# Can I add cherry shrimp in my tank with betta?



## Redxblue (Feb 26, 2017)

hi! 
I have a heavily planted 5 gallons tank and I am thinking about adding a few cherry shrimp.
So far, I have

1 betta
5 neon tetras
7 ornate tetras
2 otos
2 snails
1~2 Amano shrimp

The betta does not seem to care about my other fish; and even if he does chase the tetras, he is not fast enough to get them - he is clumsy in a planted tank! And the Amanos are pretty big, strong and quick so I am not worried too. But I am worry if cherry shrimps will get eaten by the betta (or maybe the tetras?) if he does go after them. I have seen terrible video on youtube - they are tiny and seem to be much slower compare with Amano. Thoughts? 










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## NickAu (Feb 24, 2017)

> . But I am worry if cherry shrimps will get eaten by the betta (or maybe the tetras?)


The Betta will consider them food and the tetras will eat the babies.


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## yrral (May 13, 2014)

I agree NickAu, betta will treat them as food and tetras will eat babies. That said, all bettas have different personalities, some will eat them and some won't. I tested my betta with a small group of cherry shrimp and it worked for me. The more cover you give them the better. I've seen babies in my larger tetra community tank, some get eaten but overall the population is still growing.


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## Zoidburg (Mar 8, 2016)

You are better off starting a 10 gallon shrimp tank with the correct water parameters (to include GH, KH and TDS test kits) and get a colony established. If the colony does well, you can transfer some of the older offspring into the fish tank.


If you want to do fish and shrimp it's recommended to start with a heavily planted shrimp tank, then add fish once you get a good colony. Cherry shrimp have short lives and fish can cause them stress, which means slower breeding. If you start out with a healthy breeding colony with plenty of coverage, you would have a better chance at it.


Except for ghosts, amanos and macro shrimp, keeping ornamental shrimp (cherry, crystal, tigers, etc) is a completely different ballgame to keeping fish.


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## NickAu (Feb 24, 2017)

My Betta girls mercilessly hunt down and eat every shrimp I put in the sorority tank. I sometimes put in guppy fry and they don't last long, Even my fingers are on the menu.



> 2 otos


Oto's are best kept in small schools, 5 minimum but more is better.


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## GMYukonon24s (May 3, 2009)

I agree with the others setup a different tank for shrimp and up the count on Ots. That's a great looking take you have there.


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## Redxblue (Feb 26, 2017)

Thanks guys. I think I will get a new tank for shrimps!


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## BettaBettas (Aug 21, 2016)

sounds good


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## thanatopsian (Dec 11, 2016)

Im more concerned about swim space in your 5 gallon than the cherry shrimp population. I have 11 neons in a 10 gallon tank...my cherrys just had babies with 24 total survivors...o started with 4.

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## Kubla (Jan 5, 2014)

I have a 5 gallon tank with a male betta, an Amano shrimp and some cherry shrimp. My betta is one of the smallest males I've seen so I figured I'd be safe adding shrimp. When I put them in he went after them pretty good, but didn't even come very close to catching any. After a couple of days he quit going for them and just ignores them now. That being said, it's time for a 2nd tank. You're already pretty overstocked.


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## Beefy Fish (Feb 17, 2017)

My betta doesn't touch my blood red shrimp. They are too fast for him anyways. I had and established colony of shrimp before i added the betta though

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