The short answer
Dwarf shrimp are near the bottom of the food chain, so the safest tank is a species-only shrimp tank or one shared with the smallest, most peaceful fish. Good options are:
- More shrimp — cherry, blue dream or amano shrimp in a colony
- Nerite and mystery snails (totally harmless)
- Tiny nano fish like chili rasboras or ember tetras
- Otocinclus (peaceful algae grazers that ignore shrimp)
Almost any fish will eat baby shrimp
This is the key truth: even fish too small to eat an adult shrimp will happily pick off the shrimplets. If your goal is a growing colony, either keep shrimp alone or accept that few babies will survive alongside fish. Absolutely avoid anything that hunts invertebrates — bettas (individual results vary), gouramis, larger tetras, most cichlids, loaches, and pufferfish, which are dedicated shrimp and snail predators.
Cover, stability and clean water
Shrimp feel safe with plenty of hiding places — mosses, java fern and leaf litter give shrimplets somewhere to grow up out of reach. They are sensitive to water swings and to copper (common in some medications), so keep parameters stable and avoid overfeeding. A mature, algae-friendly tank suits them best.
Keep the bioload light — see how many fish you can keep — and read our cherry shrimp care guide for the full details. Shrimp are also excellent algae eaters, and they thrive in a planted tank.