Can Red Shadow Panda Shrimp live with Zebra Pleco?
Caution — with care
Why
- 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: Red Shadow Panda Shrimp wants 62–72°F but Zebra Pleco wants 79–86°F.
- 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.
- 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 water hardness overlap — keep both around 2–4 dGH.
Side-by-side
| Red Shadow Panda Shrimp | Zebra Pleco | |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature | 62–72°F | 79–86°F |
| pH | 5.8–6.8 | 6–7.5 |
| Hardness (GH) | 0–4 dGH | 2–6 dGH |
| Adult size | 1.2" | 3.5" |
| Temperament | Peaceful | Peaceful |
| Min tank | 10 gal | 30 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 · 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 Red Shadow Panda Shrimp, Zebra Pleco →Everything compatible with Red Shadow Panda Shrimp · …with Zebra Pleco