Cherry Shrimp are a popular species of freshwater shrimp that can be kept as a pet in your home’s aquarium. They are popular because of their dazzling color; however, due to their small size, they don’t mix well with many fish. So, you may be wondering what the best cherry shrimp tank mates?
The best tank mates for your Cherry Shrimp will be those which match its small size. Various sea animals such as Thai Micro Crabs, Amano Shrimp, Otocinclus Catfish, Aquarium Snails, and Neon Tetras all make great cherry shrimp tank mates.
This article will discuss Cherry Shrimps and the best tank mates for your home aquarium. So keep Reading! We have all the information you need and will help you find the best cherry shrimp tank mates.
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Cherry Shrimp
Cherry Shrimp, known scientifically as Neocaridina Davidi, is one of the most fascinating pets you can keep in your home aquarium. They have a beautiful color that can bring life to your aquarium and are fairly easy to care for.
These freshwater shrimp come in various colors and are graded by their shade This includes; standard, sakura, fire red in both low and high grade and a distinct painted fire color.
Regardless of their grade, they share the qualities of being small invertebrates that, if you care for them correctly, they’ll have a long and prosperous life in your home aquarium.
Taking Care Of Your Cherry Shrimp
Cherry Shrimp are delicate creatures that rank as one of the weakest fish in the food chain of home aquariums. So, to ensure that you give your Cherry Shrimp the best chance of survival, you’ll have to research their needs.
Finding the perfect conditions for your Cherry Shrimp requires a little work, but once you have established these, they are easy to care for.
The Cherry shrimp will grow on average to be anywhere from 1-1.6 inches in size and require a tank with a minimum of 2 gallons.
They have a simple omnivorous diet but love a variety of food. This includes shrimp pellets, blanched vegetables such as carrots, zucchini, and broccoli, or simple aquarium food is fine.
15 Best Cherry Shrimp Tank Mates
When choosing the perfect tank mates for your Cherry Shrimp, you should know that keeping them with just about any fish species can be risky.
There are various fish that will live in harmony with the Cherry Shrimp so long as they’re introduced in the correct manner.
When adding the Cherry Shrimp to your home aquarium, if you plan on adding tank mates, they should be placed in at the same time as infants. This will ensure they become accustomed to each other.
There are a few tips to keep in mind when choosing the correct tank mate, and the most important is, don’t add any fish that can swallow your Cherry Shrimp whole.
As well as this, refrain from placing any temperamental fish into the aquarium which houses your Cherry Shrimp. The Shrimps are docile creatures and may be bullied or seen as prey.
So, let’s take a look at the 15 best tank mates that have the potential to live in harmony with your Cherry Shrimp.
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1. Thai Micro Crabs
Thai Micro Crabs are a fascinating pet to keep in your home aquarium and often make a great conversation piece thanks to their translucent body. The Thai Micro Crabs originate in Thailand and are fairly easy to care for.
They are great tank mates for your shrimp, mostly because of their tiny size, only growing to around 0.5 inches in size. These micro crabs are relatively shy, mostly stick to themselves, and don’t have any temperament.
They need a tank size of at least two gallons and have an omnivorous diet. Thus, they are cared for the same way as your Cherry Shrimp.
2. Amano Shrimp
Amano Shrimp are another species of shrimp that make excellent tank mates for your Cherry Shrimp. The Amano shrimp is fairly peaceful and does well in water parameters similar to the Cherry Shrimp.
This specific species of Shrimp originates from Japan and will grow to be around 2 inches in size, which matches very well with the Cherry Shrimp. On top of this, they have little to no temperament but do need a tank that’s around 10 gallons.
Amano Shrimp love to eat the algae that eventually cover your plants and rocks within the aquarium. Thus, these hard-working crustaceans are a win-win.
3. Otocinclus Catfish
The Otocinclus Catfish is probably one of the best tank mates for your Cherry Shrimp as they are very peaceful and love to eat algae. This ensures that even baby Cherry Shrimp are safe in its presence.
This particular fish will grow to around 2 inches in size, again matching well with the Cheery Shrimp, and requires a tank of around 10 gallons in size.
The Otocinclus Catfish does an excellent job of keeping the tank clean. Just ensure this fish is placed in a mature aquarium so that it has enough algae to eat.
4. Aquarium Snails
If you’ve never thought about keeping snails in your tank, these Aquarium Snails may change your mind. The snails pair extremely well with your Cherry Shrimp and do an excellent job keeping the aquarium clean.
Various species of Aquarium Snails are easy to care for and will only grow to be around 1 or 2 inches in size. They require a minimum tank size of five gallons.
Just remember to carefully choose your species of snail, as some breed rapidly, and it can get out of control. We recommend Nerite snails as they won’t breed in a tank with Cheery Shrimp.
5. Neon Tetra
Neon Tetras are tiny but beautiful fish originating in South America. Their metallic blue scales are fascinating, and they can add life to your home aquarium.
This fish species is very peaceful and has small mouths, so you won’t have to worry about them trying to eat your Cherry Shrimp.
However, they will eat the baby shrimp so ensure your tank has plenty of Java moss for the smaller shrimp to hide in.
The Neon Tetra will generally grow to be anywhere from 0.7 – 1.3 inches and require a tank size of around 10 gallons to thrive.
6. Chili Rasbora
Chilli Rasboras are the perfect cherry shrimp tank mates, thanks to their peaceful behavior and tiny size. This nano fish never grows to be larger than 0.75 inches and comes in a fascinating red color often accompanied by a distinct black stripe.
As this species of fish is so tiny, it poses absolutely no threat to your Cherry Shrimp. Chill Rasboras prefer slightly acidic tank water, so ensure it hovers around 6.5-7.5 PH.
For this species to thrive, it’s best to keep them in a school of six or more and ensure the tank has plenty of plants for them to explore and live in.
7. Ember Tetra
The Ember Tetra is another nano fish that makes the perfect acquaintance for your Cherry Shrimp. This Brazilian species will generally only grow to be around 0.75 inches and are extremely easy to care for.
Their bright orange scales match well with various species of Cherry Shrimp and can bring your aquarium to life with beautiful colors.
Like the Neon Tetra, the Ember Tetra thrives when placed in a school. So, ensure you place them in a group of six or more.
8. Corydoras Catfish
The Corydoras Catfish is one of the larger fish on this list and can grow to be almost four inches. However, even though they are larger than the Cherry Shrimp, they don’t tend to have a bad temperament.
The safest Cory Catfish to go for is either the dwarf cory or the pygmy cory, as both will be smaller than other varieties of this catfish.
This species of fish tends to avoid the bottom of the tank and prefers to swim around the open water column. Just ensure you have a tank of 20-30 gallons to ensure they have plenty of space to roam.
9. Pencil Fish
The Pencil Fish can be a great addition to your aquarium and will work as the ideal cherry shrimp tank mates. This species of fish originates in South America and will generally grow to be anywhere from 1.5 to 2 inches in size.
They have small mouths which ensures they won’t swallow your Shrimp in one go, and they tend to swim to the surface, which means there won’t be much contact with your shrimp,
10. Endlers Livebearer
The Endlers Livebearers are colorful fish making great cherry shrimp tank mates. They only grow to be around 1 inch in size and won’t bother adult shrimp.
The only downside to Endlers Livebearers is they can breed rapidly. The males are smaller and tend to be more colorful than the females. So if you want to avoid an excessive amount, it’s best to only place males into your aquarium.
11. Kuhli Loach
If you’re looking for an alternative pet to accompany your Cherry Shrimp, the Kuhli Loaches is an excellent choice. These beautiful bottom dwellers spend most of the day time in hiding and are very peaceful.
The Kuhli Loach tends to grow to an average size of 3 inches and requires a tank of 15 or more gallons. If these standards are met, this species is easy to care for.
This species of fish always keeps your tank in great shape as they love to eat all of the algae that coats your rocks, plants, and floor of the tank.
12. Clown Killifish
The Clown Killifish is a tiny species of fish that has its origins in West Africa. They are great tank mates for your Cherry Shrimp primarily because they love to swim around the top of the tank, whereas the Shrimp are foraging on the bottom.
However, the Killifish does have minor predatory instincts, so it’s best to avoid placing them in aquariums with baby Cherry Shrimps, as they may see them as prey.
The Clown Killifish will grow to be around 1.25 inches in size and requires a tank that is at least 10 gallons in size. They follow a carnivorous diet, so they will require a diet different from your Cherry Shrimp.
13. Male Betta Fish
The Male Betta fish is a beautiful blue-colored fish with an enormous fin that gives them a fairly distinctive appearance. They are a carnivorous species of fish that tend to grow to around 2 or 3 inches on average.
They can be great tank mates for your Cherry Shrimp so long as there are a good amount of plants for the Shrimps to hide in. Bettas tend to avoid swimming in plants due to their large fins.
14. Dwarf Gourami
Most species of Gourami would not be ideal cherry shrimp tank mates due to their size; however, the Dwarf Gourami are perfect due to their much smaller stature.
The Dwarf Gourami should only be introduced in aquariums alongside Cherry Shrimps, which have a good amount of plant matter. This ensures the Shrimps have a place to hide in case of an emergency.
15. Fancy Guppies
Fancy Guppies are amongst the most eye-catching fish and certainly add an array of colors to your home aquarium. This species comes with beautiful fins at the end of its body that are reminiscent of Peacock feathers.
This species of Guppie generally grows to be 2 inches on average and requires a tank size of 5 gallons or more. They are seen as community fish that have little to no temperament.
The Fancy Guppy loves to swim around the top part of the aquarium and will most likely never come across the bottom-dwelling Cherry Shrimp.
Conclusion
So, now you know there are at least 15 species of fish that will work well in a communal aquarium with your Cherry Shrimp, which species will you add to your tank?
Just remember, when choosing a specific species of fish to accompany your Cherry Shrimp, ensure its matches both the size and temperament of the Shrimp. It’s also a good idea to avoid any species that could swallow your Shrimp in one go.
Veteran fish keeper and keen hobbyist with a serious case of MTS. My midlife crisis was the establishment of a fish room, much to my wife’s horror. Little does she know it could be worse!!