Can Cardinal Shrimp live with Siamese Algae Eater?
Not recommended
Why
- Siamese Algae Eater is 7.5× the length of Cardinal Shrimp — easily mouth-sized, and anything that fits in the mouth is a predator.
- Siamese Algae Eater is not on the verified shrimp-safe list, so we will not recommend it over a breeding Cardinal 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.
- Almost no shared temperature: Cardinal Shrimp wants 79–84°F and Siamese Algae Eater wants 72–79°F, so only 79°F suits both — too fine a margin to actually hold.
- No overlapping water hardness: Cardinal Shrimp wants 8–18 dGH but Siamese Algae Eater wants 6–7.5 dGH.
- Only a narrow pH overlap — keep both around 7.5–7.6.
Side-by-side
| Cardinal Shrimp | Siamese Algae Eater | |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature | 79–84°F | 72–79°F |
| pH | 7.5–8.5 | 6.5–7.6 |
| Hardness (GH) | 8–18 dGH | 6–7.5 dGH |
| Adult size | 0.8" | 6" |
| Temperament | Peaceful | Peaceful |
| Min tank | 15 gal | 30 gal |
Together, plan on at least 30 gallons.
Compatible alternatives
Instead of Cardinal Shrimp (to keep Siamese Algae Eater):
- Black Rose Shrimp — 1.5", peaceful buy at The Shrimp Farm · The Shrimp Farm live-arrival guarantee
- Carbon Rili Shrimp — 1.5", peaceful buy at The Shrimp Farm · The Shrimp Farm live-arrival guarantee
- Painted Fire Red Shrimp — 1.5", peaceful buy at The Shrimp Farm · The Shrimp Farm live-arrival guarantee
Instead of Siamese Algae Eater (to keep Cardinal Shrimp):
- Thick-lipped Gourami — 3.5", peaceful
- Noble Gourami — 3", peaceful
- Betta (Siamese Fighting Fish) — 2.5", semi-aggressive
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 Cardinal Shrimp, Siamese Algae Eater →Everything compatible with Cardinal Shrimp · …with Siamese Algae Eater