Many aquarium lovers wonder if they can keep their beautiful betta fish with shrimp in the same tank The short answer is Yes, but there’s more to it! I’ve kept bettas with shrimp for years, and lemme tell you – it’s totally doable with the right setup and know-how
The Truth About Betta and Shrimp Compatibility
Look I’m not gonna sugar-coat it – bettas are natural predators that love snacking on small invertebrates. But here’s the good news Most adult cherry shrimp are actually too big for bettas to eat! Here’s what you need to know about making this combo work
Betta Personality Types
Every betta has its own unique personality
- Chill bettas – Will ignore shrimp completely
- Semi-aggressive bettas – Might hunt baby shrimp but leave adults alone
- Super aggressive bettas – Will try to murder everything (avoid these!)
Benefits of Keeping Shrimp with Bettas
There’s actually some awesome perks to this combo:
- Natural Tank Maintenance
- Shrimp are like tiny cleaning crews
- They eat leftover food and dead plant matter
- Help prevent dangerous water quality issues
- Munch on some types of algae
- Enrichment for Your Betta
- Provides natural hunting behaviors
- Keeps them mentally stimulated
- Can prevent boredom and fin-biting
How to Successfully Keep Bettas and Shrimp Together
Tank Setup Requirements
Minimum Tank Size:
- 5 gallons minimum
- 10 gallons recommended
- Bigger = better survival rates for shrimp
Perfect Water Parameters:
Temperature: 75-80°FpH: Around 7.0Essential Tank Decorations
Your tank needs LOTS of hiding spots! Here’s what to include:
- Dense live plants
- Floating plants
- Driftwood
- Rock caves
- Shrimp flats
- Plant decorations
Best Shrimp Species for Betta Tanks
1. Cherry Shrimp (Neocaridina davidi)
- Perfect starter shrimp
- Breed quickly
- Affordable
- Come in many colors
- Adult size too big for bettas to eat
2. Amano Shrimp
- Larger size = safer from bettas
- Amazing algae eaters
- Don’t breed in freshwater
- More expensive option
3. Ghost Shrimp
- Very affordable
- Transparent body
- Good cleaners
- Can be hit or miss with bettas
Pro Tips for Success
-
Add Shrimp First
Let them establish hiding spots before adding your betta -
Start with Cheap Shrimp
In case your betta turns out to be super aggressive -
Have a Backup Plan
Keep another tank ready if things don’t work out -
Watch the First Week
Monitor closely for any aggressive behavior
Common Mistakes to Avoid
❌ Don’t add expensive shrimp before testing betta’s temperament
❌ Don’t skimp on hiding places
❌ Don’t overstock the tank
❌ Don’t forget regular maintenance
FAQs
Q: Will my betta definitely eat my shrimp?
A: Not necessarily! Many bettas coexist peacefully with adult shrimp.
Q: How many shrimp can I add?
A: Start with 10-15 in a 10-gallon tank. They’ll breed if happy!
Q: What if my betta attacks the shrimp?
A: Have a backup tank ready or return either the betta or shrimp to the store.
Final Thoughts
From my experience, keeping bettas with shrimp can be super rewarding when done right. The key is providing plenty of hiding spots and choosing the right shrimp species. Remember, every betta has its own personality – some are total sweethearts while others… not so much!
Just take it slow, monitor their behavior, and be ready to separate them if needed. With proper setup and care, you might end up with an awesome community tank that’s both beautiful and practical!
Got any experiences keeping bettas with shrimp? Drop a comment below – I’d love to hear your stories!
Note: This guide is based on personal experience and research. Your results may vary depending on your specific betta’s temperament.
Can cherry shrimp and Betta fish live together?
In order to be able to answer this question, you need to keep in mind that Betta fish are naturally carnivores that feed on small invertebrates. If “small invertebrate” sounds exactly like what a cherry shrimp (scientifically known as Neocaridina davidi “Red Cherry”) is, then youre right. If you dont like the idea of your Betta eating any of your shrimp, then wed definitely advise against keeping them together.
The thing is, though, that cherry shrimp breed very quickly. Additionally, once they reach their adult size, theyre a bit on the large side for a Betta. This means it is usually possible to maintain a cherry colony with a Betta without the fish being able to wipe them out. In fact, there are a few advantages to this! Again, though, it all depends how you feel about the Betta picking off a few shrimp here and there.
As with everything in the aquarium, this is kind of an individual thing. Most Bettas will be content to pick off the occasional shrimp fry and leave it at that. Others will leave the shrimp alone entirely. Yet others, though, will cause absolute carnage and not be suitable to keep with any tankmates.
Theres no way of knowing beforehand which one your Siamese fighting fish is going to be. Youll need to have a plan B ready, or make sure to get your shrimp very cheap to avoid the whole thing becoming too costly.
Shrimp as live food?
Okay, this one depends a bit on how you feel about the topic and how squeamish you are. But remember: Betta fish would naturally hunt small bugs. Feeding yours only formulated pellets takes away the enrichment that finding its own prey would offer.
Feeding live foods once in a while is often recommended for Bettas in order to prevent boredom and resulting issues like biting its own fins. Because of this, even for a Siamese fighting fish that actively hunts shrimp, adding them to its tank could be a good idea. You can breed the cherry shrimp in a separate small aquarium and toss a few in with your Betta for it to eat when the colony begins to expand too much.