Can Discus live with Painted Fire Red Shrimp?
Not recommended
Why
- Discus is 5.3× the length of Painted Fire Red Shrimp — easily mouth-sized, and anything that fits in the mouth is a predator.
- Discus is not on the verified shrimp-safe list, so we will not recommend it over a breeding Painted Fire Red 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 temperature: Discus wants 82–88°F but Painted Fire Red Shrimp wants 65–75°F.
- Only a narrow water hardness overlap — keep both around 6–8 dGH.
Side-by-side
| Discus | Painted Fire Red Shrimp | |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature | 82–88°F | 65–75°F |
| pH | 5.5–7 | 6.5–7.8 |
| Hardness (GH) | 1–8 dGH | 6–15 dGH |
| Adult size | 8" | 1.5" |
| Temperament | Peaceful | Peaceful |
| Min tank | 55 gal | 10 gal |
Together, plan on at least 55 gallons.
Compatible alternatives
Instead of Discus (to keep Painted Fire Red Shrimp):
- Altum Angelfish — 7", peaceful
- Angelfish — 6", peaceful
- Koi Angelfish — 6", peaceful
Instead of Painted Fire Red Shrimp (to keep Discus):
- Flower Shrimp — 2.5", peaceful
- Vampire Shrimp — 6", peaceful buy at The Shrimp Farm · The Shrimp Farm live-arrival guarantee
- Amano Shrimp — 2", peaceful buy at The Shrimp Farm · The Shrimp Farm live-arrival guarantee
Where to buy
- Painted Fire Red Shrimp: buy at The Shrimp Farm · The Shrimp Farm live-arrival guarantee
Live-animal shipping: add a heat pack below 50°F, expect weather holds above 90°F, and schedule delivery for a moderate week when someone can receive it promptly.
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 Discus, Painted Fire Red Shrimp →Everything compatible with Discus · …with Painted Fire Red Shrimp