A Shrimp Killed My Betta?

I have/had a betta in a 20 gallon long with live plants, Amano Shrimp, nerite snails, a filter, heater, and overhead light. I’ve been out of town since December 14th and have had a pet sitter come every other day to feed my betta and stuff.

This morning my pet sitter said one of my shrimp was picking on my betta, and tonight when she went by to check on them to maybe separate them or something she says she found the betta dead being eaten by the shrimp. According to the pet sitter the largest shrimp that has some black inside it above it’s legs was the one picking on my betta earlier.

I don’t really know how this happened. My betta has been having a fin problem for a few months and I raised the water temp and stuff to make sure that if it was some kind of fungus or something it might be killed off by the higher temperature.

I read sometimes aggressive shrimp are sold as ghost shrimp, could this be what happened? I’m just devastated about my betta, I’ve had him a bit over a year and he was the sweetest betta. I’m not going to be home for over a week and I just don’t know what to do.

 

Amano or Ghost shrimp couldn't kill a healthy betta. So sorry about your guy.

 

Maybe the sitter has been overfeeding, fliters clogged up?

Id suggest a water change and or reduce feeding to every 3 days till your back to inspect the rest of the fish and test water

 

The shrimp that was eating the betta from the sitter. I don’t think she was over feeding him, I told her around 2-4 pellets depending on how much he can quickly eat.

 

Heat alone at 25c won't kill all fungus, try aquarium salt or a malachite green product such as paraguard if trying to rid fungus

Did you add or remove anything to tank before leaving?

 

Before leaving I gently cleaned the filter pads, changed the tank water, and set the tank light on 24/7 mode so it would be dark at night and light in day.

 

I have a feeling the Betta was weak for some reason and the shrimp sensed this. It seems quite unlikely for even a large shrimp to be able to kill a healthy Betta. Aquatic animals just aren't sentimental and don't have friends. Everybody in the tank is potential food if only they could get it.

I'm sorry for your loss.

 

Maybe something else killed him. He was having fin trouble for a while, but he was still very active and friendly. I researched what to do but I had to make a separate tank to treat the betta so the copper wouldn’t kill the shrimp and snails.

I’m just not sure and I didn’t think he would die while I was gone and I’m just not sure what to do.

 

I’m just not sure and I didn’t think he would die while I was gone and I’m just not sure what to do.

If you like, have the fish sitter wrap him in a tissue and either freeze or refrigerate him. That way you can say goodbye properly when you get back. It's horrible for you (it's always hard to loose a pet, even if it's 'just a fish'- and I think people who say that have never had fish), but at least the Betta isn't feeling any pain.