The coral banded shrimp has red and white stripes and long white antennae. Furthermore, coral banded shrimp are known to be territorial creature. Thus, one must consider the behavior of other creature in the tank when selecting compatible creature to share the tank with the coral banded shrimp.
The compatibility chart indicate three different categories for creature that live with the coral banded shrimp. The first category consists of creature that are considered safe to include in the same tank as the coral banded shrimp, and include species that are small and peaceful, and that dwell in the middle of the tank or within the rockwork. The second category consists of creatures for which aquarists should exercise caution in the tank alongside the coral banded shrimp, and includes creatures that will coexist with the coral banded shrimp provided that the tank is of a large enough size and feeding opportunity are provided for the creatures in the tank.
Which Animals Can Live with Coral Banded Shrimp
Finally, the third category indicates creatures that should be avoided in addition to the coral banded shrimp, whether those creatures pose a threat to the coral banded shrimp due to potential consumption of the shrimp, or whether their behavior are potentially aggressive toward the coral banded shrimp. Many individuals may believe that the size of the creatures in the tank are the most important factor in determining compatibility with coral banded shrimp, but the territorial behavior of the coral banded shrimp is actualy the more important factor to consider in establishing a successful and healthy tank of coral banded shrimp. Coral banded shrimp will not tolerate other shrimp in there tank.
For instance, cleaner shrimp, peppermint shrimp, and pistol shrimp will all fight with the coral banded shrimp; thus, they should not be included in any tank alongside coral banded shrimp. Snails and sea urchins is safe to include in the tank alongside coral banded shrimp due to the protective shells or spines that they have, which prevents them from posing a threat to the coral banded shrimp. However, coral banded shrimp should be kept in tanks that contain only one pair of coral banded shrimp, and no other species of shrimp should live in the same tank as the coral banded shrimp.
In addition to other shrimp species, certain fish species can also be kept with coral banded shrimp. Clownfish, royal grammas, firefish gobies, and chromis damsels are known to be safe to include in tanks alongside coral banded shrimp, as these fish tend to avoid the shrimp, and tend to not interact with the coral banded shrimp. Hawkfish, dwarf angels, and six-line wrasses should be watched closely in tanks alongside the coral banded shrimp.
These species can live with the coral banded shrimp, but only in tanks that contain enough rock formations for the fish to hide, and that provide feeding opportunities for the fish species. These types of fish may harass the coral banded shrimp, or may become interested in the antennae of the coral banded shrimp. Finally, lionfish, groupers, triggerfish, and morays should be avoided in tanks alongside coral banded shrimp, as those fish will eat the shrimp.
An infographic also includes a compatibility grid for the coral banded shrimp in addition to the compatibility chart. The compatibility grid includes the threat level, aggression level, tank size, and reef safety for each species that may live in the same tank as coral banded shrimp. This grid is helpful in providing an overview of all the compatibility factor for the coral banded shrimp.
The threat level of certain species may be low, but high levels of aggression or low tank sizes may pose a threat to the coral banded shrimp. In addition to the other factors noted in the infographic, coral banded shrimp will molt every few week. While the coral banded shrimp has a hard shell while in its normal state, during molting the coral banded shrimp will have a soft shell.
During molting, other tank inhabitants may attack the coral banded shrimp, even other fish that are known to typically ignore the coral banded shrimp. Thus, an owner must watch for signs that the shrimp is molting, and ensure that the feeding routine for the tank is adjusted accordingly. In addition, aggressive fish may have to be moved to another tank in the aquarium in which they reside.
Finally, it is important to leave the shed exoskeleton of the coral banded shrimp in the tank, as they are able to reclaim mineral from that exoskeleton. In addition to the compatibility factors of other species in the tank, there are certain factors regarding water parameters for which an aquarist should take note of coral banded shrimp. The temperature of the water should be stable, the salinity should be stable, and the levels of calcium in the water should be stable.
Stable parameters will allow for coral banded shrimp to molt successfuly. Additionally, if the tank is to contain only one pair of coral banded shrimp as noted above, and if the water parameters are maintained to ensure health of the coral banded shrimp, the coral banded shrimp will live in the tank without any conflict between individuals of the species.
