# Fish suggestions with my RCS



## Robert Fletcher (21 Mar 2018)

Did anyone see George Farmer’s video yesterday “Cherry shrimp in 2 minutes!”. He shows RCS living happily with Harlequin Rasporas including juveniles. Cory McEloy and Rachel O’Learly both well known presenters do the same thing. Yet whenever anyone asks about fish with shrimp their responses are it cannot be done as the fish as the eat the shrimp. Or they will eat the shrimplets. I have come to the conclusion that this is one of the many fishy myths we have to sift through. Even the Boraras brigittae has been accused of eating shrimp.
I address this to people who are keeping RCS with fish. George has some Harlequin Rasporas in that clip. What fish are you putting in your shrimp and community tanks. I am looking to add some to my 350 cube. It is next to my desk and would like to see more activity. 

So what fish can I add that will be complementary?


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## Matt Havens (21 Mar 2018)

Hi Robert,

I have kept both together for many years, my current setup 130L is home to some harlequins, cardinal tetra, black phantoms, ember tetra, spice rasbora's, cory's and RCS's.

The only time I have been worried about the cherries was when I mixed them with "amano" shrimp, I think they might have been tigers tbh. I lost a lot of RCS and saw the Amano/Tigers ripping one to shreds, it was probably dead already if i'm honest and they were just cleaning up as they do best.

Other than that I cannot see any reason they shouldn't be in a community/mixed tank.

I hope this helps.

Thanks


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## Robert Fletcher (21 Mar 2018)

Hi Matt, thanks for relating your experience. My tank is about 48 litre. O have scaped it with rock wood and plants to give lots of hiding places. I will research the ones you have and then see if the LFS has any.


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## Edvet (21 Mar 2018)

I have had "mini japonica's"(never found out what they where, some wild cherry's maybe) and multidentata together with P. pentazona's and Sewellia's and Stiphodon. No problems, the mini's breed in fresh water and they did abundantly.
https://www.ukaps.org/forum/threads/white-cube-123.31413/


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## sparkyweasel (21 Mar 2018)

I kept cherries with:

Five-banded Barbs
Pygmy Chain Loach
Glass Catfish
Indian Glassfish
Clown Killes
Coolie Loach
Hyalobagrus flavus
Dwarf Corydoras

never seen any of them eating or harrassing the shimps. They may well have eaten some shimplets, but not all of them, as the shimp population always increased.
hth


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## Robert Fletcher (21 Mar 2018)

Thanks everyone I have quite a few to choose from now.


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## mort (21 Mar 2018)

Beckfords pencilfish, choprae danio,  panda and adolfoi cories plus ancistris. 

I think the issue is with getting a population large enough to sustain itself with the predation of some of the shrimplet's. They can thrive with lots of community species if provided with enough cover or initial large population. I've even seen them survive with bettas and larger more predatory species.


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## keano (21 Mar 2018)

I've RCS and CRS with danios, guppies, otos and tetras.

Both breed of shrimp are breeding and tank has shrimplets running around in a happy little community. A top tip would be introducing fish into a shrimp tank and not vice versa


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## keano (21 Mar 2018)

obviously each tank is different and can depend on parameters, what you feed the fish and the amount of cover.

there are obvious fish to avoid such as clown loach and any cichlid type Rams etc.


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## tam (21 Mar 2018)

Pretty much any of the 'nano' fish are ok. Yes, they are going to take some of the smallest shrimplets, but the population should still grow. The more plant cover the less of an issue it is - I expect in a bare tank you'd lose a lot more.


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## Robert Fletcher (21 Mar 2018)

I very much appreciate the the suggestions. I have posted a picture to give an idea of my tank. I have tried to go for plenty of cover. There is 10 adult and about 4 juveniles RCS. ‘Mort’ has said to get a population large enough. I want to be able to see the shrimp. I am wondering if I should increase the number of shrimp, say add another 20. The idea of a Betta is very appealing but I would have to have a shrimp colony large enough to sustain an onslaught if it came to that and a tank on standby. I have 15 Boraras (no not chilli R. LFS tricked me). But don’t see much of them as they are in hiding. They have come out now the light has gone off.


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## mort (21 Mar 2018)

Betta success with shrimp is very much down to the individual, some are mild and other murderous psychos. With borasas I doubt you would have any problems at all with shrimp and you should see plenty of shrimplet's. With my beckfords pencilfish you often see tiny shrimp almost sitting on top of them and they don't even look at them, with borasas you should be even safer.


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## Robert Fletcher (21 Mar 2018)

mort said:


> Betta success with shrimp is very much down to the individual, some are mild and other murderous psychos. With borasas I doubt you would have any problems at all with shrimp and you should see plenty of shrimplet's. With my beckfords pencilfish you often see tiny shrimp almost sitting on top of them and they don't even look at them, with borasas you should be even safer.


I have been looking at these pencilfish. My tank base size is 35 X 35 cm. recommended numbers vary from 6, 10 or as many as you can afford. Would 10 be OK? I have just got a sponge filter for that tank. Any problem jumping out, I read one report to day they are jumpers.. Danio's are infamous for jumping but they are not doing so from my tank. Any other tips you can give me. Thanks.


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## sciencefiction (21 Mar 2018)

mort said:


> I think the issue is with getting a population large enough to sustain itself with the predation of some of the shrimplet's



I kept them with platies, corydoras, hillstream loaches harlequin rasboras for a while, and I even kept them with rather large clown loaches for more than 7 months.  The clown loaches could not decimate the population. When I tore down the tank I had hundreds surviving. The point is that if you have an established population, and then add fish, the shrimp will survive and breed,  no matter what, unless the tank is void of any hiding spaces/plants for the shrimp. Mine even hid inside the sponge prefilters. Plus shrimp are rather fast. They're not sitting ducks for fish at all...I'd say go ahead and add whatever you want. There are some exceptions for certain species that actively hunt down shrimp in a group, sparkling gourami coming to mind. Besides that, plenty of choices.....If the shrimp are being hunted down, they'll hide a lot. If the fish added don't bother them, shrimp will figure it out and be out and about as usual...


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## Kalum (21 Mar 2018)

Do you say you have 15 bororas already in the tank? Or am I readying that wrong....


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## Matt Havens (21 Mar 2018)

Robert Fletcher said:


> I have 15 Boraras (no not chilli R. LFS tricked me). But don’t see much of them as they are in hiding. They have come out now the light has gone off.View attachment 114201



Do you know what they are now? I have a 130L and added 40 'spice' rasbora, even with that number they do disappear, impossible to keep a track of the numbers unless something tragic happens  
I am tempted to up the shoal more as they do a lot better in bigger groups. 
Depends what you are looking for, If you want the tank to seem larger other than and depending on the 'layout' or scape a shoal of smaller critters can really make a difference IMO.


Sent from my SM-A520F using Tapatalk


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## Robert Fletcher (21 Mar 2018)

Matt Havens said:


> Do you know what they are now? I have a 130L and added 40 'spice' rasbora, even with that number they do disappear, impossible to keep a track of the numbers unless something tragic happens
> Sent from my SM-A520F using Tapatalk


 I think they are Boraras urophthalmoides ( Least Rasbora) I have read that the often get sold for Chilli Rasbora. They have no color. Bit too much of a challenge to photo them.


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## Robert Fletcher (21 Mar 2018)

Kalum said:


> Do you say you have 15 bororas already in the tank? Or am I readying that wrong....


 Yes that is correct. Don't see them too often they have found rocks to hide in. When they do come out they prefer the back of the tank. I would like some visual impact without pushing the bioload.


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## Kalum (21 Mar 2018)

Robert Fletcher said:


> Yes that is correct. Don't see them too often they have found rocks to hide in. When they do come out they prefer the back of the tank. I would like some visual impact without pushing the bioload.



I'd say you were pretty close to the tanks limit already then since it's only a 35cm cube


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## tam (21 Mar 2018)

You could try experimenting to see if you can make them braver. For example, try a black background on three sides and some taller plants to give them more cover. Also decreasing the light if they come out after dark.


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## mort (22 Mar 2018)

Robert Fletcher said:


> I have been looking at these pencilfish. My tank base size is 35 X 35 cm. recommended numbers vary from 6, 10 or as many as you can afford. Would 10 be OK? I have just got a sponge filter for that tank. Any problem jumping out, I read one report to day they are jumpers.. Danio's are infamous for jumping but they are not doing so from my tank. Any other tips you can give me. Thanks.



If you have the borasas then I personally wouldn't add anything else (those pencils get a couple of inches and would feel cramped) and concentrate on making them feel confident. It's kinda of counterintuitive but the more cover you give fish the more you tend to see them. This is because they know they aren't far from safety so explore more. They should also become bolder once they have settled (plus the shrimp could help bring them out). Other fish could impact their behaviour in a good or bad way. Slow moving dither fish may help but energetic species could worry them and keep them in hiding.


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## Robert Fletcher (22 Mar 2018)

mort said:


> If you have the borasas then I personally wouldn't add anything else (those pencils get a couple of inches and would feel cramped) and concentrate on making them feel confident. It's kinda of counterintuitive but the more cover you give fish the more you tend to see them. This is because they know they aren't far from safety so explore more. They should also become bolder once they have settled (plus the shrimp could help bring them out). Other fish could impact their behaviour in a good or bad way. Slow moving dither fish may help but energetic species could worry them and keep them in hiding.


I have come to that conclusion after thinking about it. You are correct the shrimp did bring the fish out as they came in a shoal. I thought they were chasing shrimp but I was wrong there. The fish seem to stay where there is plants and rocks. I will just be patient as see what happens when the shrimp are breeding. Thanks for your help.


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## mort (22 Mar 2018)

No worries, shrimps often bring out small fish as they are near the bottom of the food chain so if they are out the fish see it as safer.


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## Nanglebadger (23 Mar 2018)

Hi Robert,

I'm currently keeping RCS with Ember Tetras and Ottos with no issues. I previously had blue rasboras, mosquito rasbora, galaxy rasbora and emerald dwarf rasbora in the tank, again, no issues at all, not even with the shrimplets. 

Phil.


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