Can Pinto Shrimp live with Blue Phantom Pleco?
Caution — with care
Why
- Blue Phantom Pleco 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.
- No overlapping temperature: Pinto Shrimp wants 68–74°F but Blue Phantom Pleco wants 75–82°F.
- Blue Phantom Pleco is much larger than Pinto 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 6.5–6.8.
- Only a narrow water hardness overlap — keep both around 5.5–6 dGH.
Side-by-side
| Pinto Shrimp | Blue Phantom Pleco | |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature | 68–74°F | 75–82°F |
| pH | 5.8–6.8 | 6.5–7.6 |
| Hardness (GH) | 3–6 dGH | 5.5–7 dGH |
| Adult size | 1" | 7" |
| Temperament | Peaceful | Peaceful |
| Min tank | 5 gal | 55 gal |
Together, plan on at least 55 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 · A larger tank · GH remineraliser
Design the whole tank, not just the stocking
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Design a tank with Pinto Shrimp, Blue Phantom Pleco →Everything compatible with Pinto Shrimp · …with Blue Phantom Pleco