Friendly Fish + Other Animal Combination?

icu222much

I want to fill my 80 gallon tank with an assortment of community freshwater fish and other non freshwater fish animals (perhaps lobsters, shrimps, turtles…). I am wondering what is a good combination of types of fish and non freshwater fish animals?

Let me know if I need to provide more details as I don’t know very much about fish.

Thoth

Turtles and many crayfish (sold as lobsters in some stores) will kill or injury fish in your tank. I have kept slider turtles, crayfish and mosquito fish before and every week a few fish(sometimes crayfish) would disappear. If these losses are not acceptable, you should determine what you want the focal point of the tank (turtle, lobster, fish...).

Fish or shrimp being kept with turtles or lobsters are food. Shrimp will not harm adult fish but can be eaten by medium sized fish. Many cichlids, including smallish angel fish, oscars, many loaches and sharks will easily kill shrimp.

If you want invertebrates and fish, I would stick to shrimp as they are not a risk to your fish. They are available in many colors (yellow, blue, red, red and white, clear). Keep them with small fish like Tetras, danios, guppies, cory cats, otos, and barbs.

icu222much

Cool. So shrimp and small fish (guppies, tetras..) will get along with each other and won't result in eating one another?

excal88

Cory cats are also really nice community fish. A large school of them is always nice to see and watch
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sik80

fish generally eat what they can fit in thier mouths. Guppies, tetras, danios, small cichlids etc won't/can't eat shrimp, except perhaps baby shrimp if they were to breed

Thoth

Yes, that is the rule I go by but I have experienced small angels and some of the Botia loaches killing shrimp even though their mouths are smaller than the shrimp. Just making sure it is clear.




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Cool. So shrimp and small fish (guppies, tetras..) will get along with each other and won't result in eating one another? Today 11:50 AM

In general, yeppers. :) There are always exceptions. Most of the shrimp originate out of South East Asia so I am sure there are some small fish unknown to me from the same region that will gladly attack them and pick them apart.

If your small fish happen to breed, the eggs will be at risk of being eaten by the shrimp but they will also be at risk from their parents or other fish. Live bearers young shouldnt have anything to worry about.

Since your tanks is so large, when you pick out fish, make sure that you go with the minimum recommend amount. The fish will act more natural especially neon tetras or cory catfish (group of same species/type)

icu222much

Are there any shrimps and snails that will be safe from algae eating fish?

iamtetsuo

A word of warning just because a fish can't eat a shrimp doesn't mean it can't rip it to shreds. My betta killed three ghost shrimp that were about half the size he was.