Baby Boy Betta Safe With Ghost Shrimp?

I bought a baby boy betta today at Petco. He’s interesting looking, so I’m curious to see how he’ll grow out. And I’m hoping he’s actually a boy too...

Anyway I have him in a 3.7 gal with a ghost shrimp. (Also there’s a few young mystery snails in there (they will be moved out once I get another tank - temporary emergency situation when my other bettas were biting their antennas to death). Although the baby is already interested in their antennas...grrrrr.)

Is he safe with the ghost shrimp? I’m feeding the shrimp every other day or so. The inverts have been getting a zucchinI slice, algae wafers, and/or shrimp pellets. I’m assuming that’s enough to keep him from snacking on my betta or vice versa? I’d say the shrimp is slightly longer than the betta right now.

 

At such young age you could get him used to the shrimp maybe. Its all on how he feels.... You can test but he may attack them. Its really a 50-50 chance he doesn't eat them or he does. Personally id test his aggression and then try it since the shrimp already are in there the betta couldn't guard the tank as his own territory because its the shrimps.

 

He’s already in there It’s only 1 ghost shrimp. I’m not sure if he’s even seen it yet. It’s been hiding...I was more worried the shrimp would attack the betta! But I have gotten attached to the shrimp...I think the betta is going to need to move if he shows any interest in it...

 

He’s already in there It’s only 1 ghost shrimp. I’m not sure if he’s even seen it yet. It’s been hiding...I was more worried the shrimp would attack the betta! But I have gotten attached to the shrimp...I think the betta is going to need to move if he shows any interest in it...

Keep an eye on him overnight as I believe shrimp are nocturnal? I don't think the shrimp would ever attack the betta... unless it was dead because they only scavenge on dead things.

 

I caught my shrimp doing laps this morning and Merlin my betta got in his way so he literally just climbed over the betta and kept going. Merlin didn’t even twitch. He follows them around a bit if I’m not by the tank (it’s on my kitchen table) but has never even glanced at them otherwise. I’m hoping to try cherries with him.

 

I caught my shrimp doing laps this morning and Merlin my betta got in his way so he literally just climbed over the betta and kept going. Merlin didn’t even twitch. He follows them around a bit if I’m not by the tank (it’s on my kitchen table) but has never even glanced at them otherwise. I’m hoping to try cherries with him.

That was my original hope with my first two bettas. They have a well decorated 5 gallon each and I put two darn mystery snails in and they pestered them for hours on end so I had to remove the poor guys. Now I’ve got 4 mystery snails with nowhere to go. I’m going to buy 2 5 gallons or a 10 gallon. But lids are so expensive it seems silly to just not buy a kit that matches the 4 tanks I already have.

Oh and that means I will not dare stick my lovely shrimp in with them!!

Well, he went into the specimen container for time out until I get things sorted out. A couple mystery snails are missing more of their antennas and I witnessed him attacking them. Sigh. Ghost shrimp is okay though.

 

Well, he went into the specimen container for time out until I get things sorted out. A couple mystery snails are missing more of their antennas and I witnessed him attacking them. Sigh. Ghost shrimp is okay though.

The biggest thing is that ghost shrimp are clear. I can’t wouch for all fish but I had a German ram that didn’t care about the ghost shrimp but devoured some 15 cherries in 20 minutes

 

Hmm that's interesting, I introduced 2 mystery snails to my Betta Amethyst and he was a little interested at the strt but then leftthem alone for a month before I accidentally killed them:'( I had become quiet attached to them as well I have cherry shrimp and crystal red shrimp with him now, he chases them on the is occasion but I ha e plenty of hiding spots for them so they just shoot off into a hiding spot.

 

Hmm might try the ghost shrimp at some point. Not sure why all my bettas are bent on biting my mystery snails. I assumed the baby would be no problem

Aww I’m sorry siameseAmethyst! What happened? I’m afraid I’m going to kill them too...

I did put the nerite in with one of the bettas when he was distracted, and he hasn’t seemed to notice. But as someone else mentioned to me, they do have less exposed fleshy parts than mystery snails.

Edit: I could swap him with the other new betta’s temporary habitat and see if he tries to attack the snails. The other adult male has just been staring at the bubbles coming out of the under gravel filter almost continuously since I put him in there. It’s like he’s stoned or something. He’s just 100% fascinated by them. LOL

 

How big are the mystery snails... mine were maybe a 20 cent peice... I decided to get another little one 2 days ago because I just loved my other ones, who ever knew snails could have individual personalities my little one was only the size of about a 5 cent peice and Amethyst picked on him a lot :/ so I've put him in a net still dangling in the water for now, I have ordered a breeding fry net from ebay and will put him in there till he gets bigger and see what happens then

Oh and I think I may have accidentally shocked the snails when I panicked after getting a infection of hydra in my tank and went on a quarantine rampage :/ putting my snails, shrimp and Betta all in separate tanks, in my haste I forgot fo compare water levels of the different tanks with the infected tank and also that it woukd be nice to heat the water up in the quarantine tanks to the same as in the infected tank where tbey came from anyways lesson learnt and I think it was soon after I joined fishlore its been an excellent wealth of knowledge and people on here are more than happy to answer my questions

 

Yes met a lot of helpful people here! They’re probably 4 times his size so I was surprised. He’s brave. Apparently. Lol