# Betta Tankmate Shrimp? Bad Idea?



## liz26914 (Feb 8, 2012)

I am having a small issue with algae so I thought I would get some shrimp. Today, I found out that bettas usually attack shrimp. So I am thinking about getting cheap cherry shrimp and see how he reacts. Should I not even bother? Should I get the non pretty amano shrimp?


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## GeToChKn (Apr 15, 2011)

I tried 3 shrimp with my betta. The first lasted about 20seconds before the betta grabbed it and swam around shaking it like a dog with a toy in his mouth till it was dead. Got the 2nd out, the 3rd never saw again. That was experience with a betta and shrimp. lol.


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## Say Car Ramrod (Oct 9, 2011)

I have a ton of cherry shrimp with my betta and I haven't had any issues. It'll depend on your bettas temperament. The only way to know is to try it out and keep a close eye on your tank. 

Sent from my SGH-T959 using Tapatalk


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## antbug (May 28, 2010)

I had around 80 cherries in my 2.5g. I added a betta and he ate 5-6 in the 1st minute. I figured he would keep the population in check. Well it's a good thing he jumped out cause I was down to a hand full.

It's a bad idea.


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## liz26914 (Feb 8, 2012)

I have a planted 10 gal. Does tht make a difference?


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## GeToChKn (Apr 15, 2011)

A planted 10gal make a difference. Mine is only a 2.5gal. Some Betta's don't like anything else, some do. A lot has to do with space. It's not that Betta's attack and kill anything in a tank, just what gets into their "space". If the tank is big enough, the Betta can map out a portion of the tank he thinks is his space and will protect that but not venture out or try and claim the whole tank. When it's small, the whole tank is his "space", so therefore no where for anything to run and hide in, its all his space.


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## Daximus (Oct 19, 2011)

It depends on the Betta, and as GeToChKn said has a lot to do with space. A Betta in a 55 gallon is a lot less territorial than a Betta in a 5.


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## atom (Sep 28, 2011)

I tried amanos with my betta in a 2 gallon and it didn't work. He killed 2 in the first day. Then I tried again and moved them to a 4 gallon (heavily planted) and it was okay for the week I had them together. They no longer live together.

Even the most docile seeming betta will take a bit out of a shrimp if space is too cramped. Having lots of hiding places and plants definitely helps.


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## wastedtime (Oct 27, 2011)

My betta flares at the nerite snails i put in his tank. I am sure he would kill/ eat them if he could. IMO ottos are the only fish that co-exist with bettas in a relatively small tank. Shrimp would be a bad idea.


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## Bunfoo (Jan 14, 2012)

I had ghost shrimp in with my betta in a 2.5 gallon. He never bothered them or otherwise ate any. It all depends on the betta's temperament, the tank size, and if it's planted. Mine wasn't planted, and was small, but the shrimp had many places to escape to that the betta couldn't get into, though he never tried to eat them anyways.

I have heard marimo balls can help some algae problems and they eat the same nutrients that algae use to grow. Maybe try a couple of those and see how it goes?


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## mayanjungledog (Mar 26, 2009)

I have a pair of bettas in a heavily planted tank. I have seen both of them stalk and hunt both adult and baby cherry shrimp and PFRs in the tank. The bettas look great subsisting on this live food, but I have noticed that there is a significant decrease in the shrimp population.


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## mayanjungledog (Mar 26, 2009)

20 gallon tank that is.


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## ren (May 19, 2010)

yeah many betta harassed the crap out of my mutt shrimp when I put them in with him for a day. the shrimp would either zoom around the tank and hid underneath a wide leaf. Or it would just jump out of the tank..poor little guys.


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