Can Oscar live with Pinto Shrimp?
Not recommended
Why
- Oscar hunts shrimp and is 16.0× the length of Pinto Shrimp — it will eat them.
- Oscar is not on the verified shrimp-safe list, so we will not recommend it over a breeding Pinto 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.
- Almost no shared temperature: Oscar wants 74–81°F and Pinto Shrimp wants 68–74°F, so only 74°F suits both — too fine a margin to actually hold.
- Only a narrow water hardness overlap — keep both around 5–6 dGH.
Side-by-side
| Oscar | Pinto Shrimp | |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature | 74–81°F | 68–74°F |
| pH | 6–8 | 5.8–6.8 |
| Hardness (GH) | 5–20 dGH | 3–6 dGH |
| Adult size | 16" | 1" |
| Temperament | Aggressive | Peaceful |
| Min tank | 75 gal | 5 gal |
Together, plan on at least 75 gallons.
Compatible alternatives
Instead of Oscar (to keep Pinto Shrimp):
- Pygmy Cory — 1", peaceful
- Black Molly — 4", peaceful
- Molly — 4", peaceful
Instead of Pinto Shrimp (to keep Oscar):
- Vampire Shrimp — 6", peaceful buy at The Shrimp Farm · The Shrimp Farm live-arrival guarantee
- Assassin Snail — 1", peaceful
- Batik Nerite Snail — 0.6", peaceful
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 Oscar, Pinto Shrimp →Everything compatible with Oscar · …with Pinto Shrimp