Can Crystal Red Shrimp live with German Blue Ram?
Caution — with care
Why
- German Blue Ram is one of the animals to keep away from a breeding shrimp colony — either it hunts them, or it out-competes and harasses them until the colony stops replacing itself. A Crystal Red Shrimp colony will not hold its numbers.
- German Blue Ram is recorded as taking adult shrimp and is 2.5× the length of Crystal Red Shrimp. Dense cover helps and some individuals ignore them, but expect losses.
- No overlapping temperature: Crystal Red Shrimp wants 68–76°F but German Blue Ram wants 78–85°F.
- German Blue Ram will eat Crystal Red Shrimp shrimplets. The colony still grows if there is moss or another dense hiding place for the babies.
Side-by-side
| Crystal Red Shrimp | German Blue Ram | |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature | 68–76°F | 78–85°F |
| pH | 5.8–6.8 | 5.5–7 |
| Hardness (GH) | 3–6 dGH | 1–8 dGH |
| Adult size | 1" | 2.5" |
| Temperament | Peaceful | Peaceful |
| Min tank | 5 gal | 20 gal |
Together, plan on at least 20 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: An adjustable heater
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Design a tank with Crystal Red Shrimp, German Blue Ram →Everything compatible with Crystal Red Shrimp · …with German Blue Ram