Can Pinto Shrimp live with Swordtail?
Not recommended
Why
- Swordtail is 5.5× the length of Pinto Shrimp — easily mouth-sized, and anything that fits in the mouth is a predator.
- Swordtail 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 pH: Pinto Shrimp wants 5.8–6.8 but Swordtail wants 7–8.4.
- No overlapping water hardness: Pinto Shrimp wants 3–6 dGH but Swordtail wants 12–30 dGH.
Side-by-side
| Pinto Shrimp | Swordtail | |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature | 68–74°F | 72–82°F |
| pH | 5.8–6.8 | 7–8.4 |
| Hardness (GH) | 3–6 dGH | 12–30 dGH |
| Adult size | 1" | 5.5" |
| Temperament | Peaceful | Semi-aggressive |
| Min tank | 5 gal | 29 gal |
Together, plan on at least 29 gallons.
Compatible alternatives
Instead of Pinto Shrimp (to keep Swordtail):
- Ghost Shrimp — 1.5", peaceful
- Bamboo / Wood Shrimp — 3.5", peaceful buy at The Shrimp Farm · The Shrimp Farm live-arrival guarantee
- Vampire Shrimp — 6", peaceful buy at The Shrimp Farm · The Shrimp Farm live-arrival guarantee
Instead of Swordtail (to keep Pinto Shrimp):
- Black Molly — 4", peaceful
- Molly — 4", peaceful
- Thick-lipped Gourami — 3.5", 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 Pinto Shrimp, Swordtail →Everything compatible with Pinto Shrimp · …with Swordtail