# Bettas and red cherry shrimp



## titan848 (May 3, 2003)

Ok well ive got a beta in a 2.5 gallon tank right now and im just about to plant it and if algae becomes a problem i think ill add red cherry shirmp. Ive heard of bettas and shrimp not getting along to well, anyone had any experience with this combo?


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## 2la (Aug 18, 2002)

I had a male betta that picked an Amano shrimp apart when I transferred it and cherry red from a nano tank, which was getting overheated. I think the cherry red succumbed to a spike-tailed paradise fish. Labyrinth fish can be idiosyncratic, but it's not something I'd recommend generally.


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## Slaigar (Jun 8, 2003)

I have a betta that is very unfriendly so it lives in a bowl by itself now. I once tossed a single glass shrimp in there and it lasted for about a day. It got bitten in half once the betta started eyeing it!


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## BonesCJ (Jan 13, 2003)

I had a Betta in a 5 gallon with 3 Ghost shrimp and everyone was fine. The betta would creep up to the shrimp and they would start poking him with their long old antennas and he would back off.


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## GDominy (Jul 30, 2002)

Its hit and miss with Betta's and inverts. I have a positively evil betta right now that spits snails and shrimp out of his bowl at me. I've decided to move him into a tank of his own at home and retire my planted fishbowl at work (too much hassle for me to manage at work).


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## datkatliono (Jul 28, 2003)

I've got 4 bettas(3 females and 1 male) in a ten gallon planted tank. They get along pretty well like a school of fish, of course after their trial and error period of establishing pecking order but anyways what supprised me the smallest and useally least aggressive female hates my snail. I put him in there to help out with the algae and she wouldnt rest until she picked him off the glass. She didnt eat him though-Im starting to fish she did. But I thought it was weird that she is the only betta I've ever had in 2 years and about 5 males and 3 previous females who have ever attached my snail.
Go Figure :lol:


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## digger (Feb 18, 2003)

I tried a betta with an african dwarf frog. Thats not a good combo either.


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## geekgirl (Feb 4, 2003)

My betta lives with Emerald eye rasboras, some otos and a woodcat. There were 5 amano shrimp in there, but he ate them all. The last one lived in the filter for many months. When I would rinse the filter media, he would swim out, then go back in right away. This week the Betta got him first. I found his little tail shell lying on an Anubias leaf that evening. Bad Betta!

Stacey


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## LazyPotato (Oct 31, 2020)

I have 1 betta, he's doing fine with the shrimp. he sometimes chases them around, but the shrimp are FAST! when we put them in a tank with no filter, they barely moved. they look like they are fine again.


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## Blue Ridge Reef (Feb 10, 2008)

Most importantly, cherry shrimp aren't great cleaners. They'll graze on a little algae sure, but they don't eat enough to make a dent in any visible algae issues until you get crazy numbers of them. Some ramshorn snails would be a better choice for both keeping a bowl clean and being betta safe.


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## ahem (Dec 27, 2014)

Betta are vicious, it is near certain it would eat the shrimp. With Betta you can't follow the rule "only if it fits in his mouth ...". They will tear apart a shrimp into edible portions.


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