# What can I put in with my betta



## a123andpoof (Apr 10, 2010)

I would like to get some other fish to put in with my betta. He is in a 3 gallon tank. Is that enough space to put another fish or shrimp in? And does it make doing a 100% water change harder, and would I need a filter? I am not sure I will add anything, but am considering it.
Thanks.


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## Oldfishlady (Mar 1, 2010)

In a 3g tank, I would not add any other fish, not enough room, you could add shrimp or snails along with regular water changes twice weekly.


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## 1fish2fish (Sep 10, 2009)

I agree with OFL. I would only add a few ghost shrimp or possibly a small snail. If you do you need to do twice weekly water changes. A filter always helps but isn't necessary for either shrimp or mystery or nerite snails.


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## Jupiter (Aug 30, 2009)

I'd only squeeze in a ghost shrimp, personally. Just keep in mind that they're sensitive to water conditions.


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## burn84 (Apr 13, 2010)

If you are going to put in ghost shrimps, make sure you monitor their relationship (Betta and Shrimp) and sometimes it can get pretty nasty for the both of them. My friends Betta got murdered by this really aggressive Ghost Shrimp he bought, the ghost shrimp some how managed to literally snip off bits of his caudal fin, pectoral fin were missing and this tail.

So yea just be careful. I removed all my shrimps and put them into a seperate tank with only Ghost Shrimps.


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## a123andpoof (Apr 10, 2010)

Thanks everyone. I'm still not sure, but leaning towards a snail.


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## Alienbetta1 (May 9, 2010)

I've herd you can put neon tetras in.


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## burn84 (Apr 13, 2010)

Alienbetta1 said:


> I've herd you can put neon tetras in.


yes you can put in Neon Tetras.


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## Alienbetta1 (May 9, 2010)

Good I might buy some.So how bout Dragon eels??:BIGsurprise:


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## a123andpoof (Apr 10, 2010)

I have heard that neon tetras need to be in groups of like 5. Wouldn't that be to many fish for a 3g? And how would you do 100% water changes?


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## Alienbetta1 (May 9, 2010)

They do fine in groups of 3[I had a group of 10 then 7 of em died of old age].


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## Oldfishlady (Mar 1, 2010)

Alienbetta1 said:


> I've herd you can put neon tetras in.


I would not recommend any other fish in a 3g tank...just not enough room....


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## Alienbetta1 (May 9, 2010)

True so True.


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## a123andpoof (Apr 10, 2010)

Thats what I was thinking. Keiichi seems plenty happy by himself. Though I have kinda been wanting a snail, so if I get anything will probally just get one of those. Thanks everyone you have been very helpful!


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## Alienbetta1 (May 9, 2010)

Your welcome:greenyay:.


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## doggyhog (Apr 30, 2009)

I personally wouldn't put anything else in there. A 5g with a snail is just perfect. A 3g with a snail is pushing it.


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## Alienbetta1 (May 9, 2010)

Doggyhog is right.If you want more fish get a bigger tank.


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## Ryn (May 11, 2010)

Really? I have my betta, mystery snail, and an ADF in one tank and they all seem pretty fine together. There's also enough little plants and caves for them to hide from each other if needbe.


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## Alienbetta1 (May 9, 2010)

How many gallons is it?


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## burn84 (Apr 13, 2010)

Alienbetta1 said:


> Good I might buy some.So how bout Dragon eels??:BIGsurprise:


I googled Dragon Eels, and they look pretty scary lol........i wouldnt put my betta in with them


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## Alienbetta1 (May 9, 2010)

Cool cause my Walmart carries then!


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## a123andpoof (Apr 10, 2010)

Okay, I got a new 10g and am dividing it in 3. Would 1 snail in each be to much? Or maybe some ghost shrimp? I would like to put one or the other in there. Or maybe just 1 snail in one of the divided sections?


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## Alienbetta1 (May 9, 2010)

Well You could put 2 ghost shrimp in each part.


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## doggyhog (Apr 30, 2009)

http://www.aqadvisor.com/

That should help.


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## a123andpoof (Apr 10, 2010)

Thanks that was very helpful!


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## Alienbetta1 (May 9, 2010)

Your Welcome!


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## burn84 (Apr 13, 2010)

a123andpoof said:


> Okay, I got a new 10g and am dividing it in 3. Would 1 snail in each be to much? Or maybe some ghost shrimp? I would like to put one or the other in there. Or maybe just 1 snail in one of the divided sections?


Honestly, dont put ghost shrimps with your Betta. i have had 2 bettas has their fins ripped to shreds by my elusive ghost shrimp....sad. Get Yamato Shrimps or Banana Shrimps.


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## BettaCee (Apr 21, 2010)

Yet another "No" to Ghost Shrimp. Although they may work out for some, I too have had my Betta's fins shredded by Ghost Shrimp. I also keep my shrimp in a separate tank now.


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## Betta Slave (Dec 8, 2009)

Yeah, don't buy any ghost shrimp- My friend's betta got torn to pieces by one. He was also missing an eye and we saw the ghost shrimp eating it or something >.< Yuck.
I've tried many other shrimps as well, but my bettas just don't seem to get along with them.


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## doggyhog (Apr 30, 2009)

A few of my bettas would just CHASE the shrimp 24/7! They eventually ate them. 

Shrimp kinda scare me... They sure can jump too!! I had one jump out of the net! I haven't screamed like that in a while.... LOL!!


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## Jennyinurmouth (Apr 6, 2010)

Shrimp scare me too lol ghost ones at least, one jumped out of the net and I never found it O.O 
everynight I was scared of sleping on soem crunchy shrimp


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## JorgeBurrito (Sep 2, 2010)

Might try Red Cherry Shrimp, you might have to order them from the internet but they are cheap and I have never heard of them going after Betta's fins. They are big time algae eaters which is great if you have a planted tank. They are a bit smaller than Ghost shrimp, though so make a more tempting snack. My Betta does chase them some, but the population is stable so either they are breeding to replace casualties (quite likely), or he just really sucks at hunting. I figure either way it gives him something to due when bored.


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## carpenter547 (Sep 18, 2010)

hi i am new first post yaay now on to message.

guy has a 3 gallon tank with a fresh water betta and you talk about dragon eels?

dragon eels are brackish or salt water.
violet dragon gobies are pure brackish.
dragon fish are arowanas.

not a single above species is going to live happy in a tank 10x the current size.

and what the heck is this about ghost shimps eating bettas i call shinanagans on that. ghost shrimps are the food not the hunter. mabey a fry if it is sick would be eaten by the shrimps but that is it.

people check your facts first.


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## Posaune (Sep 17, 2010)

Woah Carpenter, no need to get militant over it. I had two ghost shrimp in my tank at first (they both died, probably from the water) but the larger one was actually going after my Betta. So it's not too far-fetched to assume that a shrimp could dog a fish enough to tear fins. 
I'm pretty sure the dragon eel thing was a joke OR they meant Dragon Goby (however, that too needs a much much larger tank). Chill out.


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## CodeRed (Jun 11, 2009)

The ghost shrimp, despite how strange it seems, is possible. Bettas aren't always "going, going, going", they have to sleep, too. A perfect time for a hungry shrimp to find its way over to it, and start munching. It's always good to keep an eye on ANY new fish to an aquarium, to be sure that the "hunter" doesn't turn into the "hunted".

Old threads are really popping up lately, huh?


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## carpenter547 (Sep 18, 2010)

there are 2 ghost shrimp varieties. amazonian and american. neither of them are agressive at all to fish mabey to other shrimps but not to fish.

the problem with "ghost shrimps" is that any clear shrimp will be labled "ghost"

the agressive ones are really _Red Claw Macro most likely females. _

the "real" ghost shrimps are _Palaemonetes paludosus and __Palaemonetes ivonicus_

_these are the ones from america and amazon respectivly._

kinda sad that an outa work carpenter who is a highschool drop out is having to explain this to yall.

by the way this is my last post on the subject and the only reason i commented is cuz i saw the reference to "dragon eel" which is normally in a fresh water context a _Gobioides broussonnetii_ , _Gobioides peruanus or __Odontamblyopus rubicundus_.
common name violet or dragon goby. also sold as dragon fish and dragon eel.

misinformmation on this fish is annoying to me since it is not aggressive not fresh water not a dragon. they grow to be 15 - 20 inches are brackish and need to be made sure you feed them proper. given that they live in s.g. 1.005 + brackish water they are totally incompatable with bettas. they need 40 gallons to live in.

when kept in fresh water die from bloody red tumors some even on the mouth so they starve to death. in fresh water if the tumors don't get them renal and liver failure do. 

the possible exception is the betta mahachai who is found in SEMI brackish water but even then the sg is still to low for a violet goby.


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## Posaune (Sep 17, 2010)

It's impossible to say that there will never be a moment when any animal may become "aggressive". If an animal feels threatened, some will run and hide rather than fight. However, what will the runners do when there's no where left to run? They will fight. 
Do you have sources for your research? I've done some and I've even got sources to prove.


> The American Glass Shrimp is generally non-aggressive but there have been reports of a few individuals that can get a bit aggressive. They can sometimes eat baby shrimp of any species or even fish fry. They are always an active shrimp when there are no predators in the aquarium.


http://www.theshrimpfarm.com/shrimp/american-glass-shrimp/

Again I will point out that it was a joke (regarding the Dragon Eel, or Dragon Goby). I suppose this is more for those that choose to read after this thread, since you claim to not be coming back.


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## carpenter547 (Sep 18, 2010)

yeah good point on the typo sorry please alter the reading to stoopidness.

sorry after many years of beating up my hands it is hard to touch type.
nope english wasn't my forte nor was school.
sorry you can only quote from the shrimp farm *a site that has a few incorrect facts*
and i explained the reason why "ghost" shrimps have been labeled to be agressive at times. simply put they aren't real ghost shrimps.
if you would have looked it up instead of just calling me an a-hole *which i will unabashedly admit to being* you would have seen that the female red claw macros are infact very similar upon cursory examination to _Palaemonetes paludosus 
how ever they are agressive. _so feel free to show me proof as in more than "i had a clear shrimp and it attacked my fish" that actual Palaemonetes shrimps are agressive and eat fish and i will reverse my position and in front of god and every one admit your right. however if you don't have any proof other than one source that has errors in it i recommend you sit down hush up and let mommy and daddy talk for a moment son.


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## Adastra (Jun 18, 2010)

I also find it *extremely* hard to believe that any dwarf shrimp variety could do damage to a betta. Granted, I did not take the time to read this entire 4 page thread, but that bit just made me tilt my head and "Huh?" I mean, maybe MAYBE a few teeny tiny rips at the ends, but "shredded" is just not possible. I've had various shrimp with various fish, including bettas, and I have never seen anything that would lead me to believe a 1" shrimp with half millimeter claws is going to shred any tails. In the battle of betta vs shrimp, it's the shrimp who end up as dinner.

It's much more likely that the person made very poor decoration decisions and/or the fish in question had been biting himself. Either that or the "dwarf shrimp" was actually a moderately sized crayfish.


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## Posaune (Sep 17, 2010)

I'm sure the shrimp didn't shred the fish, but it is possible that the shrimp could do some damage to fins. 
Carpenter, don't bother with swearing in front of God, it won't mean anything to a Buddhist. Just admit you are wrong and I'll be happy. By the way, until you quote the incorrect facts, there are none. Also, provide backup that they are indeed incorrect. That is scientific research. So far you haven't done any of that for any of your claims.
http://www.fishlore.com/profile-ghostshrimp.htm


> *Temperament / Behavior :* Sometimes will eat baby fish, they are usually food for other fish, sometimes will fight among themselves if the tank is too small and there are too many of them.





> You may see some aggressive behavior amongst them around breeding time.


http://therealowner.com/fish-aquariums/ghost-shrimp-palaemonetes-paludosus/


> It has a fairly peaceful temperament


http://www.eol.org/pages/1021997


> . Females become receptive to males after molting, during which time their exoskeleton is soft. Copulation occurs within seven hours of molting. The male only recognizes the female as a potential mate if physical contact is made with her exoskeleton


In my case it could be that I happened to have a male and female, because the sparring of my betta and shrimp happened after a molt (I discovered the exoskeleton earlier that day)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palaemonetes_paludosus

I tried looking on Google Scholar (I think that's what it's called) and found only scientific papers regarding their taxonomy. 
There is no distinct black and white in this world, everything is grey. Can you give proof that something in this world is ALWAYS this way, always, always, always? Or can you prove something is NEVER this way, never, never, never?
Saying a Glass Shrimp is NEVER aggressive is bound to be proven false. Just like saying a lion is ALWAYS aggressive is bound to be proven false. http://animal.discovery.com/fansites/wildkingdom/lioness/lioness.htmlThe heart of the lioness would be my evidence on that.

On another note, I'm a woman.


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## carpenter547 (Sep 18, 2010)

*nope no claimes to never or lack of agression*

sorry but so far you have quoted the same lines from the same texts on the same subject.

reread your first one from the shrimp farm agression in ghost shirmps is gererally against other shrimps as is thier predation however.

ghost shrimps will challange fish durring mating and feeding times.

however with that said i never said never nor do i ever claim to make absolute remarks.

what i was refering to was your claim that they shredded your bettas fins or that they were responcable for massive damage.

i have seen my larger shrimps attempt to hold on to thier food even against my 7 inch goby however not a single shredded fin have i ever seen.

you still have done nothing to support your stance that they are little killers other than take quotes outa context from a handful of sources who by the way all state that agression in general is not a problem or of any real concern for the aquarist from the real ghost shrimps and that in most all cases that agression has been a problem there has been found macro shrimps at fault.

just do your self a favor and hush. if you can't be bother to read the whole thing yourself don't post it as prof especially when it bears witness against you.

as far as my opinion that the shrimp farm has some incorrect info on it they do all articles do to err is human. i wasn't running them down. how ever there are quite a few more accurate more inclusive sites around.
the shrimp farm has no information on macro shrimps or really on any thing more than a hand full of necardia shrimp which is fine that is thier speciality however to use they as your primary info source for this purpose is well lazy.

you refered to me as an a-hole fine i admited now i challenge you to own up to your lack of knowlege and being to lazy or prideful to admit you made your statements in error.


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## Posaune (Sep 17, 2010)

I never said it was tearing them apart, I gave ample information that says that those shrimp do indeed get aggressive. 


> So it's not too far-fetched to assume that a shrimp could dog a fish enough to tear fins.


This is what I said. No, it is not too far-fetched to assume that shrimp could go after a beta and snip at the fins. Never did I say they are little killers. Not once. I said they can indeed be aggressive, I have proven that they can be aggressive. I explained why they can be aggressive even if it it's TYPICAL for them to be aggressive.

It bears no witness against me, in fact it proves my case very well. My claim is that they were going after my betta, someone else claimed they shredded the fins. Please, listen to yourself and read everything first.


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## Adastra (Jun 18, 2010)

I think this is a question of simple logic, really. The theory that your shrimp managed to inflict real damage to your betta just doesn't hold any water, regardless of their level of aggression. I have seen ghost shrimp charge at my hands, claws raised to defend whatever morsel they're eating, there is no question that they are territorial and can be aggressive toward other shrimp, fish, and hands, lol. But the worst you'd get from the shrimp latching on to the edge of your betta's fin would be the equivalent of a papercut and any healthy fish wouldn't stick around for more than that. 

So to conclude, this argument is downright silly. It isn't a question of aggression level as it is physical improbability for a ghost shrimp to be taking chunks out of a betta tail.


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## Posaune (Sep 17, 2010)

The theory that a shrimp inflicted massive amounts of damage is not mine and never has been. I urge you to look back and see who really posted that. I've been defending the theory that shrimp can indeed be aggressive. This is a silly argument, I agree. The person that did post about their betta with torn up fins was probably fin nipping, and most of the damage not done by the ghost shrimp.


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## Adastra (Jun 18, 2010)

Then I fully support your statement that ghost shrimp are aggressive, although the consequences of that are mostly rather amusing rather than alarming.


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## FuulieQ (Jan 10, 2010)

I would think that if it was witnessed that the betta was dead and the shrimps were eating it, it would be more likely that the betta died first and was being scavenged by the shrimps than the shrimps chasing down and devouring the betta.

I was thinking about getting shrimps for my betta, and so far I've hesitated because I wasn't sure my betta would leave them alone - not the other way around. :l


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## carpenter547 (Sep 18, 2010)

ok sorry last post on the subject of shirmp and agression.

y'all *every one in the hobby* uses a loosely defined term to describe a set pattern of behavior.

in the context i use it i will define it.
agression is the credible display of serious intent to inflict damage.
example : My dog is agressive to other dogs he will lean foreward growl lower his tail raise the hair on his back and haunches and bare his teeth and will make mock lunges at almost any other dog in his yard.

attack is the completion of the treat to attack. 
example my dog then got loose from my hands and ate that poor chiwawa *mexican pet rat*. 

threat is the display of ability to inflict harm.
example my crawdad will raise its claws and act hostile every time i come by.

bs bullspud is the knowingly thowing out of false facts
example my ghost shrimp did serious damage to my betta.

you stated that you were defending some one else's statement. fine. the problem with that is you can't offer any proof that thier statement was correct. fine. 

now bottom line ghost shrimps of the real speices are of no danger to any thing larger than fish fry or eggs. this has been my stance this whole time. yes they will try to compete for food or space given the right stimuli however that is about the same as a kinder gardener trying to keep a toy from a highschooler and that doesn't count as agression. ghost shrimps will eat and fight with dwarf shrimps yes they will and yes that falls under agression. however just because they will attack smaller shrimps and attempt to dissuade doesn't mean they will "shred" any fish.

this is not an arguement that requires two people makeing personal attacks.
when you see *'s i have made a personal attack i don't cuz it is pointless online.
this was not even a heated debate that requires emotion.
i don't emotionally care whether posaune admits i am right or not i am mearly answering or replying to her as it were.
this was a nice *fun* debate however.

next post my links to my info on ghost shrimp as it has been requested. sorry for the tardiness i have had time to make a point and set up links as this is a school year and i spend my days getting the kids ready for school or cleaning up the house bah


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## carpenter547 (Sep 18, 2010)

one source link

http://www.petshrimp.com/glassshrimp.php this is one of the articles wiki pedia quotes as a source.
the wiki pedia article is here sorry can't find it any more.

http://www.theshrimpfarm.com/shrimp/american-glass-shrimp/ scroll down to the bottom to the section special notes.

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Palaemonetes_paludosus.html doesn't mention fish attacks does discribe how to tell them from other shrimp families though.

http://therealowner.com/fish-aquariums/ghost-shrimp-palaemonetes-paludosus/ no mention of eating fish however rather informative about this species.

http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/inv/ghostshrimp.php mentions agression to other shrimp but no mention of fish eating either.

http://www.fishlore.com/profile-ghostshrimp.htm is wrong about thier burrowing right about the rest still no mention of fish attacks.

http://www.petfish.net/ghost.htm a few wrong facts but still no mention of eating fish.

sorry but outa all the links i have and have reread not one of them talkes about shrimpzilla eating fish *other than fishmeal flakes etc.* and 2 of the above links offer an explanaition to the fish attacking ghost shrimps in that they are mislabled other species one even give an example of a typically mislabled shrimp speices.

i would quote them like you do but that wouldn't be helpfull and my laundry needs to be folded njoy.


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