Can betta fish live with shrimp?

[lumen]

I've been thinking about keeping a male betta with some cherry shrimp, but I'm worried he'll see them as food or I'll need a massive tank. I recently picked up a few cherry shrimp and decided to try one in my betta tank - the other three went in my main tank. The betta went after the shrimp right away and eventually killed it after a couple days. This is the tank I'm working with. Is there a way to give the shrimp a better chance of survival?

[happyone]

I'd say you're on the right track, but you'll want to strike a balance between giving those cherry shrimp enough hiding spots and actually being able to see them. If you add too many places for them to hide, they'll likely spend most of their time in hiding from your betta, never really venturing out.

[lumen]

I'd say you're on the right track, but you'll want to strike a balance between giving those cherry shrimp enough hiding spots and actually being able to see them. If you add too many places for them to hide, they'll likely spend most of their time in hiding from your betta, never really venturing out.

I'm thinking more along the lines of plants, rocks, and maybe some driftwood or something. Do cherry shrimp have a preference for certain types of hiding spots, or is it just a matter of providing enough of them to reduce the chances of my betta catching them?

[happyone]

You can try adding some rocks with hiding spots or driftwood with nooks and crannies for the shrimp to hide in. Even some types of mosses can make great hangouts for them. However, considering your betta has already shown a tendency to prey on the shrimp, it's uncertain whether this will make a significant difference. Some bettas do coexist peacefully with shrimp, but it really comes down to the individual fish's personality, and you won't know how yours will react until you give it a shot.

[starweave]

It's possible, but the betta's personality plays a huge role since they're naturally predatory. Yours seems to prefer being alone, which is pretty typical for a betta. On a side note, the top layers of his tank are looking a bit bare. I'd suggest adding some taller plants, floating plants, or a floating log to give him more cover. Bettas are super curious and love interacting with their environment, so if you give him things to swim in and around, he'll likely be more engaged.

[florabot]

My betta just killed and ate one of the cherry shrimp I put in his tank

[lumen]

It's possible, but the betta's personality plays a huge role since they're naturally predatory. Yours seems to prefer being alone, which is pretty typical for a betta. On a side note, the top layers of his tank are looking a bit bare. I'd suggest adding some taller plants, floating plants, or a floating log to give him more cover. Bettas are super curious and love interacting with their environment, so if you give him things to swim in and around, he'll likely be more engaged.

I figured I'd give it another shot with some ghost shrimp - they're a lot cheaper if they become a meal. These ones are bigger than the cherry shrimp I tried before, and I've noticed the betta is chasing them a bit, but not eating them yet.

[finnip]

You could try making a hideout for the shrimp, something it can climb into but the betta can't fit in. This way the shrimp can escape the betta or hide when molting. Just be careful with the size of the hole, you don't want the betta getting stuck.

[starweave]

I've been thinking about keeping a male betta with some cherry shrimp, but I'm worried he'll see them as food or I'll need a massive tank. I recently picked up a few cherry shrimp and decided to try one in my betta tank - the other three went in my main tank. The betta went after the shrimp right away and eventually killed it after a couple days. This is the tank I'm working with. Is there a way to give the shrimp a better chance of survival?

His instincts are taking over, and that's not something you can change. Bettas are naturally aggressive, predatory fish. If you want to stop the cycle of him killing shrimp, I'd say it's best to keep him solo from now on.