Can a guppy live with cherry shrimp?

Sometimes, with care.

Cherry shrimp prefer softer water (4–8 dGH) than guppies (9–20 dGH).

Plan on a tank of at least 10 gallons for both.

By tank size

Below 10 gallons there isn’t enough room for both, so the answer is no.

How to try it

Use at least a 10-gallon tank that is already mature, and pack it with dense plants and moss such as java moss so shrimp can hide. Keep a group of at least 6 cherry shrimp and at least 3 guppies, with several females to each male, so no single guppy fixates on the shrimp.

1. Cycle and plant the tank first. Let it mature before any livestock goes in, since cherry shrimp need a mature tank.
2. Test your tap water. Cherry shrimp prefer 4–8 dGH and guppies prefer 9–20 dGH, so aim for the overlap and keep it stable. Don't chase numbers with chemicals.
3. Add the cherry shrimp first, at least 6, and give them a couple of weeks to settle and start using the moss and plant cover.
4. Add the guppies after that, at least 3 with several females to each male. Feed them well just before they go in so they are less likely to hunt.
5. Watch the first feedings. Make sure the shrimp are out grazing and the guppies are not chasing them.

Warning signs in the first weeks

• Guppies repeatedly chasing or picking at adult shrimp, not just swimming past them.
• Shrimp staying hidden all the time and rarely coming out to graze.
• No baby shrimp showing up after several weeks, which suggests guppies are eating them.
• Shrimp numbers dropping, or difficult molts, which can point to water that is too hard for them.

Backup plan: If guppies are hunting the shrimp or the colony keeps shrinking, move the shrimp to their own tank (the minimum is 5 gallons) or move the guppies out. Adding more moss and plants first may buy the shrimp some time, but separate tanks are the reliable fix.

How we reached this verdict

Side by side

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