I've been spending (too many) hours researching and trying to decide how I want to stock my upcoming 40 breeder build. The tank will be heavily planted, and I'd like to keep shrimp. Probably neos, and possibly CRS as well. I want to build up to a large shrimp population, and I don't want the adults to be hiding all the time.

I know the rule: fish eat whatever will fit in their mouth. However, some types of fish will actively hunt down and eat shrimp, whereas others are more opportunistic (and some just can't fit an adult shrimp in their mouth).

Here's what I'm thinking:

• 15 rummy-nose tetra (or some other medium-small fish; possibly guppies): It seems like they mostly eat baby shrimp by opportunity.
• 5 Otocinclus: 100% shrimp safe.
• 1 Siamese algae eater: I've heard mixed reports here, but I wonder if the bad experiences were with Siamese flying foxes, not SAEs.
• 1-2 "centerpiece" fish. I'm actively considering:

  • A dwarf gourami: These are typically safe, but some have been known to go after adult shrimp. All will pick at babies.
  • A pair of German Blue Rams: These seem to be a mixed bag: some ignore shrimp, some devour them.
  • A pair of shell-dwellers: It's hard to find info here, but they don't seem particularly safe. My only hope is that they won't venture too far from their shell to find shrimp to eat.
  • A pair of scarlet badis: They hunt down babies, but don't bother adults.
  • One or two smaller rainbows, possibly threadfin or praecox: It looks like the smaller species don't pose much of a threat.

• ~10 pygmy cories, or perhaps 3-5 panda cories: both relatively shrimp safe.
• A bunch of shrimp, of course.

If I have to, I'll add the shrimp and wait several months for their population to build (and the plants to thicken) before I add any fish other than the otos.

What are your thoughts on my stocking plan? I'm both interested in your thoughts on the amount of fish and on the fish/shrimp compatibility (and really any other advice you have).

Ive had success with my 40B (knocks on wood)

Right now its got
5 Ember tetras
8 CPDs
6 adult False Juliies
3 OTOs
3 nerites

1 small julii baby
2-3 really small baby juliis

4-5 adult RCS
3 adult brown emeralds

about 15 or so babies of shrimp ranging from 1/2" to just over 1/4"

Have scene several very small recent litter of shrimp.

Anyhow thats what Ive got. I am fine with the CPDs being the "center piece fish" and to be honest thats kind of how they act. Well them and the juliis if you dont scare them coming up to the tank. I plan on growing some more shrimps so have a couple bushels of java moss mixed in with all the plants. This is also why the baby juliis are making it I think. I did recently bump up the CPDs numbers to 8 as mentioned so this will more then likely impact the populations of babies as they look like they are more "hunters" then ember tetras.

That's really cool that your cories bred! I'd be thrilled to have that happen. How heavily is your tank planted, other than the java moss?

Your tank is stocked considerably lighter than I was thinking. Does it seem full?

Also, what are brown emeralds?

Fish are like people, you have good ones and bad ones. You will have mix comments on which fish you could keep with shrimp. Only 1 every will agree on would be Otos. Best to let your colony of shrimp to grow first (4-6++ months) before adding any fish. The more shrimp the more comfortable they will be. And comfortable is just as important as stable parameters when keeping shrimp. In my experience the fish that actively hunted were my rams,mountain minnows (I think that's what they are called) guppies, even tiny endlers, and the end of my shrimp colony is when my son wanted a clown loach of course anything for my kids so I knew the shrimp apocalypse was coming. I ended up saving a few and put them in a 2.5 gal which they thrived in. I had school of 5 5"glass cats that didnt bother them.

I haven't made a whole lot of progress figuring out fish stocking, but I think I'm going to go with blue velvet neos and crystal red shrimp.

Thanks, I'll plan to do just shrimp until I have a decent colony going. When you had rams with shrimp, did the shrimp hide all the time to avoid the rams?

When I introduced rummynose tetras to an established cherry shrimp tank they started eating them like popcorn, any size they could catch

Wow, that's not great. Maybe I'll go with Endler's...s (Endlers? Endlers'? Endlers's?) or CPDs instead.
@pweifan, how big were your tetras when you introduced them?