Can ghost shrimp live with cherry barbs?

Verdict

Yes, with care

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

Ghost shrimp65–82°F · pH 7–8

Cherry barb73–81°F · pH 6–7.5

What to watch

Watch outCherry barbs will eat baby shrimp and may chase adults. Dense plants or moss give ghost shrimp somewhere to hide.

What works

Both are fine at 73–81°F.
pH 7–7.5 suits both.
They use different parts of the tank: ghost shrimp the bottom, cherry barbs 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

	Ghost shrimp	Cherry barb
Temperature	65–82 °F	73–81 °F
pH	7–8	6–7.5
Adult size	1.5 in	2.0 in
Minimum tank	5 gal	20 gal
Temperament	Peaceful	Peaceful
Swims at	Bottom	Middle
Group	Groups of 3+	Groups of 6+
Diet	Omnivore	Omnivore

Better tank mates for ghost shrimp

All ghost shrimp tank mates

Better tank mates for cherry barbs

All cherry barb tank mates

Questions

Can ghost shrimp live with cherry barbs?

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

What temperature suits both ghost shrimp and cherry barbs?

73–81 °F. Ghost shrimp need 65–82 °F, cherry barbs need 73–81 °F.

What size tank do ghost shrimp and cherry barbs need together?

At least 20 gal, set by the cherry barb. Add space for each extra fish.