Can Black King Kong Shrimp live with Rubber Pleco (Rubbernose)?
Caution — with care
Why
- Rubber Pleco (Rubbernose) 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.
- Rubber Pleco (Rubbernose) 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.
- Rubber Pleco (Rubbernose) will eat Black King Kong Shrimp shrimplets. The colony still grows if there is moss or another dense hiding place for the babies.
- Only a narrow pH overlap — keep both around 6.5–6.6.
- Only a narrow water hardness overlap — keep both around 4–5 dGH.
Sweet spot: both do well at 68–74°F and pH 6.5–6.6 — aim there.
Side-by-side
| Black King Kong Shrimp | Rubber Pleco (Rubbernose) | |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature | 68–74°F | 68–77°F |
| pH | 5.8–6.6 | 6.5–7.5 |
| Hardness (GH) | 2–5 dGH | 4–12 dGH |
| Adult size | 1" | 4.5" |
| Temperament | Peaceful | Peaceful |
| Min tank | 5 gal | 30 gal |
Together, plan on at least 30 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: A larger tank · GH remineraliser
Design the whole tank, not just the stocking
Skapelab plans a complete, buildable planted aquarium around your fish — a hand-illustrated layout, the exact plants and hardscape, a placement map, and a full equipment and shopping list. Free.
Design a tank with Black King Kong Shrimp, Rubber Pleco (Rubbernose) →Everything compatible with Black King Kong Shrimp · …with Rubber Pleco (Rubbernose)