# Swordtail + cherry shrimp compatability?



## twoheadedfish

A couple weeks ago I added some cherry shrimp to my 20gal. as soon as they hit the water my two swordtails went crazy trying to nab them. I decided to move them out into another tank but now i'm pretty sure i was over reacting.

so, would my swords be aggressive toward the shrimp?


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## Sunstar

that's my fear when I get my cherries. Why I am trying to get substantial growth going in my tank. I don't want my fish, see sig, deciding this is a nice new treat. Claude will be in his own home by then.


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## Katalyst

twoheadedfish said:


> A couple weeks ago I added some cherry shrimp to my 20gal. as soon as they hit the water my two swordtails went crazy trying to nab them. I decided to move them out into another tank but now i'm pretty sure i was over reacting.
> 
> so, would my swords be aggressive toward the shrimp?


They will eat, attack, nip and torture the adults and eat the shrimplets.


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## ameekplec.

Pretty much any and all fish will eat shrimps given the chance. Any larger fish will eat adults or harass them until they are edible (ie incapacitated), and the smaller shrimplets are preyed upon by the smaller fish. I was wondering myself why my rummy noses got so big so fast...but then I realized I don't see too many shrimplets anymore.....mystery solved.

But if you have a large enough population that can sustain itself, the shrimplets are a great source of food for finicky eaters and small mouths. And I'm positive plecos will eat the shrimplets too. I'm sure it's pretty close to some of their wild foods anyways, which is a great bonus when trying to rear a certain striped little hypan


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## Sunstar

I was thinking that might happen. But, I al also thinking of doing what they did at Alternative Aquariums. They have a bowl with glosso, java moss and I think a touch of ricca with some wood or stone in the middle. the shrimp are just loving it in there. I was thinking doing that on my desk. I love watching fish and shrimp do their thing. would 15 be adequit for the tank? or should i nursery them in my fry tank until such time as my colony grows? (hypothetical as I don't have a coloney yet)


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## twoheadedfish

Katalyst said:


> They will eat, attack, nip and torture the adults and eat the shrimplets.


you mean swords especially, or as ameekplec said, any fish?

the population is doing just fine right now with some platys, corys, rasboras and guppies. hopefully it stays that way.


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## Sunstar

My danios were sort of agressive, well one was. but that one died a few weeks ago. The young platy that were born went largely ignored. My concern for them was Claude, who will be moved. I think shrimp will be okay if they are in the tank when its more grown.


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## ameekplec.

@thf: Any and all fish. They're the perfect thing to act as live foods as they are available in every size, from a millimeter to an inch long.

The bowl idea will work, but you have to have them in at least a 5 gallon tank, 10 would be better. Shrimp like pristine water. If the water gets bad, you wil notice that they will be a lot more sluggish. Once you change the water, they perk up and are zipping about again.


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## Katalyst

Honestly I don't reccomend keeping any shrimp with 95% of any type of tropical fish. If you don't mind them getting eaten but its not a very nice way to go. Swords, guppies, platies are all voracious shrimp hunters.


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## Chris S

Oddly, I've kept cherries with my Blue Rams for a long time - they only seem to eat the shrimplets, which helps keep the shrimp population in check.


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## lili

I have one fish that does not eat shrimp. It's an old betta lady. She grew with shrimps and still avoids being touched by their whiskers. The baby shrimps as tiny as they are stay on the glass just right in front of her nose and she does not eat them. The cherry population is growing (too much) . I also added 2 baby platy in there (just because that's the safest tank). They are like 2-3 mm size, barely can see them and they are growing fine, just under her nose too. She was always special, she was very sick twice and she made it .

But, don't risk the shrimps life. There are exceptions but overall fish DO eat shrimp.
L


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## Sunstar

I know for a fact the fish don't bother with claude. They don't even look at him. So, I am partly hoping they are already used to the presense of a shrimp.


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## twoheadedfish

thanks all. appreciate the advice.


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## Katalyst

Sunstar said:


> I know for a fact the fish don't bother with claude. They don't even look at him. So, I am partly hoping they are already used to the presense of a shrimp.


His claw probally has a lot to do with that.


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## Sunstar

I am going to add some ghost shrimp to the tank shortly, see what they do with those. Although ghosts may have the advantage of being clear. I think their major problem is going to be claude as he will be in there as well for the time being. I did a water test so I am in the clear as far as shrimpy happy happy paramaters are. 

I am hoping that the fish think Shrimp = claw = leave alone.


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## Cory

In my experience a lot of fish will be ok with the shrimp until they molt at which point they dissapeared on me. I kept shrimp with swords, rams, tetras and danios for a good long time with no problems. When I introduced my rosy barbs to the tank I noticed the shrimp population slowly decline until there were none left or so I thought. Once I took the barbs out to spawn them the few remaining shrimp came out of hiding and started to buzz around again. The Julidochromis Marileri gombe that ended up going in with them never seemed to give them a hard time unless the shrimp got near their nest.


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## Shattered

My ghosts are happily living along side my 11-ish platies (the original 4 just won't use protection  )

They even swim together when it's feeding time. I might be overfeeding a little which might be the reason for there peaceful co-existence.


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## twoheadedfish

with my swords gone and some time to acclimate to their surroundings, the shrimpies seem to be doing very well. they're active, not hiding, and appear unbothered by most of my other fish. we'll have to hope it stays this way.


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## Sunstar

I did the transfer of shrimp from the tanks. No one really seemed to take notice of the shrimp. We shall see. I think there is food enough for everyone and everyone seems to have a niche. Platy are constantly eating the dead leaves of my plants.


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