Keeping a Betta with Caridina Shrimp

[DreaminginBlue]

Has anyone successfully kept a betta with caridina shrimp? If so, how?
I am helping a friend set up a tank and though I warned them bettas are predators and shrimp are prey, they want to house them together in a 15 gallon column tank.
The best I can think of doing is to plant the tank densely and cycle it, add the shrimp and allow them to breed, and when their numbers are high add a betta and monitor it closely. If the betta is actively eating all the shrimp, I'll have to rehome him (I have an empty ten gallon at home he can have all to himself). If the betta seems to leave the shrimp alone, I'll leave him in there.
I figured if the shrimp are there first the betta won't see them as intruders on his territory, or as food (the way I see it, the only things we really drop into fish tanks are meant to be food, so I can understand if he sees them as a snack.) will adding the betta last help at all, in your opinion? I know it also depends on personality.

 

[drm315]

I think it's pretty much a hit or miss situation. Some bettas can be with shrimp and others will kill them. I don't think you'll really know until you put them together. I've always kept my bettas alone with an occasional snail.

 

[Viccy]

I have Danio's with my Betta and get along fine and play together at times , I use peppercorn Cory cats as cleaners

 

[Autumnsky]

Agreed the only way to have adult shrimp is get the population up. BUT...

Betta will do what a Betta wants. It will eat small ones as little treats to hunt for in the tank.

The problem is as the Betta matures and gets more aggressive with fish hormones.

Every day might be peaceful for the adult shrimp (snails, coexisting tank fish) until the day you look into the tank and BAM!!! there has been a vicious attack and parts of bodies that haven't been eaten lay torn to shreds.

Possible, but unlikely to stay a utopia forever. Just be willing to lose anything in the tank to a murderous rage.

This has happened to me and so many other keepers I have seen over the years. always a "I don't understand what happened, everything has been so nice/happy/peaceful"

In describing a Award winning breeders set up for Betta I have seen...
These fish can be raised in tanks, when pretty young full of males and females. Breeders always do their best to separate M & F. Then Males can stay together for awhile without having the F in there with the F hormones in the water. (most F can stay together - "sorority" but not all, personality/behavior is a factor)

But then as the M get bigger, territory becomes an issue, so they are separated again into 1 M only containers. M kept in 1 Betta only tanks.