Can Goldfish Live With Shrimp? (How To Keep Them Together?)

Can Goldfish Live With Shrimp? (How To Keep Them Together?)

Image of a shrimp in an aquarium

Whether goldfish can live with shrimp or not depends on factors like the tank size, availability of hiding places, size of the shrimp, and temperament of the goldfish. Goldfish will eat shrimp if they catch them. Shrimp only survive if they are very large or the tank has a lot of hiding spots.

Let’s discuss this in detail now.

Do Goldfish Eat Shrimp?

If you look at the food chain, tiny crustaceans like shrimp are natural food for omnivorous fish like goldfish.

In the wild, goldfish prey on shrimp. In a tank, goldfish have access to ready food and don’t have to hunt for prey.

Even then, you can expect their instincts to kick in when you keep them in an aquarium.

Nevertheless, pet goldfish may ignore shrimp if they have other sources of easy nutrition.

They may prefer their regular processed food and avoid chasing live prey.

If the fish have a peaceful temperament, the shrimp have better chances of survival.

However, this behavior may change at any time.

You can never predict if or when your goldfish develop an interest in shrimp.

How To Keep Shrimp With Goldfish?

Since goldfish eat shrimp, you can expect conflicts when you house them together in a tank.

The fish will most likely catch and devour any shrimp that cross their path.

Now, most varieties of shrimp breed profusely.

So, your goldfish may not be able to wipe out the shrimp population in the tank completely.

Nonetheless, you should expect their population to decline steadily.

Despite all this, some people manage to keep shrimp and goldfish in the same tank successfully.

Given below are the three common ways to keep shrimp and goldfish together.

1. Use plenty of live and artificial plants.

Shrimp are capable of finding hiding spots and concealing themselves from predators.

A heavily planted tank will offer enough hide-outs for these tiny creatures.

However, goldfish like to uproot plants and dig around the gravel.

This can put the shrimp in danger. Fake plants will help with this as the goldfish will not bother with them.

2. Add plenty of tank decorations.

Elaborate tank decorations will give shrimp places to conceal themselves. They will find tiny nooks and corners to hide in.

The goldfish will be unable to access these places because of their large size.

3. Introduce the shrimp first into the tank.

If you add the shrimp first, they will explore the tank and find comfortable quarters to settle in.

It will help them become familiar with the territory before the appearance of their potential enemy.

It will prepare them better for the danger that arises from the presence of fish.

What Kind Of Shrimp Can Live With Goldfish?

Technically, all shrimp are at risk of being attacked and killed by goldfish.

However, goldfish prefer to eat small shrimp that fit their mouths.

So, avoid housing small shrimp with goldfish if you want to keep them alive.

Large shrimp are better off with these fish.

Many tank owners have found that their goldfish completely ignore the shrimp that are too big for them to eat.

Can Shrimp Live With Fancy Goldfish?

The long flowing fins and beautiful tails of most fancy varieties of goldfish slow them down.

This may prove useful for shrimp as it gives them a better chance of escaping the goldfish.

Regular comets and common goldfish are much faster than fancy goldfish. They are more likely to kill the shrimp.

Can Freshwater Shrimp Live With Goldfish?

Freshwater shrimp are excellent algae eaters and hence, very good for a fish tank.

There are different varieties like dwarf freshwater shrimp, ghost shrimp, and cherry shrimp that live in freshwater habitats.

Not all freshwater shrimp can peacefully live with goldfish.

Your goldfish will perceive most of these varieties as prey and try to catch them.

Nevertheless, some varieties have a better chance of survival than others.

It depends on how favorable the tank conditions are and the size and appearance of the shrimp.

Shrimp with translucent coloring or those that are hard to spot on the substrate will be better off than brightly colored and active shrimp.

Nonetheless, it is never safe to keep any shrimp with goldfish. They can end up as snacks any time they come near the goldfish.

Can Goldfish Live With Ghost Shrimp?

Ghost shrimp are bottom feeders. They restrict themselves to the bottom of the tank.

If your tank is large and you provide them plenty of places to hide, they can survive with goldfish.

If you introduce them into the tank before adding goldfish, your fish may never even notice them.

However, if your goldfish spot the ghost shrimp, they will not let it go. They will most likely chase and catch it.

Adult ghost shrimp will easily fit the mouths of these fish and will end up being eaten.

However, if you have plenty of ghost shrimp, they will quickly repopulate and compensate for the lost ones.

Can Goldfish Live With Cherry Shrimp?

Many fish hobbyists like to keep cherry shrimp in their aquariums with goldfish.

Cherry shrimp will clean the tank by feeding on algae and leftover food.

Since goldfish are messy fish, any extra cleaning helps with maintaining the hygiene of the tank.

Unfortunately, goldfish will eat any cherry shrimp that fit their mouth.

However, these animals will quickly breed and adjust for any shrimp that become bait.

You can improve their chances of survival by using plenty of live and artificial plants in the tank.

These will provide the shrimp with plenty of places to hide from the goldfish.

Can Goldfish Live With Amano Shrimp?

Since Amano shrimp are transparent, they have a better chance than other colorful shrimp, like cherry shrimp in a goldfish tank.

The trick is to introduce them into the tank before your goldfish.

It will also help to add plenty of hiding spots for your Amano shrimp.

Once the Amano shrimp enter the tank and find dwelling spaces at the bottom of the tank, they can live unobtrusively in these areas.

However, if the fish happen to see you dropping them into the tank, they will not let them escape.

Can Goldfish Live With Brine Shrimp?

Interestingly, brine shrimp top the list of nutritious food for meat-eating fish.

They are rich in protein and commonly used as live food for omnivorous fish.

Many fish owners treat their goldfish to live brine shrimp.

The fish enjoys chasing and catching the shrimp before devouring them.

So, it may not be the best idea to put brine shrimp in a goldfish tank if you wish to keep them as pets.

In a tank with plenty of hiding spots and live plants, brine shrimp may find spots to hide.

However, under the right circumstances, the goldfish may find them and finish them off.

Can Bamboo Shrimp Live With Goldfish?

Bamboo shrimp resemble bamboo with their red and brown colors and white streaks.

They are peaceful creatures that enjoy frolicking around the tank.

Although keeping these animals can be a lot of fun, they will not do well with big fish.

Goldfish can easily spot them because of their bright and vivid appearance.

When they do, they will chase the shrimp and catch them.

Since bamboo shrimp do not have any defensive organs, they will end up being killed and eaten.

Can Shrimp Live With Oranda Goldfish?

Oranda goldfish have big mouths. So, they will eat any fish or animal that fit their mouths.

This can prove disastrous for small varieties of shrimp in your tank.

However, the good news is that Oranda goldfish are not as fast as comets and other common varieties of goldfish.

This gives the shrimp a better chance of escaping them.

If your tank has plenty of hiding spots and your shrimp stick to these areas, they can escape Oranda goldfish.

Can Goldfish Live With Baby Shrimp?

Baby shrimp have a remote chance of surviving in the same tank as goldfish.

Goldfish are very aggressive towards any shrimp that fit their mouth.

Since baby shrimp are very tiny, they will easily fit into the mouths of goldfish. Hence, they will most likely be eaten.

If you want to give baby shrimp a chance of survival, provide them plenty of hiding places in the tank.

The shrimp can conceal themselves in bushy plant growth and hide from goldfish.

Once they grow to a considerable size and no longer fit a goldfish’s mouth, the goldfish may leave them alone.

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