Can Colombian Zebra Pleco live with Red Shadow Panda Shrimp?
Caution — with care
Why
- Colombian Zebra Pleco is not on the verified shrimp-safe list, so we will not recommend it over a breeding Red Shadow Panda 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: Colombian Zebra Pleco wants 77–82°F but Red Shadow Panda Shrimp wants 62–72°F.
- No overlapping water hardness: Colombian Zebra Pleco wants 6–7.5 dGH but Red Shadow Panda Shrimp wants 0–4 dGH.
- Colombian Zebra Pleco is much larger than Red Shadow Panda Shrimp but is not a shrimp hunter — it may take a shrimplet or clean up a moult. Adults are safe with cover.
- Colombian Zebra Pleco will eat Red Shadow Panda Shrimp shrimplets. The colony still grows if there is moss or another dense hiding place for the babies.
- Only a narrow pH overlap — keep both around 6.5–6.8.
Side-by-side
| Colombian Zebra Pleco | Red Shadow Panda Shrimp | |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature | 77–82°F | 62–72°F |
| pH | 6.5–7.6 | 5.8–6.8 |
| Hardness (GH) | 6–7.5 dGH | 0–4 dGH |
| Adult size | 3.5" | 1.2" |
| Temperament | Peaceful | Peaceful |
| Min tank | 30 gal | 10 gal |
Together, plan on at least 30 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 Colombian Zebra Pleco, Red Shadow Panda Shrimp →Everything compatible with Colombian Zebra Pleco · …with Red Shadow Panda Shrimp