Can Black King Kong Shrimp live with Flash Pleco (L204)?
Caution — with care
Why
- Flash Pleco (L204) is not on the verified shrimp-safe list, so we will not recommend it over a breeding Black King Kong Shrimp colony. It may well be fine — it simply has not been confirmed by a source, and an unverified guess is not worth the colony.
- No overlapping water hardness: Black King Kong Shrimp wants 2–5 dGH but Flash Pleco (L204) wants 6–7.5 dGH.
- Flash Pleco (L204) is much larger than Black King Kong Shrimp but is not a shrimp hunter — it may take a shrimplet or clean up a moult. Adults are safe with cover.
- Only a narrow pH overlap — keep both around 6.5–6.6.
Sweet spot: both do well at 72–74°F and pH 6.5–6.6 — aim there.
Side-by-side
| Black King Kong Shrimp | Flash Pleco (L204) | |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature | 68–74°F | 72–82°F |
| pH | 5.8–6.6 | 6.5–7.6 |
| Hardness (GH) | 2–5 dGH | 6–7.5 dGH |
| Adult size | 1" | 20" |
| Temperament | Peaceful | Peaceful |
| Min tank | 5 gal | 125 gal |
Together, plan on at least 125 gallons.
How to make it work
- Keep a large, established shrimp colony in a heavily planted tank with moss and cover so enough survive to breed.
- Target the overlapping water-parameter range and acclimate slowly.
Sort it with: GH remineraliser · A larger tank
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Design a tank with Black King Kong Shrimp, Flash Pleco (L204) →Everything compatible with Black King Kong Shrimp · …with Flash Pleco (L204)