Marbled hatchetfish with shrimp

By the Shrimp Tank Hub editorsUpdated Oct 26, 2026Research-based

The marbled hatchetfish (Carnegiella strigata) is a tiny, deep-keeled South American fish with dark marbled bands on a pale body. Seriously Fish says it lives in blackwater across the Amazon and Orinoco basins and coastal Guyana and Suriname, and that nearly all fish for sale are collected in the wild, mostly in Brazil's Rio Negro basin. Aquarium Co-Op notes that hatchetfish are distant relatives of tetras and use their big chest muscles to jump out of the water to escape predators.

Marbled hatchetfish at a glance

Will marbled hatchetfish eat shrimp?

• Adult shrimp: no realistic risk, in our reading. A fish this small, with a small upturned mouth built for surface feeding (Aquarium Co-Op), is not a threat to grown shrimp on the bottom. None of the sources we checked gives a direct shrimp-safety rating for hatchetfish, so this is our assessment.
• Shrimplets: lower risk than most mid-water fish, not zero. Seriously Fish says hatchetfish feed on invertebrates and zooplankton at or near the surface, and notes they do not actively hunt dwarf cichlid fry lower in the tank. Baby shrimp mostly stay on moss and the bottom, but one that swims up into open water is the right size to be eaten (our reading).
• Eggs and berried females: safe. Shrimp carry their eggs under the tail.

For other fish that stay near the top, see Norman's lampeyes with shrimp, clown killifish with shrimp and medaka with shrimp, or the full cherry shrimp tank mates list.

Matching the water

Seriously Fish lists 68–82 °F, pH 4.0–7.0 and 1–10 dGH, and Aquarium Co-Op says hatchetfish handle a wide range of water because their rivers flood every year, thriving at 75–80 °F. Cherry-type shrimp tolerate 65–85 °F, pH 6.2–8.0 and GH 4–8 (The Shrimp Farm). By our comparison:

• With cherry shrimp: about 75–78 °F, pH 6.5–7.0 and GH 4–6 sits inside all three ranges. Hard, alkaline tap water above pH 7 is outside the fish's listed range.
• With crystal and other Caridina: soft, acidic water suits the hatchetfish well, but crystal reds prefer about 68–74 °F (see crystal red shrimp care). That overlaps only the cool end of Seriously Fish's range and sits below Aquarium Co-Op's 75–80 °F, so it's a compromise.

See shrimp tank pH, GH and KH explained and shrimp tank water changes.

Tank size and setup

• Lid first: Aquarium Co-Op says hatchetfish will jump out of the narrowest slot they can find, so use a tight-fitting lid and cover openings for the filter and heater with craft mesh. Seriously Fish adds that they may jump when startled. See do shrimp need a lid.
• Size and shape: 20 gallons or larger (Aquarium Co-Op), with plenty of surface area; Seriously Fish suggests at least 30 × 12 in.
• Floating plants: Seriously Fish recommends a heavily planted tank with patches of floating plants where the fish gather, plus a dark substrate, driftwood and leaf litter; Aquarium Co-Op suggests water sprite. The leaf litter also feeds shrimp biofilm (our note). See driftwood and botanicals for shrimp and best plants for a shrimp tank.
• Gentle flow: gentle to moderate water movement (Seriously Fish), and less surface flow so food floats longer (Aquarium Co-Op). A sponge filter suits both; see shrimp-safe filters.
• Mature tank: see how to cycle a shrimp tank.

Keep a real school

Seriously Fish says to buy as many as possible, ideally 10 or more, because larger groups are bolder and show more natural behavior. Aquarium Co-Op recommends at least 6–12 of the same species and says the bigger the school, the safer they feel.

Other good tankmates

Hatchetfish need calm company. Aquarium Co-Op says to avoid aggressive, large or fast fish that outcompete them for food, and suggests similar-sized peaceful fish such as tetras and corydoras. Seriously Fish suggests similar-sized peaceful characins and small catfish. See pygmy corydoras with shrimp, otocinclus with shrimp and ember tetras with shrimp. Aquarium Co-Op is fine with dwarf cichlids for hatchetfish, but its shrimp tank-mate guide warns that dwarf cichlids go after shrimp, so skip them here.

Feeding both

Underfeeding is the most common problem, according to Aquarium Co-Op: hatchetfish prefer to eat from the surface and don't like to swim down for sinking food. Feed tiny foods that float a long time, such as fine flakes, floating pellets, freeze-dried foods and live baby brine shrimp (Aquarium Co-Op). Seriously Fish adds Daphnia, Moina, grindal worms and fruit flies. The upside for a shrimp tank is that the fish stay at the top while sinking shrimp food goes straight past them (our note). See best shrimp food and what do shrimp eat.

Quarantine matters more than usual

Seriously Fish says marbled hatchetfish are not bred commercially, and Aquarium Co-Op says most hatchetfish are wild-caught and may reach stores underfed with weak immune systems. Aquarium Co-Op recommends always quarantining them, watching them eat before you buy, and treating for ich and internal parasites. Many of those medications should never go into a shrimp tank (Practical Fishkeeping), so finish treatment in a separate tank before the fish meet your shrimp.

How to add marbled hatchetfish to a shrimp tank

• Shrimp first. Let the colony settle before adding fish (Practical Fishkeeping).
• Check the lid and cover every gap before releasing them.
• Acclimate slowly, since wild-caught fish may have come from very soft water. See how to drip acclimate.
• Watch them eat at the store before buying (Aquarium Co-Op).
• Quarantine the fish separately. Practical Fishkeeping says many fish medications are not safe for invertebrates. If fish get sick, ask a fish veterinarian or an experienced store about treatment that won't harm the shrimp. See how to quarantine and is copper toxic to shrimp.

Common mistakes

• Gaps in the lid around filters and heaters.
• Feeding only sinking food.
• Skipping quarantine for wild-caught fish.
• Strong surface flow that pushes food under.
• Keeping only two or three.

Track it

Log temperature, pH, GH and TDS on the free Water Parameter Log printable so you can keep the tank in the range both species share.

Frequently asked questions

Will marbled hatchetfish eat cherry shrimp?

Not adults, in our reading. They are about 1.4 inches long and feed at the surface (Seriously Fish). A shrimplet that swims up into open water could be eaten.

Are hatchetfish good for a shrimp tank?

They are one of the lower-risk options because they stay near the surface, but they need a tight lid, floating food and careful quarantine because most are wild-caught (Aquarium Co-Op).

What water do marbled hatchetfish need?

Seriously Fish lists 68 to 82 °F, pH 4.0 to 7.0 and 1 to 10 dGH. With cherry shrimp, aim for about 75 to 78 °F and pH 6.5 to 7.0.

How many marbled hatchetfish should I keep?

At least 6 to 12 (Aquarium Co-Op), ideally 10 or more (Seriously Fish).

Do hatchetfish need a lid?

Yes. Aquarium Co-Op says they will jump out of the narrowest gap they find, so cover openings with craft mesh too.

What do marbled hatchetfish eat?

Tiny floating foods: fine flakes, floating pellets, freeze-dried foods and baby brine shrimp (Aquarium Co-Op), plus Daphnia and fruit flies (Seriously Fish).

Sources: Seriously Fish, Carnegiella strigata (marbled hatchetfish) (Amazon, Orinoco and coastal Guyana and Suriname; blackwater only; trade fish collected wild, mostly Rio Negro, not bred commercially; 35 mm SL; surface at least 75 × 30 cm; heavily planted, dark substrate, floating plants, driftwood, leaf litter; gentle to moderate flow; tight cover, may jump when startled; 20–28 °C, pH 4.0–7.0, 1–10 dGH; feeds on invertebrates and zooplankton at or near the surface; dried foods plus Artemia nauplii, Daphnia, Moina, grindal worm, fruit flies; very peaceful but timid; similar-sized peaceful characins and small catfish; middle-to-upper water, does not actively predate dwarf cichlid fry; ideally 10 or more); Aquarium Co-Op, Care guide for hatchetfish (hatchetfish family Gasteropelecidae, distantly related to tetras; jump to escape predators; most wild-caught, may be underfed with weak immune systems; quarantine and treat for ich and internal parasites; wide water range due to annual flooding; 75–80 °F; at least 6–12; 20 gallons or larger; tight lid, cover openings with craft mesh; avoid aggressive, large or fast tankmates; tetras and corydoras; underfeeding common, prefer surface food, small upward-facing mouths; tiny floating foods, reduce surface flow); Aquarium Co-Op, Top 5 oddball fish for a 20-gallon tank (marbled hatchetfish from Amazon blackwater; tight lid; floating plants such as water sprite; school of at least six; tiny floating foods); Aquarium Co-Op, Cherry shrimp tank mates (dwarf cichlids go after shrimp); Practical Fishkeeping, What can I keep with shrimp? (build the shrimp colony first; many fish medications unsafe for invertebrates); The Shrimp Farm, Red rili shrimp tank set-up and care (cherry-type Neocaridina: 65–85 °F, pH 6.2–8.0, GH 4–8). The shared water zones and the shrimp-risk assessment are our own reading; none of these sources rates hatchetfish for shrimp directly.