I'm starting up a 20g tank. The plan is to have a few Cory of some sort, perhaps 1-3 Dwarf or Honey Gouramis, and the 4 Zebra Danios I already have in there now. I'm thinking about a Red Cherry Shrimp or some other small shrimp, but I wonder: would the shrimp compete with the Cories for food? Is anyone here keeping both in a tank? TIA for any input.
Do shrimp compete with bottom-feeder fish for food?
- Thread starter msquared
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I don't keep them *together* but judging from the behaviors of my cherry shrimp in comparison to my pleco for example, I'd say yes they'll be eating the same foods (anything they find on the bottom, they're going to want to eat). The shrimp aren't going to be much "competition" though. They'll be pushovers when it comes to the fight for the food. My pleco fights off every fish in the tank at once, and I'm pretty sure she'd keep all the shrimp off her biscuit until she's good and done with it. 
I can't comment on the other bottom feeding fish or whether or not they may hurt the shrimp.
I can't comment on the other bottom feeding fish or whether or not they may hurt the shrimp.
Is this to be a planted tank? I keep some shrimp wth cories, honey gourami, tetras, and cherry barbs and everyone coexists nicely as the shrimp mainly stay in the plants. I would think that in an unplanted tank the shrimp, or at least any baby or juvenile shrimp, would be eaten by either your danios or the gourami. Cories are no issue though.
It won't have real plants in it, no. It has some fake plants, as well as a big rock with a couple cave-like holes in it. The shrimp could hide in plastic plant too, right?
That certainly seems to be the consensus, that there would be no problem. I may need to provide a few more hiding places for them. But these seem like a good way to add interesting life without stressing the bio load of my 20g tank too much. I might very well give them a try. I appreciate everyone's help. This is the first question I ever posted here, but I'm sure it won't be my last!