Small top dwellers with RCS

[Walden]

I have a tank with red cherry shrimp. There has been much said here and in other sites and boards about fish that could or could not be kept with dwarf shrimp, or if at all. Some seem to think that small algae eating fish, such as otocinclus are the safest fish. But really that is not what I'm interested in, for this tank. Rather, I'd like something in the upper space of the tank. I don't want something apt to feed on the young shrimp (I have both adults and young in there) or to intimidate them.

I think I'd be most comfortable with something no bigger than an inch, so as neither to risk attack on the shrimp or to overshadow them. Perhaps there is some small schooling fish that would work, or if I could keep it all inverts, maybe there is one that swims above in the open water. The decapods that I can think of mostly dwell toward the bottom or among the plants.

I suppose fairy shrimp would be harmless enough, but their life span is short (maybe they reproduce enough to make up for this) and they may just be food themselves (especially the hatchlings).

Any ideas or thoughts?

[Trigger1985]

Neon tetras, or other small schooling fish is you want to go the fish route. Another option would be to put some cover, and climbing surfaces near the top of the tank to give the RCS reason to go near the top of the tank to get more activity up there.

[XanAvaloni]

My RCS I got 3.5 weeks ago as absolute babies. They are growing up (slowly!) in what started out as the 1.5g Male Molly Detention Center. The 2 mollies still there--no longer quite juvenile although delinquent, more what you'd call adolescent--have not bothered them at all. Oh, they bumble into them sometimes, either when rooting in the gravel or chasing each other around, but the shrimp either ignore them or do one of those wheeeee! shoot across the tank maneuvers just for fun. They do not, so far as I can tell, have the capability of being intimidated. :)

If you're going for looks and schooling though some tetras of your choosing would seem the best bet. Guaranteed harmless and never to grow too big. Once the mollies are gone I may lean on my LFS guy to get some ember tetras in, I think they would look nice in this setting. Better than neons or cardinals; let the RCS have all the redness in the space.

[lake_tuna]

Trust me, if you introduce more than a just a few fish, your shrimp will come out less often. Neon tetras aren't all that nice. They will eat your shrimp fry if you ever get them. It's best to have a lot of cover if you want your shrimp population to grow. I have two otos with the shrimp, and that seems fine. I've had six small tetras in there and the shrimp were much more shy. I replaced the tetras since then.

[jbradt]

It would be helpful to know more about the tank itself in order to give more helpful advice. What size is it? Is it heavily planted? What sort of filtration?

[gmh]

Hatchet fish would probably be your best bet. I actually keep my cherries in a community tank with harlequins, celebes rainbows, a bolivian ram and until recently, congo tetras. Their population is stable and they are not shy about coming out. Every tank is differrent though.

[loachmom]

I have found that my cherry shrimp (especially the males) will swim freely and frequently in the open water as long as no fish are in the tank. Add a fish, and the shrimp hardly ever swim. :)

[adimeatatime]

I have Boraras Brigittae (http://www.invertzfactory.com/images_orig/boraras_brigittae/brigittae3_a.jpg) in two of my tanks that have shrimp in them. One tank also has a few cories too. The shrimp in these tanks are Malawas and I don't see any noticeable difference in their behavior or numbers in the tank with the Boraras Brigittae (http://www.invertzfactory.com/images_orig/boraras_brigittae/brigittae3_a.jpg). The other tank has smaller numbers but I had problems keeping any shrimp going in that tank until I put the Malawas in there (even before adding the Boraras Brigittae (http://www.invertzfactory.com/images_orig/boraras_brigittae/brigittae3_a.jpg)). I don't have any fish in my tanks that don't have a large population of shrimp though.

[psyche]

I keep them with a range of fish including rasboaras, cories, boraras and endlers. My shrimp don't seem to hide or even avoid these fish unless they bump right into them. I guess it is possibly I am losing some of the very young ones but i still have juvies in the tanl all the time.

[Lab_Rat]

My RCS are in a tank full of Endlers and they're not shy either. The Endlers don't seem to bother them.

I agree though, that tank size, filtration, and maintenance are really needed before giving recommendations. I wouldn't add fish if this tank is smaller than 5g or if filtration is minimal.

[onebyone]

I have a small school of cardinals in my shrimp tank and the shrimp are always visible! I have lots of cover, driftwood, moss, etc for them to hide in, though, if they need it, but the shrimp often hang out right in the open, even swimming around. I have seen a cardinal nip at shrimp before, but only when the shrimp are swimming in the open during feeding time.

Tank is a 10hex, and fish and shrimp seem to inhabit all levels of the tank at any given time, but there are lots of things for the shrimp to climb on throughout the height of the tank.