# What shrimp can live with Betta fish?



## Vivian902

I have heard that Ghost Shrimp can do well with many Betta Fish, but I just find that they're not very pretty. Are there any other kinds of shrimp which could possibly work with a Betta? Maybe Red Cherry Shrimp? I have heard that some Betta Fish eat shrimp, but maybe if they breed fast enough that wouldn't be a problem...?


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## rafaelbetta

Vivian902 said:


> I have heard that Ghost Shrimp can do well with many Betta Fish, but I just find that they're not very pretty. Are there any other kinds of shrimp which could possibly work with a Betta? Maybe Red Cherry Shrimp? I have heard that some Betta Fish eat shrimp, but maybe if they breed fast enough that wouldn't be a problem...?


I have amanos with my doubletail. He tried to hunt them at first, but they're much too fast for him. They also get pretty big from what I've read (1.5"-2"), so they're not bite-sized. I know a lot of people manage to keep cherry shrimp with them. You just need lots of places for them to hide.

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## Vivian902

Thanks for the advice! I think I'll try some Red Cherry Shrimp with lots of hiding spots, and if that doesn't work out, I can replace them with the Ghost Shrimp. Hopefully my Betta won't think that they're his lunch!


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## RussellTheShihTzu

You have to be very careful with shrimp as they are extremely sensitive to parameters. While .25ppm of Ammonia won't hurt Betta, ADF or most other fish it *will* kill shrimp. Never add them to an uncycled tank. What most don't realize is that very few healthy shrimp are killed by Betta predation; most die from stress or bad parameters and the fish and ADF pick the dead bodies or catch the weakened shrimp.

You must have lots of plants and places for the shrimp to safely molt that the ADF and Betta can't reach.

For the sake of the shrimp and to help assure success I strongly suggest waiting until a tank has been cycled for at least a couple of months.


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## seemsligit

i think any shrimp that is small enough to not go after your betta will likely do well. shrimp are pretty good at retreating backwards even if they're not so good at the forward swimming. 

beyond the water conditions like Russell said, I would also pay attention to wither or not they are getting food. My first betta would drive them away from food in a smaller tank, even though he had no plans on eating it himself. he'd just sit on it. it doesn't seem to be a problem in bigger tanks (10+) but certainly something to think about and watch for.


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## Vivian902

I won't put ANY fish in my tank until it is completely cycled, so I'm not too worried there. Also, I am going to have a tank which is at least 10 gallons, and I may go bigger. Still, I'll keep an eye on the shrimp and make sure they're eating. 

My only concern is that the water in my home is hard (well water, so no chlorine), and I heard that Bettas and the other fish I am considering like/need soft water. I read that artificially softened water is not good for the fish, but I don't want to spend extra money to buy water for them! Is there any way to make the hard water work? Would a water conditioner take care of that?


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## RussellTheShihTzu

You can safely do a fish-in cycle with your Betta. I fish-in cycle using the method below. The only place I dffer is I do a 25% water change at .25ppm Ammonia or Nitrite.

http://www.bettafish.com/30-betta-fish-care/507585-cycling-two-sentence-tutorial.html

A newly-cycled tank isn't enough assure a good/safe shrimp habitat. That's why you read so many newbies writing they can't keep shrimp. The tank needs to be at least two months *past* cycling; this allows time for the parameters to become stable and the necessary biofilm/algae upon which shrimp feed established. I have or have had Vampire, Bamboo, Amano, Malawa and all colors of Neocaridina Shrimp. The only ones I specifically feed are the "filter" feeding Vampire and Bamboo.

BTW, my water is semi-hard and I have never had a problem with even "soft" water fish. I'm really trying to not get too something or the other but for shrimp you need an accurate TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) reading. On eBay a meter runs around $15.00. If TDS is too high the shrimp carapace will harden and they cannot molt properly. If you see shrimp jumping backwards across a tank they are having trouble molting. I know the above from experience. :-(


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## Vivian902

Oh, I understand. I misunderstood what you said, thinking you meant that the tank had to go through a two-month long cycle. 

I don't mind waiting for the Betta a little longer, until the tank is done cycling, if it would help him accept his tank-mates. I read that the Bettas accept them better when the others have already been established in the tank, so that the Betta doesn't feel like its space has been invaded. The other fish I am considering are snails, ADFs, and maybe some tetras and a small Pleco (if I up-size the tank). If I can do a fish-in cycle with at least one of those along with the Betta (adding it a little before him), so the he doesn't think it is 'his' tank, than that would be nice! I wouldn't have to wait so long to get them!

I hope that made sense.  I'm in no way experienced in this, but I'm trying to plan it all out before I get in above my head!


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## RussellTheShihTzu

It can take some tanks a month or more to cycle although, IME, that's not the norm. I use Seachem Stabiity to help the the cycling process along. Here's an explanation of cycling you might enjoy reading.

What Is Aquarium Cycling - Aquarium Tricks

You can add the Betta first; that's why I suggested doing the fish-in cycle following the tutorial I linked in my previous post. I would only cycle with the Betta and wait to add any other tank mates. After the tank cycles you can add additional residents by floating their bags in a darkened aquarium. This keeps the Betta from becoming agitated by constantly flaring at or attacking the bag. When you release them leave the lights off for a couple of hours. This allows the new residents to scope out the tank and, should they need them, find safe hiding spots.

I might also mention you'll need a back-up plan. Not all Betta are suitable for community living. Not that they're aggressive but that they are stressed by the constant motion of the other fish.


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## kitkat67

I have RCS with my betta babies


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## trahana

I've got both Amano and Ghost shrimp with my Betta(she's harmless), and I feed a sinking fish food that everything(fish, shrimp, and snails) in the tank eats. 
The hard water doesn't bother shrimp at all! Hard water means it has more minerals and calcium, which actually helps shrimp molt. Super soft water is more likely to hurt shrimp then hard water.

It doesn't really matter who comes first, the betta or the other fish, if they are going to react, they will. I have one king betta in a 10g tank that I use as a quarantine for my 40g, he doesn't mind new faces and and is chill with even the little pygmy cories. And then I have three other bettas that won't put up with even snails. So each betta will decide, and it doesn't matter what order you put the fish in. Just follow what Russel about releasing the fish in the dark, and always have a backup plan


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