# Shrimo and Ruby Barbs



## Fisher2007 (23 Sep 2019)

Hi all

Wondering if I'll get away with keeping shrimp with ruby barbs?  I have a 220 litre tank on order and planning stock etc now.  I already have the barbs (and have had them for about a year in another tank and want to keep them) so just exploring options for a clean up crew

Guessing cherry shrimp are a no but would amano's be ok?

Thanks


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## jameson_uk (23 Sep 2019)

Amanos are probably ok.  Mine fight off the other inhabitants when food is on offer.  Cherry's might be ok but young will get picked off, if they have plenty of hiding spaces you can still have a growing colony but there is always a risk they will all get eaten.


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## Fisher2007 (23 Sep 2019)

Thanks thought you might say that!

How about cherry barbs?


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## alto (23 Sep 2019)

Most of the “ barbs” tend to be more active shrimp hunters than most rasboras (Microdevario kubotai, Sundadanio sp, _T. espei_ ,  _T. hengeli, T heteromorpha _etc_)
_
While you can provide sufficient ground cover so the shrimp survive (& possibly breed) they won’t be an active algae crew if every time they venture out, fish are hassling them 
Amano’s are definitely more aggressive shrimp (especially some of the _Amanoesque_ species that ship instead) but they are also happy to substitute fish food for hard labour


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## Fisher2007 (24 Sep 2019)

Is there a good substitute for shrimp in terms of an algae crew that will live with the barbs?  Thinking ottos and nerite snails


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## jameson_uk (24 Sep 2019)

Nerites are great and I have them in all my tanks.  They do a great job of cleaning the glass and cleaning up.   Otos however aren't really algae eaters, they will eat diatoms but mainly graze on biofilm.  I love otos but I have never found them to really eat any algae


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## Fisher2007 (24 Sep 2019)

Thanks.  Anything else other than nerites?  Are Malaysian trumpet snails a goos option?


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## dw1305 (24 Sep 2019)

Hi all, 





Fisher2007 said:


> Are Malaysian trumpet snails a goos option?


They are, but they aren't really algae eaters.  

Red Ramshorn (<"_Planorbella duryi">_) are my preferred option as an algae eater and should be OK.  They don't eat any of the "problem algae" when its established, but they graze the <"biofilm and over time that removes BBA etc">.

I like them because they can survive relatively low pH and they breed fairly freely.

cheers Darrel


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