Can cherry shrimp live with pencilfish?

Verdict

Yes, with care

Yes, with care. Cherry shrimp and pencilfish can share a tank, but watch one thing. Pencilfish will eat baby shrimp and may chase adults. Dense plants or moss give cherry shrimp somewhere to hide.

Cherry shrimp65–80°F · pH 6.5–8

Pencilfish75–82°F · pH 5–7.5

What to watch

Watch outPencilfish will eat baby shrimp and may chase adults. Dense plants or moss give cherry shrimp somewhere to hide.

What works

Both are fine at 75–80°F.
pH 6.5–7.5 suits both.
They use different parts of the tank: cherry shrimp the bottom, pencilfish the mid.

Water side by side

The green band is the temperature range both can live in.

The green band is the pH both tolerate.

Size to scale

Adult length in an aquarium. A fish can swallow anything that fits in its mouth, roughly a third to half its own length for predators.

Care at a glance

	Cherry shrimp	Pencilfish
Temperature	65–80 °F	75–82 °F
pH	6.5–8	5–7.5
Adult size	1.5 in	2.0 in
Minimum tank	5 gal	15 gal
Temperament	Peaceful	Peaceful
Swims at	Bottom	Middle
Group	Groups of 6+	Groups of 6+
Diet	Omnivore	Omnivore

Better tank mates for cherry shrimp

All cherry shrimp tank mates

Better tank mates for pencilfish

All pencilfish tank mates

Questions

Can cherry shrimp live with pencilfish?

Yes, with care. Cherry shrimp and pencilfish can share a tank, but watch one thing. Pencilfish will eat baby shrimp and may chase adults. Dense plants or moss give cherry shrimp somewhere to hide.

What temperature suits both cherry shrimp and pencilfish?

75–80 °F. Cherry shrimp need 65–80 °F, pencilfish need 75–82 °F.

What size tank do cherry shrimp and pencilfish need together?

At least 15 gal, set by the pencilfish. Add space for each extra fish.