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Shrimp-safe fish

Our model marks these species as safe for adult dwarf shrimp and their young. Plenty of moss still helps the colony grow.

  1. Panda corydoras

    Corydoras panda

    Friendly armoured catfish that sift the sand in groups; need soft substrate and a group of six or more.

    1.6 in · 17+ gal · 72–77°F · pH 6–7.2

  2. Otocinclus

    Otocinclus vittatus

    Tiny algae grazers for mature planted tanks; keep six or more and supplement with vegetables.

    1.4 in · 17+ gal · 72–79°F · pH 6–7.2

  3. Cherry shrimp

    Neocaridina davidi

    Bright red dwarf shrimp that graze all day and breed in a planted tank; tiny bioload, but fry are snacks for most fish.

    1.6 in · 4+ gal · 72–75°F · pH 6.5–7.8

  4. Amano shrimp

    Caridina multidentata

    The best-known algae-eating shrimp, made famous by Takashi Amano; bigger than cherries and a good fit for planted community tanks.

    2 in · 7+ gal · 72–77°F · pH 6.5–7.5

  5. Assassin snail

    Anentome helena

    A yellow-and-brown striped predatory snail kept to control bladder, ramshorn and trumpet snails; it breeds slowly and never becomes a pest.

    1 in · 3+ gal · 70–81°F · pH 7.2–8

  6. Bladder snail

    Physella acuta

    A small left-coiled snail that usually hitchhikes in on plants; a self-fertilising hermaphrodite, so a single one starts a colony.

    0.6 in · 1+ gal · 63–84°F · pH 7–8

  7. Malaysian trumpet snail

    Melanoides tuberculata

    A cone-shelled snail that lives in the substrate and stirs it; it breeds without a mate and gives birth to live young, so it fills a tank fast.

    1 in · 2+ gal · 64–77°F · pH 7–8.5

  8. Mystery snail

    Pomacea diffusa

    The most popular large aquarium snail; it leaves healthy plants alone and lays its eggs above the waterline, so numbers are easy to control.

    2.2 in · 7+ gal · 68–82°F · pH 7–8

  9. Ramshorn snail

    Planorbarius corneus

    The classic flat-coiled snail every fishkeeper knows; it cleans up film and leftovers, breeds easily, and the red form is especially popular.

    1.4 in · 4+ gal · 70–81°F · pH 7–8

  10. Crystal red shrimp

    Caridina logemanni

    The red-and-white bee shrimp, benchmark of the shrimp hobby; it needs soft, acidic, very stable water, usually on aquasoil and RO water.

    1.2 in · 6+ gal · 68–77°F · pH 5.5–7

  11. Pygmy cory

    Corydoras pygmaeus

    The smallest cory at about an inch, schooling in open water as much as on the bottom; a natural fit for nano tanks with shrimp.

    1.2 in · 13+ gal · 72–79°F · pH 6.4–7.4

  12. Colombian ramshorn

    Marisa cornuarietis

    A large striped ramshorn from South America that grows to about 2 inches and eats almost every plant, plus other snails' eggs.

    1.8 in · 13+ gal · 70–81°F · pH 7–8

  13. Great pond snail

    Lymnaea stagnalis

    A large coldwater pond snail that breathes air at the surface and eats soft plants and other snails' eggs; for coldwater tanks, not tropical planted ones.

    2 in · 7+ gal · 50–77°F · pH 7–8.5

  14. Thai micro crab

    Limnopilos naiyanetri

    The smallest freshwater crab, with a shell under half an inch; fully aquatic and peaceful, it lives in floating plant roots alongside shrimp.

    0.4 in · 6+ gal · 79–82°F · pH 6.5–7

  15. Salt and pepper cory

    Corydoras habrosus

    A dwarf cory of about 1.5 inches that stays on the bottom and needs a wide stretch of fine sand rather than a tiny nano tank.

    1.4 in · 17+ gal · 68–79°F · pH 5.5–7.5

Every tank is different. Set yours up once (size, water, who already lives there) and each species is checked against it.

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