# Beautiful centerpiece fish that will not eat shrimp?



## Harry Muscle (Oct 17, 2007)

I'm looking for suggestions for a beautiful (read: colorful) fish that can be more or less the centerpiece fish and that will not eat cherry shrimp. My original idea was to get a pair of German Blue Rams, but from the reading I have done it looks like they are quite likely to make a snack out of cherry shrimp. So I have to look for other ideas.

Btw, here are my tank specs:

55G low tech (no CO2) tank, fully planted.
Ph of 6.4
Medium Soft water
Inhabitants: 1 male Betta, 3 SAE, 7 Ottos, school of cardinal tetras, a few endler hybrids, school of corries.

Thanks for any suggestions,
Harry


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## evercl92 (Aug 14, 2006)

Did you want a pair of something or a single specimen?


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## Squawkbert (Jan 3, 2007)

Male Betta is not an adequate centerpiece?
(Bettas have been known to snack on inverts)

If you want something else, you'll have to 1) focus on smaller mouthed species - Celebese Rainbows, Killies... 2) Provide lots of ground/plant cover for the shrimp (fry especially as nearly ALL fish w/ non-sucker mouths will take them, given the chance).


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## exterminator (Mar 26, 2005)

Squawkbert said:


> Killies...


I wouldn't recommend Killies. I have a pair of Golden Wonder Killies. They eat more than 30 shrimp - Amanos and Cheries. I stupidly maid several attempts to introduce shrimp in my tank.


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## Zapins (Jul 28, 2004)

Yea, killies aren't a good idea IMO, I suppose it depends on the exact species you are talking about, but by and large killies are insectivores and will eat shrimp!


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## Squawkbert (Jan 3, 2007)

OK - scratch Golden Wonders off the list. Perhaps a smaller species (if you can find them)...I thought they were vegan/detritivores? I guess I was wrong on that. Sorry. 
I'm now finding more about how to breed than how to feed 'em.


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## JanS (Apr 14, 2004)

Like Squawkbert said, I'm amazed that your Betta hasn't chowed down on the shrimp yet.

It's really a shot in the dark because almost any fish will be opportunistic and eat shrimp if given the chance.
I would personally add to your school of cardinals and make that the showpiece, but if you want something different, the rainbows are about the only thing I can think of that are pretty colorful and have small mouths that may not be as apt to gulp the shrimp down.

Let us know what you decide.


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## Jessie (Apr 23, 2007)

A school of threadfin rainbows may work for the shrimp, but may also upset a macho betta.


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## mellowvision (Jun 18, 2007)

do dwarf gouarmi eat the shrimp? might be a decent choice if not.


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## Adragontattoo (Jun 3, 2007)

Gouramis will check out the shrimp and may eat them given the chance. You really need to try to find a top water fish that doesnt care about what goes on down low.


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## XRTech (Jul 15, 2007)

I guess I've just been lucky, but my Blue Rams do great with the shrimp (Amanos). They are quite beautiful fish. I just introduced some cherries and the Rams don't bother them either.


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## Harry Muscle (Oct 17, 2007)

Thanks for all the suggestions from everyone, highly appreciated.

Ironically I ended up going with my original choice of German Blue Rams after seeing a tank at my LFS that had two of them and a bunch of ammano shrimp ... everyone got alone just fine, so I though I'd chance it myself. After 1 day everything is still fine ... although the Rams are quite small still.

Thanks again for everyone's input,
Harry


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## Squawkbert (Jan 3, 2007)

Generally speaking, the baby shrimp tend to get picked off by almost any fish that sees them. Larger shrimp are better at getting away and spark less interest in fish into whose mouths they may not easily fit.


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## rs79 (Dec 7, 2004)

Small killies - Poropanchax, Diapteron, Psuedepiplatys. MAYBE some small Aphyosemions. The Taiwanese killi guys swear they're shrimp save, just make sure they're small species.

Dwarf rasboras either the striped or spotted ones are good too. I've used all these with great success. Here's mine:










They're really tiny.


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## PMD (May 3, 2005)

I've got a six inch Opaline Gourami who absolutely refuses to eat Dwaft Livebearer fry and baby shrimp. Maybe he's a freak though? He's definitely the most peaceful fish I've ever had.


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