# Neocaridina and Cardinal Tetra experiences please



## BarryH (26 Jul 2021)

Having a number of tanks with Blue Dream shrimp and I'd like to try and add a few Cardinal Tetras into one of them. Has anyone had experiences of this mix please?  Or Cardinals with any shrimp.

I do have other tanks with Red Sakura that have small shoals of Harlequin Rasboras and they get along fine. It's just that there are so many conflicting views on Google (as always) about shrimp and Cardinal Tetras not getting on.


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## Ian61 (26 Jul 2021)

I have 5 young cardinals approx 3cm and added 10 red cherry shrimps approx 3 weeks ago. They’re in a 4 foot tank which has plenty of plants and cover. The shrimp were 1-1.5cm. They seem to get on fine . Other occupants are 2 rams, 6 otocinclus and 6 panda corys. 
Larger shrimp are now bold enough to venture into the open.


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## BarryH (26 Jul 2021)

Thanks Ian.


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## mort (26 Jul 2021)

You'd be unlucky to lose the adults to the cardinals and the mixed opinions are because it can happen, even though you'd normally be ok. The little shrimplets are another thing and most fish will eat them if given the chance which is why it's advisable to have plenty of cover so they can grow to a size where the fish won't eat them before coming out of hiding.
If often said the only fish that won't eat shrimp are the strictly herbivores otocinclus but it's surprising what some people get away with tbh.


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## shangman (26 Jul 2021)

I keep cardinals with shrimp and they haven't been a problem at all. They sometimes have a look at a baby shrimp and look like they might have a go, but always decide against it. I like to feed my cardinals bi-weekly with live food like daphnia, so they still get to eat some live food and enjoy that and are less tempted by any babies, they seem to prefer small live foods that are easy for them to eat, sometimes they try to eat bigger things and just spit them out cos the won't fit. It's good to have lots of moss for the shrimp to hide in, in all my tanks they love moss the most, so that'll help your baby shrimp chances too.

Cardinals aren't proper hunters like apistos who (I have recently learnt) will track down and exterminate any shrimp they live with.


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## BarryH (26 Jul 2021)

Brilliant, Mort, Shangman, thank you both for the great replies. Really appreciate the help.

I happened to call in at my local store this morning and one of the first things that caught my eye was the Cardinals in a tank with a black background, they really stood out. All my tanks have black backgrounds, even the ones with the Blue Dreams in which I later realised was a big mistake but adding Cardinals should help with this.


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## BarryH (26 Jul 2021)

I've only ever fed the Harlequin Rasboras I have with frozen Cyclops but I've just rung around the local stores and most seem to have live Daphnia available. Never fed live before so it will be a new experience for both me and the fish.


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## dw1305 (26 Jul 2021)

Hi all, 


shangman said:


> like apistos who (I have recently learnt) will track down and exterminate any shrimp they live with.


<"Not pretty">, I found that _Apistogramma cacatuoides_ really <"like shrimps">. 

cheers Darrel


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## shangman (26 Jul 2021)

BarryH said:


> I happened to call in at my local store this morning and one of the first things that caught my eye was the Cardinals in a tank with a black background, they really stood out. All my tanks have black backgrounds, even the ones with the Blue Dreams in which I later realised was a big mistake but adding Cardinals should help with this.


Of all the fish I've kept so far the cardinals are definitely the brightest, they sparkle like jewels. Even in very low light and blackwater they still shine out.



BarryH said:


> I've only ever fed the Harlequin Rasboras I have with frozen Cyclops but I've just rung around the local stores and most seem to have live Daphnia available. Never fed live before so it will be a new experience for both me and the fish.


I love feeding live food, the fish go mad for it. And it's much easier to get fish to breed with it. If you have a garden, consider a waterbutt in there - not just for the water but for all the live food that will pretty much spontaeaously appear and thrive in it.



dw1305 said:


> Hi all,
> 
> <"Not pretty">, I found that _Apistogramma cacatuoides_ really <"like shrimps">.
> 
> cheers Darrel


My male macmasteri no longer bothers with sinking pellets, leaves the bug bites to the cardinals, and even poo-poos daphnia and mosquito larvae, now he knows that my rather expensive black cherry shrimp are so delicious (and fun to catch)! I watched with horror a few days ago as he grabbed and ate a big adult which was diligently cleaning my fissidens moss, with lots of crunching involved and it's tail sticking out of his mouth waggling. I've been fishing them out when I see one but there aren't that many about, I'm hoping they're mostly hiding 😬 The shrimp all lived at the top of the tank where the moss is, and although he doesn't seem to like being near the surface much he now goes up there to regularly check just incase a tasty morsel appears.

In their old smaller tank, there were quite a few "cull" shrimps which I never saw them harrass, eat, or even hunt about looking for them the way they do now (they seem to go about shoving their noses into gaps). Was a bit naive really, my babies have grown up into proper killing machines!


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## MichaelJ (26 Jul 2021)

@BarryH I recently introduced shrimps to one of my tanks - its all sorts of colors of Neocaridina davidi anywhere from 1cm to 2.5 cm. I moved the pair of Golden Rams to my other tank - as I am pretty sure they would have gone after the smaller ones (especially the ones I added later).  My Cardinals, Black neons, embers and Otos are getting along fine with the shrimps. Never seen any signs of any of them chasing the shrimps - some of the bigger more boisterous shrimps sometimes buzz the tetras  Some of my black Neons and Cardinals are huge (biggest I've ever seen)... presumably females. A couple of my more opportinistic Cardinals are eating off the algae wafers at the bottom of the tank alongside the shrimps and sometimes Otos - a sight to behold 

Cheers,
Michael


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## pjpj (26 Jul 2021)

Cardinals weren't a problem for me in a small tank with Crystals Reds. I ended up with more shrimp than I could shake a stick at.
I had some Cardinals called Golden Cardinals at my LFS. They're very pretty too.
pjpj


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## BarryH (30 Jul 2021)

Cardinals have been in a couple of hours now and so far, no problems. If anything, the shrimp are more interested in the fish than the other way round. Thanks to everyone for all the help, really appreciated.


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## Gavin3171 (11 Sep 2021)

My cardinals havent ever bothered the shrimps. Shrimps of all ages live in harmony with them 🙏🏻


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