Betta vs. Shrimp

[Studman0143]

Situation:
At work, I currently have a male Betta in a 1G cube and a 10" planted bowl with 4 red Rili's. I'm getting a bit tired of the Betta cube and would like to add it to the bowl.

The Questionable Issue at Hand:
The shrimp are not reproducing so I'm not worried about introducing the Betta to the bowl for that reason. What I don't know though is if the Betta would bully or try to eat the shrimp.

The rili's are full grown, are not producing babies (which is fine with me) and have hiding places in the dwarf sag and ludwigia in the bowl.

Will the Betta cause issues for the Rili's in the bowl under the above mentioned circumstances? Can I put them together?

Thanks!

[Green_Flash]

I am picking the betta, they like live snacks.

[wicca27]

it really depends on the fish, i have a female betta that will go after adult angelfish (yes its a female she has an egg tube and you can see inside her cause she is a milky white color) but my male short fin betta wont even look at shrimp. so its really your call you might try it out while at work and keep an eye on the betta and if it starts messin with shrimp put him back in his own tank

[plamski]

Originally Posted by wicca27

it really depends on the fish, i have a female betta that will go after adult angelfish (yes its a female she has an egg tube and you can see inside her cause she is a milky white color) but my male short fin betta wont even look at shrimp. so its really your call you might try it out while at work and keep an eye on the betta and if it starts messin with shrimp put him back in his own tank

+1.You have to try.I use to have 11 male bettas only 2 of them had "interest" to shrimps.

[Studman0143]

I think I'll just try it out since the outcome is unknown.
I'll be able to monitor him all day and have no problem trying it out.

Thanks for your input.

[Aside]

I have a make betta in with three shrimp. He seems to like to watch them. He'll swim up behind them and I'll think he's going to take a chomp but he just kind of hovers. The shrimp don't seem to bothered. At first they kind of stayed clear. They have been together for over a month now with no fatalities. The shrimp will swim right up to/by the betta.

[mackwell]

I had a male hmpk in a 2.5g with an amano shrimp. They were about the same size, and got along for maybe 3 months. I think the amano provoked the betta a couple times though, and the betta eventually ate the shrimp. I think he got it after it molted...That's just my experience with shrimps and bettas. Temperament definitely ranges though for both animals. I say, if you're gonna have shrimps with a betta, make sure there's a place for the shrimps to hide that the betta can't get to, for when they molt.

[mordalphus]

betta + shrimp = recipe for disaster

In this equation it's never about IF, it's about WHEN. Betta will one day figure out that those little red things swimming around are TASTY, then it will eat them all.

I had a betta, calm as could be, lived with a bunch of cherry shrimp for 6 months, then one day, no more shrimp in the tank, and a very dead and gorged betta. He ate himself to death. But he won the war, he eliminated every baby, juvie and adult in the tank!

[acitydweller]

To answer the question, Yes... the betta will cause an issue for the shrimp and Yes a Betta can be placed into the same tank as shrimp but why would any responsible shrimp owner consider this?

Bettas are hunters, fighters and solitary creatures and hardly ever citizens of a community. They will act on their whims and do as they please so any "known" behavior shouldn't give false hope that they would play nice forever given their natural instincts.

It will only take less than an hour for the betta to feel the urge to play, and hunt and harass each and every shrimp the in confines of that small tank until he is alone once more. Remember this is an 11" sub 1 gallon bowl...

Dwarf sag and ludwigia arent normally considered hiding spots in such a small tank but merely obstacles in a hunting ground. Hiding spots would be like cholla wood, carbon cylinders, caves but even a single step out would mean certain demise.

If you were bored of the shrimp or know not what to do to them, sell them or RAOK them away and keep the betta there. I'm certain others would appreciate and provide a good home for them.

[usgetata]

My betta was fine with the cherry for a month until we went for a 3 days mini vacation. When we came home, we found the cherry on the floor. I guess the betta was kind of hungry and decided to chase after the cherry, so that the cherry jumped for "survival"...

[Clemsons2k]

It depends on the Betta. From what I've noticed, there is a trend of Plakats being more aggressive than longer finned versions. My Plakat Betta tends to harrass his Ghost Shrimp tank mate whenever he notices him. I'm very hesitant to put any expensive shrimp in with him.

[chunkychun]

Here is my result from putting a betta in a tank with shrimps

[Clemsons2k]

Is he scared or hunting? lol

[shrimpzoo]

Makes me think of those cat and mouse cartoons where the cat tries to run through a small openning and gets stuck there lol.

Crazy how a betta can fit into a cholla wood tube to get a snack ._. A+ hunting lol

[abc]

it's possible but my experience is: the more colorful the shrimp the more likely the Betta will be agitated by the red hues. that bowl is also a very small space. if the Betta chases it, it's lunch