Can Shrimp Live with Goldfish? (Things to Know)

If you are a beginner pet owner, you need to be aware of choosing the perfect tank mates for your fish.

May you think that can shrimp live with goldfish? Unfortunately, shrimp and goldfish are challenging to keep together as they belong to different water conditions, and their size is not the same.

In this article, you’ll learn the reason why they can’t put together –

Table Of Contents

Can Shrimp Live with Goldfish?

Shrimp and goldfish are difficult to put together in a tank. Goldfish may chase and eat shrimp since shrimp is tiny in size. Their care requirements and temperament are different. They can live for a while if you put them in a big tank with lots of hiding spaces.

So, it is hard to determine their partnership.

Simple Tips to Set Up the Tank to Put Goldfish and Shrimp Together

Putting shrimps and goldfish in the same tank is not a good idea. Shrimp is a tiny fish, and it will be easy to fit in a goldfish’s mouth.

Goldfish prefer cold water, and shrimp is a tropical fish. But it is possible to keep shrimp in colder water.

Despite several dissimilarities, you can keep them together for a while by following some significant points. First, put fancy goldfish with any shrimp as they swim slowly.

What you’ll need–

Big tank
Plants
Filter
Heater
Hiding spots

Setting up process–

Step 1: Choose a bigger tank

Goldfish are docile fish unless their food or territory is threatened. Make sure to choose a larger tank for your goldfish.

They can be aggressive if there is a lack of space in the tank. For example, a small goldfish needs at least a 30 gallons tank to live, and a giant goldfish needs a 40 gallons tank. Therefore, if you want to add any goldfish to the tank, you will need ten more gallons for each goldfish.

Goldfish can be hostile if they are kept with a smaller tropical fish despite being calm. So, a goldfish and shrimp can stay together temporarily if they are put in at least 75 gallons.

Seventy-five gallons will provide shrimp with enough space to survive, runoff, and hide from the giant goldfish. Otherwise, goldfish quickly eat the shrimp as their meal.

Step 2: Add enough plants

Plants play a significant role in the aquarium. It will help the water and fish to stay healthier. In addition, plants will make the tank more natural and provide a lot of hiding spaces.

You can decorate your tank with many plants such as marimo balls, Brazilian pennywort, silk plants, anubias, and java fern.

You can also put in artificial plants that are easy to keep. Make sure to put smooth plants with no sharp edges that may damage the goldfish’s fins.

Plants may protect the shrimp from the attack of goldfish. If your goldfish is about to catch shrimp that time, shrimp can run off quickly and hide behind any plant.

Step 3: Use a filter

If you attempt to put goldfish and shrimp in a tank, you should use a powerhead filter. Unless you use any filter, they are not capable of living together.

A filter is necessary for a goldfish as it poops a lot. In addition, the waste of goldfish makes the tank water dirty quickly, and it is needed to change the tank water of goldfish frequently.

But the frequent water change can cause the early death of shrimp as they can’t cope with regular water changes.

So, if you want to put your goldfish with shrimps, you must ensure a powerhead filter to clean the water regularly. You can also use a canister filter for the well-being of shrimps and crystal clear water.

This filter will help both fish to move easily in tank water.

Step 4: Use a heater

A goldfish belongs to a cold area and prefers 20 to 23 degrees Celsius temperature. But shrimp is a tropical fish but capable of surviving in colder water. So you can keep shrimp in 23 to 24 degrees Celsius water.

Tropical temperature can increase the goldfish’s metabolism, improving their appetites and waste production. However, this waste production will dirty the water, which is harmful to shrimp.

Tropical temperature also reduces the oxygen level and can cause different illnesses in goldfish. So, it’s better to choose a heater for shrimp to adapt to the cold water.

Step 5: Put some hiding spots

You can put different hideouts in the tank, which are very useful for shrimp. For example, in the shelters, shrimp can hide from the threat of potential predators and goldfish can take a rest and sleep for a while.

You can use different hideouts for taking shelter if your shrimp is scared of goldfish. It can also be used to control goldfish’s aggression and manage any disastrous situation.

Make sure your hiding spots are not sharp to avoid any adverse situation.

You can use beta logs, driftwoods, pineapple houses, centrepieces, and bone white ceramic to help the fish explore and swim in these spots.

Goldfish can get along with shrimp by following the tips mentioned above for a while, but it is not recommended.

Why Goldfish and Shrimp Can’t Live Together?

Shrimp are vulnerable to goldfish, and they convey different behaviours. For the following reason, they can’t stay together –

Goldfish are relatively giant than shrimp; goldfish eat everything as they are omnivores. They eat the thing that gets well in its mouth. So, it’s better not to keep goldfish and shrimp together.

Goldfish are cold-water fish, and shrimp is a tropical fish. They can’t live together. If they live together, goldfish may chase the shrimp and eat it.

Goldfish produce a lot of waste and need frequent water changes to control ammonia levels. But that much water change is dangerous for a shrimp. Shrimp has less endurance to water change and dies.

Can Your Shrimp Live With Fancy Goldfish?

Fancy goldfish is better for shrimp as it is a slow swimmer for its long flowy fins. On the other hand, Comet goldfish and common goldfish swim fast and can easily attack shrimp. But it is hard for fancy goldfish as they have long fins.

Can Your Goldfish Live With Ghost Shrimp?

Usually, ghost shrimp live at the bottom of the tank in the gravel or different hiding spaces. If your goldfish doesn’t notice the ghost shrimp that time, ghost shrimp can easily survive with goldfish.

But if your goldfish observes the ghost shrimp that time, they will catch it and make it their snack.

Can Your Goldfish Live With Cherry Shrimp?

Cherry shrimp usually clean the algae off the tank. They are colourful and small. They are helpful for goldfish as they make the water messy. Cherry shrimp can easily survive with the goldfish if there are plenty of hiding spaces.

But goldfish will surely make the cherry shrimp their snack if it can catch the cherry shrimp.

Watch the video to see how cherry shrimp looks–

Can Your Goldfish Live With Giant Prawn Shrimp?

It is not possible to keep goldfish and giant prawn shrimp together. As giant prawn shrimps are very large, they can easily engulf a big goldfish.

Watch the video to see how giant prawn shrimp can eat a big goldfish–

Which Things Do You Consider to Choose Tank Mates for Goldfish?

Goldfish are born with unique characteristics, so you need to take care of them differently. It’s a vital and tricky task to choose suitable tank mates for goldfish.

Goldfish are docile fish, so it requires another docile and poor swimmer fish as a tankmate. It needs a peaceful partner who will mind their own business.

Goldfish consider the following things to choosing the perfect tankmates –

Level of activity

Choose the fish that has the same level of activity. The flow rate is different for different goldfish.

Some are active, some fish are too lazy to swim, some can easily get infected because of their long flowy fings, and some are fast swimmers.

So, choose the same level of fish to maintain harmony in the tank.

Size

Goldfish are large fish and have big appetites. It grows more than 1 ft. So, pick the large tankmates which can’t end up as food for goldfish.

You can keep the small fish who are fast swimmers and swim quickly if the goldfish are about to catch the small fish.

Care requirements

Goldfish remain good in cold water. So, choose compatible tank mates who can live well in both cold and water conditions.

You can select the following fish as the tank mate of goldfish–

Bristlenose pleco, Hoplo Catfish, platy, Rosy barbs, danios, dojo loach, and Banded Corydoras.

Which Things Do You Consider to Choose Tank Mates for Shrimps?

Shrimps are small species, so make sure to choose the fish that have the same size, are not territorial, will not create any trouble for your fish, and have the same water conditions.

Select the fish that don’t produce waste and don’t need frequent water changes. For example, due to regular water changes, shrimp may have deadly diseases and lose their life.

Try to choose tankmates who will not chase the shrimp, have a low temperament, and can live in tropical water or both water conditions.

You need to avoid the following fish for shrimp–

Mollies and Swordtails fish, Angelfish, turtle, axolotl, goldfish, gourami, oscar, African cichlids, and betta fish.

Conclusion

If you are still concerned about can shrimp live with goldfish, is it possible to keep them together! Then in this article, you’ll discover the truth-

It isn’t easy to put them together in a tank.
Goldfish may eat and chase shrimp since shrimp is tiny in size.
However, their care requirements and temperament are different.
They can live for a while if you put them in a big tank with lots of hiding spaces.

Besides, now you are clear about why they can’t live together and how they can be put together for a while.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do Your Shrimp Eat Fish Poop?

Shrimps never eat the poop of any shrimp. They only clean the leftover food from the bottom of the tank.

How Long Do Your Shrimp Live in an Aquarium?

Shrimp are tiny in size, and their life expectancy is different. Some types of shrimp live one to two years, and other types of shrimp live 12 years. But their life is constantly threatened as they are small in size.

Are Shrimp Good for Your Fish Tanks?

Shrimp is a tropical fish so put it with other tropical fish that are not dangerous for the tiny shrimp.

Shrimp will clean your fish tank as they eat algae from the bottom line of the tank.

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