Ghost Shrimp with Bettas?

[An t-iasg]

I know that ghost shrimp and bettas can be tankmates, but it's hard to say whether the betta will leave the shrimp alone, or eat it!

Here is a description of my bettas. They are each in their own 5.5 gallon tank, with a heater, sponge filter, and 7 silk plants.

Benny is a little sweetie! He's very calm and easy-going. He seems a little bit bored, but do you think a shrimp would stress him?

Kenny is an absolute psycho! I would say that he'd eat the shrimp, but it may calm him down too, to have a little buddy. (well, maybe not...)

Would they do ok with a shrimp? I would try to get a bigger one, so they wouldn't try to eat it right away.

 

[Christmasfish]

50/50
Most of our betta and co, if they attack shrimp because it got too feely or daring at dinner...they say...YUM and devour it and every one after it.
Out of 22 bettas 4 don't eat shrimp...... yet.
Out of 60+ fish..4 betta 5 phantom tetra, and the 6 chocolate gourami do not eat shrimp or snails.

you can try...... if nothing else its a great meal... If it works then some excess will be cleaned up.

 

[lmw80]

I just put my betta in a 2 gallon tank and plan on trying the ghost shrimp/betta compatibility out...sometimes they are hard to come accross in my area, but when I do find them and house them with my betta, I will let you know how it goes!

 

[An t-iasg]

Thanks, guys...I think I'll try, because I've wanted to for awhile. Imw80, if you get one, post how it works out! I have plenty of silk plants for the ghost shrimp to hide in. Neither betta seems that thrilled with sitting on the plants. They both have favorite spots on the gravel, so I guess if the shrimp doesn't decide to sit there, it will be ok!

Last time I stopped in at the hatchery that I go to, there was a whole tank of ghost shrimp. The little ones were very cute, but they would be eaten, probably, so I'll get some bigger ones. I think I'll also get one live plant for each tank. The hatchery has a great selection of plants too!

So, ghost shrimp are not really algae eaters, right? What do I feed them -- just some flake food, and how often should I feed them?

 

[lyquidphyre]

My betta didn't take too kindly to the ghost shrimp. One shrimp commited suicide and jumped out of the bowl. Sir Edward the Third (my betta) decapitated the 2nd one... and the third one.. I guess he ate it.

But maybe with hiding places and more room than I had with my betta they might do okay =o)

good luck!

 

[Allivymar]

Well, looks like I have a little to add to this one although I wasn't expecting to LOL

I got 6 amano shrimp last week. After putting 3 in one tank, 3 in another, I put the java moss they came with into the tank with my betta. I happened to notice only yesterday, theres ANOTHER amano shrimp in with the betta LOL The betta is leaving it alone, although the shrimp stays in the java moss so that might be part of the reason why. I have a feeling, having a clump of java moss in the tank gives the shrimp a place to hide IF the betta decides to take a taste...

 

[smilla4]

I've seen a group of ghost shrimp attack one of my bettas 8O I decided to return them to pestmart.

Right now there's a betta and a _single_ ghost shrimp in my community tank. The ghost shrimp is about and inch and a quarter long. Occasionally they bump into each other when she's swimming around. It's kinda funny to watch because they're both like "ACK!!" and kinda do that dancing thing you do when you bump into someone in the hallway. But then he's also trying to dodge her claws at the same time. Other than that they seem to ignore each other.

 

[An t-iasg]

he's also trying to dodge her claws

Hmmm...this could change things! I didn't think ghost shrimp had claws. Other types of shrimp, maybe, but not ghost shrimp. Am I mistaken?

Thanks for the java moss suggestion, Allivymar. I was going to get a cabomba because I like them, but maybe java moss would be better for the ghost shrimp?

 

[lmw80]

I have never heard of ghost shrimp being violent. While they do have claws, they use them primarily for picking food. Smilla, are you sure you have ghost shrimp, and not another type of shrimp in your tank.

 

[lyquidphyre]

I had a few ghost shrimp and a few Indian Prawn that look EZAKLY like ghost shrimp. The indian prawn killed off the smaller ghost shrimp and then had my big fancy goldfish on his side. My first reaction was to hit the glass. One jumped off but the other kept at it. So I had to stick my hand in there to get him to stop.

Needless to say, I got rid of the Indian Prawn

 

[An t-iasg]

Lyquidphyre, did you post a picture of the prawn before? I think I remember that prawn -- it was awfully scary looking!

 

[lyquidphyre]

Yesh I did! They are in my photo gallery. I was freaking out when they attacked my goldfish was was 5 times bigger then they were.

 

[smilla4]

I don't know what type she is. She was labelled as a "ghost shrimp" at petsmart. She has a red dot at each corner of her tail, red at the base of her antennaes and claws. She's clear with a bunch of yellow dots speckling her shell. She has a yellow stripe at each segment of her "shell" along the tail. She seems to have maxed out at an inch and a quarter long. I've seen her carrying eggs, so I know it's a female.

The group I had and returned only attacked when the betta drifted into their vicinity. There were a few females with eggs, and the betta was new to the tank as well, so they may have deemed him a threat. Their claws were tiny, but one of the larger ones was able to latch onto the betta's tail (coincidentally it was one of the egg bearing females).

The current one will only snap at fish with her claws when they bother her (ie she found the algae tablet first and they want it) or when my betta isn't looking where he's going (ie he's dancing around in front of the glass trying to get my attention) and swims into her. Either she just wants him out of the way or just percieves he is harassing her. Otherwise she just explorers the gravel for food.


Jeez lyquidphyre, your prawn attacked your GOLDFISH??

 

[lyquidphyre]

If it has claws- its not a ghost shrimp =o)
It sounds like you have Indian Prawn.

Where in Texas are you from? I only ask because you might have gone to the same place I did and got Indian Prawn. (but then again, Tx is huge hehe)

I talked to the fish store I got my "ghost shrimp" from and he said sometimes the person he gets his ghost shrimp from will send Indian Prawn and its really hard to tell them apart when they are little.

If you go look in my photo gallery I have a few pictures of the monsters. I bet that is what you have.
Im sure your betta will be able to keep its own ground because it is a semi aggressive fish, my goldfish doesn't know how to defend himself. But yah, two of them pinned my goldfish to the gravel.

 

[Christmasfish]

The word "claw" and "ghost shrimp" do not go in same sentence.
The "claw" is near microscopic in difference to its regular feet.
I only have one of the tasty thing sleft in a tank with a finicky eater. They are NOT the attackers in any case. More often they are the luch. Even my tetra and bettas gobble em down (scarey to see a betta tear up and eat an animal the same basic body size as itself...yeesh!).
And I thought ghost shrimp are kinda hard to get started into breeding (tghey have to get real comfy first). I wouldn't know...mine dont last long enough...

 

[Allivymar]

Yeah, ghost shrimp are scavengers, not predators. It sounds like a ghost shrimp, but they aren't set up to bother fish, even when being attacked. The macrobrachiums CAN be peaceful, but they tend to grab onto longfinned fish; sounds more like your guys.

 

[smilla4]

If this helps this looks like mine (link from another site). It looks like its even got the red color at the base of the antennae like mine.

http://www.fishpondinfo.com/amyshrimp.jpg

The claws are tiny, but just large enough to get a hold of a tail.

 

[Allivymar]

I found a pic of an Indian Glass Shrimp, which is one of the evil macrobrachium species: http://www.franksaquarium.com/freshwatershrimpfarm.htm . Its not the greatest pic, but you can see how much it resembles a ghost shrimp.

 

[lmw80]

Ok....I know its been a month since this post was last "active", but....I finally got my ghost shrimp!

I have 2 ghost shrimp in my 2 gallon with my betta. They have been in there since yesterday at approximately 9:30 am. I have fake plants in there that the shrimp seem to love to hide in and hang around. However, when the shrimp are on the bottom, or even as they are swimming right past the betta!!, he doesn't seem the least bit interested in them. The greatest test will be over the weekend, as I am not at work to feed him Saturdays or Sundays. I feed him before I leave on Friday at 5:30 pm, and when I come in Monday morning at 8 am. I will keep you updated!

Ok, now the interesting thing is that I couldn't find any ghost shrimp by me, but this girl from work said she sees them at the petsmart by her all the time. She said she would pick up a couple for me. The first 2 she got for me, she housed them in her betta tank overnight - and they were eaten! The second batch she just left in the bag overnight, and those are the ones I have now.

I am going to give it another week before I decide my ghost shrimp are officially safe, but so far, so good!

 

[Menagerie]

I was wondering what had happened! I hope your shrimps are safe