Betta and Ghost Shrimp living in harmony!

[Phil Fish]

So I started a little ghost shrimp bowl from a 1 gallon glass cylinder cookie jar. The substrate is very fine stone granules (almost sand) with a couple of live plants a large jagged rock and smaller rocks. I have some water wisteria floating on the surface which they hang out in. Right now there's also an air stone in the jar gently bubbling. It's connected to a control valve. I bought a dozen shrimp expecting a few fatalities. So far all have made it.

Anyhow I thought I would send a couple of shrimp on a suicide mission in a couple of male Betta tanks. I put one in my Delta tail's 2.5 gallon and accidentally put two in my Crowntail's 2.5 gallon tank. At first the Bettas were indifferent to them. Then all of a sudden Miles my Delta tail discovers his new tank mate and the chase began! Luckily the shrimp can move at the speed of light! Miles with his big flowing fins...not so much...lol It's funny because the shrimp follows him around and watches him. Syd my Crowntail eye balled his two shrimp buddies but then turned and swam a way. Both tanks have floating plants and hiding places for the shrimp.

So far no shrimp fatalities!

 

[Jessie J.]

Good to hear! But what may not be good to hear is that 1 or 2 gallon is way too small for a betta, especially for a betta and some shrimps too. Try moving them to a five gallon. Good luck with your shrimps!

 

[Phil Fish]

Good to hear! But what may not be good to hear is that 1 or 2 gallon is way too small for a betta, especially for a betta and some shrimps too. Try moving them to a five gallon. Good luck with your shrimps!

Thanks for the well wishes and advice!

Right now I have the two Bettas with the ghost shrimp in 2.5 gallon rectangular tanks each. I do have a blue Veiltail Betta (Phil) in a 5.5 gallon tank alone but the substrate isn't suitable for ghost shrimp. Of course I will be closely monitoring the water parameters and water changes when needed. Right now everything is stable. I only put the shrimp in with them just to see the reaction. Right now the Bettas are tolerating them.

The remaining 9 shrimp are in the 1 gallon glass cookie jar with rocks and plants as mentioned in my original post. I don't expect all 9 to live but you never know. The shrimp thing is kind of an experiment in a simple low tech natural aquarium. The ghost shrimp were cheap at $.049 cents each.

 

[Jeremy180]

While a standard 2.5 gallon tank, at one foot long just barely meets the 6 times the fish's length rule of thumb, a take that small is inherently unstable and has much less room for errors, which is why 5 gallons or more are usually recommended, and there is not really any spare room for tankmates under 5 gallons.
I would recommend keeping a very close watch on your parameters, especially ammonia.

 

[Phil Fish]

While a standard 2.5 gallon tank, at one foot long just barely meets the 6 times the fish's length rule of thumb, a take that small is inherently unstable and has much less room for errors, which is why 5 gallons or more are usually recommended, and there is not really any spare room for tankmates under 5 gallons.
I would recommend keeping a very close watch on your parameters, especially ammonia.

If I notice any ammonia spikes I will remove the shrimp from the Betta tanks and do water changes. I am more worried about my Bettas than the shrimp. This is all more of a behavioural experiment on my part and most likely temporary.

 

[Colin_T]

2 shrimp won't make much impact on the Betta's tank and if you do get an ammonia reading on either the shrimp or Betta tanks, do a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate each day until the levels are back on 0.

Have lots of plants in the tanks and keep feeding down to a couple of times a week, and do regular water changes and they should all be fine.

 

[NickAu]

but the substrate isn't suitable for ghost shrimp.

Why?

 

[Phil Fish]

2 shrimp won't make much impact on the Betta's tank and if you do get an ammonia reading on either the shrimp or Betta tanks, do a 75% water change and gravel clean the substrate each day until the levels are back on 0.

Have lots of plants in the tanks and keep feeding down to a couple of times a week, and do regular water changes and they should all be fine.

Well so far so good. The Bettas are fine with their little buddies and the shrimp don't seem to be intimidated by them. It's funny to watch them interact. I am going to the Petsmart today for some more hornwort to float in my tanks. My Bettas like it. I have silk plants, wisteria and a Java fern in those tanks right now.

The 5.5 gallon only has plastic plants and a very loose river rock substrate so I didn't add any shrimp to it yet. From my research apparently rock substrate isn't the best substrate for ghost shrimp. Sand or fine gravel is preferred since it allows food to lay on top and not get caught in rocks were the shrimp can't get it. I am new to this so I am not sure so I figured it would be best not to put a shrimp in there. Right now only my 2.5 gallon Betta tanks have gravel and real plants. That's why I put shrimps in them.

 

[Colin_T]

Shrimp are fine with any substrate (gravel or sand) and have long claws they can use to get bits of food from between the gravel.

 

[Phil Fish]

Shrimp are fine with any substrate (gravel or sand) and have long claws they can use to get bits of food from between the gravel.

What about river rocks? Would the shrimp be able to feed off of that?

 

[Colin_T]

Shrimp will pick at algae and other microscopic organisms on the rock, and they can pick bits of food out from around the edges. Live plants usually have more food on them than rocks.