One of the most commonly asked questions regarding shrimp is if they can be kept in a community tank with other fish. Unfortunately the answer is a complicated one and largely depends on the fish in the tank and the shrimp you want to keep. If you are planning to breed shrimp in any number I would recommend a species or shrimp only tank.

Special considerations for any shrimp tank

• Shrimp are very sensitive to poor water conditions and should not be added to an immature tank. They are especially sensitive to ammonia spikes that occur in a non-cycled tank.
• Copper is particularly harmful to shrimp. A lot of effective fish medicines contain copper so should never be used in a tank with shrimp. The safest way to treat a sick fish is to move it to a separate hospital tank while it is treated. Be careful to use separate equipment for this hospital tank, I have accidentally killed a shrimp in the past by catching it with a net I had used in my hospital tank. If you need to treat the whole tank because every fish is ill or to kill a parasite then the only safe way to do this is to carefully remove all the shrimp to a second tank. This can be quite a big undertaking if you have a species that have been breeding in there such as cherry shrimp.
• Shrimp need to shed their hard shell as they grow. When they have done this their shell is quite soft and they are especially vulnerable to attack from fish. To help them survive and feel more secure they require somewhere to hide such as some moss or some wood to hide underneath.
• When adding plants to a tank containing shrimp you should be careful as many sellers will include chemicals designed to kill snails in the water. These chemicals are equally lethal to shrimp so new plants should be soaked for several hours and well rinsed under a running tap before being added to the tank.

Choosing shrimp to fit your existing fish
In the wild most fish will regard invertebrates that are small enough as food. If they are too big to be eaten they are generally ignored. As a rule if the shrimp is bigger than the fishes mouth then it will be ok, if the shrimp is smaller it could end up as lunch. It helps to think of shrimp as coming in different sizes and choosing the size of shrimp for your tank based on the fish you have. Dwarf shrimp are the smallest and grow to about 2.5cm(1"), Amano sized shrimp are slightly bigger and grow to 5cm (2"), Filter shrimp will grow bigger than this 10cm+ (4"+).

This is not a definitive list, due to the varying nature of fish temperament we have based these recommendations on the overall reputation of the species/genus. Some shrimp keepers will have had success keeping shrimp with species we have not recommended and had problems with fish we have said should be ok. This list is based on if the fish would eat the shrimp or not. You should always check the suitability of the fish for your tank size and water conditions before keeping them.

Fish for Each Size of shrimp

• 100% safe for any shrimp, including shrimplets: Otos.
• Generally safe for any shrimp, most shrimplets will be ok due to the shape of the fishes mouth: Cory Catfish, Smaller plecs.
• Safe with adult dwarf shrimp, shrimplets may be eaten: Bumble bee gobies, Small Tetras, Rasboras, Microrasboras, Livebearers such as Platys or Endlers, Danios, Kuhli Loach, Small Rainbows such as Threadfin or Dwarf Neon's.
• Hit-and-miss with dwarf shrimp, Amano will probably be ok: Dwarf Puffers, Betta species (including Betta Splendens/Siamese Fighting Fish), Dwarf Gourami
• Generally not safe for dwarf shrimp, depending on size may be ok with larger variety's such as Amano Shrimp or filter shrimp: Gourami, Rainbowfish, Barbs, smaller loaches such as Yo-Yo loach. Small South American Cichlids like Rams.
• Generally not safe for any shrimp: Most African Cichlids (partly due to water chemistry, partly due to aggression), Larger South American Cichlids such as Oscars, Headstanders, Larger Loaches, Most Catfish not already mentioned.

Basic Shrimp size guide

• Dwarf Shrimp: Crystal Red Shrimp, Tiger Shrimp, Cherry Shrimp
• Amano Sized and bigger: Amano Shrimp, Red Nose Shrimp, Macrobrachium sp (e.g. Ring Clawed Long Arm Shrimp)
• Filter Shrimp: Giant African Filter Shrimp, Bamboo Shrimp

Breeding shrimp in the community tank
If you choose a species of shrimp that breeds in fresh water such as Cherry shrimp there is a good chance of babies being born. The survival rate of these shrimplets depends on how well they can hide and the number that get eaten by the fish. New born shrimp are only about a millimeter long and because of their small size can be eaten by most fish. The only 100% safe fish are those that exclusively eat algae like Otos. One way to check the potential survival rate of shrimplets is to buy a bag of live brine shrimp or water fleas from an LFS for about £1. Add them to your tank and if the fish don't want to eat them then your shrimplets will probably be fine!

Giving the shrimplets lots of hiding places is best achieved with plants like Java Moss and plenty of decorations. The shrimplets will eat the micro-algae and microorganisms that live on the Moss and it gives them some cover that most fish find hard to get in to. With enough cover and food plenty of young shrimp should survive to help sustain a population in the tank. If you want to breed shrimp in any number I would recommend a species tank.