Can Rubber Pleco (Rubbernose) live with Shadow Panda Shrimp?
Caution — with care
Why
- Rubber Pleco (Rubbernose) is not on the verified shrimp-safe list, so we will not recommend it over a breeding 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.
- Rubber Pleco (Rubbernose) is much larger than Shadow Panda Shrimp but is not a shrimp hunter — it may take a shrimplet or clean up a moult. Adults are safe with cover.
- Rubber Pleco (Rubbernose) will eat 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.
- Only a narrow water hardness overlap — keep both around 4–4 dGH.
Sweet spot: both do well at 68–72°F and pH 6.5–6.8 — aim there.
Side-by-side
| Rubber Pleco (Rubbernose) | Shadow Panda Shrimp | |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature | 68–77°F | 62–72°F |
| pH | 6.5–7.5 | 5.8–6.8 |
| Hardness (GH) | 4–12 dGH | 0–4 dGH |
| Adult size | 4.5" | 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: A larger tank · GH remineraliser
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 Rubber Pleco (Rubbernose), Shadow Panda Shrimp →Everything compatible with Rubber Pleco (Rubbernose) · …with Shadow Panda Shrimp