Betta Tank Mates

[injektion]

ok so i've been meaning to get a betta for a while now but i have a couple questions before i dart to my LFS.

1. I have a couple ottos and a couple shrimp in my tank..is it ok to put a male betta in there?
2. Would the betta eat my shrimp? they're quite small (about 1 - 1.5cm).

please let me know as i've been dying to grab a betta i've looked at for quite some time.

 

[LauraFrog]

1. How big is the tank? If it's more than about 4 gallons it would not be overstocked by adding a betta, provided that you have filtration. (Is there a cycled filter running on the tank? Also, how much current does it create?)

2. The shrimp are too big for the betta to eat them but he might harass them. If there are some small plants (like hairgrass or lilaeopsis) in the tank or some hiding places where the betta can't chase them they should be fine.

I should probably warn you - basically nobody on this forum has been able to stop at one betta. So you might as well start planning the space for the next tank (or ten) while you're at it.

 

[smegforbrains]

Hmmmm. My one Betta now equals six. Plus I am adopting Nero from Phoenixbaby in a day or two


I've always found Corys and Plecs to be the best tank mates. Never tried shrimps - they don't appeal to me at all I'm afraid.

 

[killudead]

So true about multiple betta illness.
I too suffer from this issue.

I have a betta with the following tank mates
2 platy's
3 black neon tetras
1 cory cat
1 oto
1 bumble bee gombi. (he is so cute. I love to watch him eat. He will go after anything, plants, fins, food, etc.. for some reason he just darts at it and tries to eat it.)

 

[AmberLynn]

otos are great tank mates for bettas! How big is your tank? I had some ghost shrimp in with one of my bettas a few years ago and every day there were less and less shrimp. Im pretty sure my betta ate them.

 

[newfishy]

if your betta is hungry enough he will rip the shrimp to bits and then eat them.