Keeping fish is one of life’s little pleasures. Not only is this an extremely interesting hobby, but watching your fish is one of the most relaxing experiences in the world. After a long, hard day, there is nothing greater than enjoying the gracefulness and elegance of tank life.
However, there are an enormous number of fish types and keeping certain species together is not always a good idea – so can goldfish live with cherry shrimp? Let’s find out!
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Can Goldfish Live With Cherry Shrimp?
In short, goldfish and cherry shrimp can live together, if the conditions are right. One of the main issues is that your goldfish may see the cherry shrimp as a snack – but there are ways that the two can live in harmony. This may come as a surprise to many fish enthusiasts – just look at the disbelief of this guy, who has successfully managed to house his goldfish with a family of thrill-seeking cherry shrimp.
What Type Of Environment Do Goldfish Need?
According to the RSPCA, goldfish require much more than a traditional goldfish bowl and an adequately sized tank that has enough room to place filters is one of the essential considerations. Smaller, ornamental aquariums do not have a surface area that is large enough to absorb a sufficient amount of oxygen, and this can be hugely detrimental to your fish.
The goldfish likes colder water, anything between 20º and 23º will work well, but the Ph level of the tank should also be considered. Aqueon suggests that goldfish prefer a Ph of between 7 and 8.4, although unlike other species, goldfish will quickly adapt if there is a shift.
When observed in the wild, goldfish live in slightly murky waters that are slow-moving and cool – however, this isn’t to say that your domestic goldfish’s tank won’t need regular maintenance. Keeping the tank clean is a crucial part of fish care. Changing the water twice a week is optimal since goldfish tanks can be notoriously tricky to keep clean, especially if they are not well-maintained.
Furthermore, goldfish will thrive better in tanks that feature a dirt bottom and plenty of live plants – this is the best way to stimulate their natural environment.
What About The Cherry Shrimp’s Environment?
The environment of the cherry shrimp is similar to the goldfish in several ways. One of the first things that you will notice is that these small shrimp like to live in water that is the same temperature as the goldfish. Ideally, they can survive in a tank that is anywhere between 14º and 30º celsius, which is fitting with their potential tank mates.
What’s more, the Ph levels required by a cherry shrimp are very similar to that of a goldfish. For these creatures, a Ph level between 6 and 8.0 is ideal, so it would appear that moving in with your goldfish is a good idea.
The only slight difference, according to experts, is that cherry shrimp prefer slightly cleaner water than the goldfish who like that little bit of dirt at the bottom of the tank. But this is a problem that can be overcome, as we will demonstrate later on.
How Can A Goldfish And Cherry Shrimp Live Together?
One of the huge positives of putting cherry shrimp in with your goldfish is that unlike some other species the shrimp will not cause any problems for the goldfish – nor will they attempt to harm them in any way. However, the same cannot be said if we flip that statement around. Goldfish are known to be predatory animals and will quite often be drawn to cherry shrimp as a potential meal.
That being said, if you set your tank up correctly, you may be surprised to find that the two species thrive as housemates.
Setting Up The Tank For The Best Coupling
When it comes to animals, there are many stereotypes in the world. Consider the old idea of the dog chasing the cat. Yet many people all over the globe successfully keep the two animals together without any problems. Whilst this scenario may be on land, the same can be said for water-dwelling creatures.
There is a good chance that the goldfish might prey upon the cherry shrimp, but there are hundreds of success stories of the two species living in harmony.
However, to keep goldfish in the same tank as cherry shrimp, certain things should be done. Abiding by these general rules will give the cherry shrimp the highest chance of survival and keep the goldfish’s attention elsewhere.
Make Use Of Plants
We mentioned earlier that goldfish like a lot of live plants in their tanks, and this is, without a doubt, a good thing because your cherry shrimp are going to need them. The primary reason for this is that the shrimp will need a lot of places to hide out as a way of avoiding their larger, predatory housemates.
In the wild, the goldfish use their rounded mouths for sucking the shrimp out of plants and other hide-outs, so it is worth keeping in mind that your goldies might do this. However, the more plant coverage the shrimp have, the less likely they are to be spotted by the fish.
Use Rocks And Tank Decorations
Plants are great for allowing the shrimp to hide but adding rocks and other tank decorations can give them more places to go. Furthermore, the goldfish are less likely to try and suck the shrimp out from these areas as it will feel less natural to them.
Balance The Population
One of the great benefits of keeping cherry shrimp is that you will never run out of them. These animals are known for their fast rate of breeding, and since some of the population is likely to be lost to the fish, this is an advantage.
However, if like many aquarium owners, you are one of the lucky ones whose goldfish don’t bother with the shrimp, you will need to ensure that the population is balanced; otherwise, you run the risk of the shrimp taking over.
What Are The Benefits Of Keeping Cherry Shrimp With
Goldfish?
Keeping fish requires you to mimic their natural environment, and one of the great things about allowing goldfish and cherry shrimp to live together is that they live alongside one another in the wild.
Many aquarium keepers will try to introduce species that don’t live together naturally, and this can cause more problems than it is worth. But, aside from the food chain, there won’t be any issues in keeping these two in the same tank.
What’s more, cherry shrimp love eating algae so they can be an invaluable addition to your goldfish tank if you are looking for a cleaner. It is widely recognised that goldfish tanks can be challenging to keep clean, but these little shrimp will almost act as a live-in maid, saving you a lot of work.
Conclusion
One of the most frequently asked questions by fish lovers is ‘can goldfish live with cherry shrimp?’ and the answer is quite simple – they can, but there may be a little conflict.
In the wild, these fish prey on cherry shrimp so you may find that you goldfish treat their tank mates as a snack rather than a friend. But if you set the tank up correctly and give the shrimp plenty of places to hide, it could be a good coupling.
Cherry shrimp and goldfish enjoy the same environment, which makes putting them in the same tank a lot more straightforward. But what is perhaps most exciting is that the cherry shrimp will keep the tank clean, taking some of the pressure off you.
