Can Oolong Shrimp live with Swordtail?
Caution — with care
Why
- Swordtail is not on the verified shrimp-safe list, so we will not recommend it over a breeding Oolong 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.
- Swordtail is 4.6× the length of Oolong Shrimp and big enough to swallow one. Some keepers get away with it in a heavily planted tank; it is a real risk.
- Almost no shared temperature: Oolong Shrimp wants 62–72°F and Swordtail wants 72–82°F, so only 72°F suits both — too fine a margin to actually hold.
- No overlapping pH: Oolong Shrimp wants 5.8–6.8 but Swordtail wants 7–8.4.
- No overlapping water hardness: Oolong Shrimp wants 0–4 dGH but Swordtail wants 12–30 dGH.
- Swordtail will eat Oolong Shrimp shrimplets. The colony still grows if there is moss or another dense hiding place for the babies.
Side-by-side
| Oolong Shrimp | Swordtail | |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature | 62–72°F | 72–82°F |
| pH | 5.8–6.8 | 7–8.4 |
| Hardness (GH) | 0–4 dGH | 12–30 dGH |
| Adult size | 1.2" | 5.5" |
| Temperament | Peaceful | Semi-aggressive |
| Min tank | 10 gal | 29 gal |
Together, plan on at least 29 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.
- Add only full-grown adults — never juveniles, which will be eaten.
- Target the overlapping water-parameter range and acclimate slowly.
Sort it with: A larger tank · GH remineraliser · An adjustable heater
Design the whole tank, not just the stocking
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Design a tank with Oolong Shrimp, Swordtail →Everything compatible with Oolong Shrimp · …with Swordtail