Shrimp and snails
Invertebrates first, fish second.
Cherry shrimp, Amanos, nerites, mystery snails. Copper in medications will wipe them out. Most community fish will try to eat the babies, and some will eat the adults.
A shrimp colony wants a mature, planted tank, stable GH, and no copper. Fish are the risk, not the feature. Nerites scrape algae on glass and do not breed in freshwater. Mystery snails eat leftover food and produce waste like any other animal.
Amanos are the best invert algae crew in this list. They do not breed in the tank, so you buy replacements. Cherries will breed if the fish do not eat the shrimplets.
Skip
- Ich meds with copper in a shrimp tank.
- Angelfish, hunting bettas, or anything “semi-aggressive” as tankmates for a colony you care about.
Run compatibility on the mix, then stocking with adult sizes.
Cherry Shrimp
Neocaridina davidi
Biofilm and leftover-food crew that also breeds.
Pick uneaten flakes and film off plants and hardscape.
Amano Shrimp
Caridina multidentata
The algae shrimp that stays aquarium-sized.
Best invertebrate for green algae on glass and plants.
Nerite Snail
Neritina natalensis
Glass-algae snail that will not flood a freshwater tank with babies.
Best snail for green algae on glass and hardscape.
Mystery Snail
Pomacea bridgesii
Hungry scavenger. Cleans leftover food; will eat plants if underfed.
Pick up uneaten food before it becomes ammonia.