Can Blue Phantom Pleco live with Yellow King Kong Shrimp?
Caution — with care
Why
- Blue Phantom Pleco is not on the verified shrimp-safe list, so we will not recommend it over a breeding Yellow King Kong 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: Blue Phantom Pleco wants 75–82°F but Yellow King Kong Shrimp wants 68–74°F.
- No overlapping water hardness: Blue Phantom Pleco wants 5.5–7 dGH but Yellow King Kong Shrimp wants 2–5 dGH.
- Blue Phantom Pleco is much larger than Yellow King Kong 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 6.5–6.6.
Side-by-side
| Blue Phantom Pleco | Yellow King Kong Shrimp | |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature | 75–82°F | 68–74°F |
| pH | 6.5–7.6 | 5.8–6.6 |
| Hardness (GH) | 5.5–7 dGH | 2–5 dGH |
| Adult size | 7" | 1" |
| Temperament | Peaceful | Peaceful |
| Min tank | 55 gal | 5 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 · GH remineraliser · A larger tank
Design the whole tank, not just the stocking
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Design a tank with Blue Phantom Pleco, Yellow King Kong Shrimp →Everything compatible with Blue Phantom Pleco · …with Yellow King Kong Shrimp