, load it with shrimp... then 2 weeks later add the cichlids and lose the shrimp.