10 Gallon Tank Enough cover for shrimp?

[attheworld]

In my 10 gallon tank I have a male betta and a nerite snail. I used to have a mystery snail until recently they passed away from sickness (water company dropped the pH on me from 7.6 to 7.0, I used to do 50% PWC every week so I could fully vacuum. Somehow my nerite's okay). Almost since I set up the tank (21/01/31) I have wanted to add neo shrimp. Now, with only a nerite and a betta, I think it's almost time. I know how to feed and care for the shrimp (would love tips though). All I need is a quarantine tub and reassurance that my betta won't turn the shrimp into snacks.

I ask FishLore now. Below is a picture of my 10 (it doesn't look very nice right now but I will clean it over the next couple days and the shrimp would help too). Do you think there's enough cover presently? In the future I will add moss to the wood and maybe let it carpet a little. The back right corner/behind the DW will eventually fill with plants. But right now - is this enough for the shrimp to feel comfortable?

Space info: My betta has claimed the 3 stone caves for resting. There is a huge bush of limnophila in the left corner and next to it, bacopa. Crypts in the front by the DW, unidentified plant on the left (looks like leggy pygmy sword or vals). 2 separate anubias in the center filling in the crevices/cracks in the DW. Dwarf water lettuce as a floating plant.

Tank info:
Size: 10 gallons
Filter: HOB Topfin (w/ DIY media + intake sponge, output sponge baffle)
Heater: Topfin 50W
Ammonia: 0 ppm
Nitrite: 0 ppm
Nitrate: 5-10 ppm
pH: 7.6 (Tap is 7.0)
Temperature: 79°F
Cycled?: Finished cycling ~3 months ago
Water change schedule: 20% Saturday + Sunday, I vacuum

If you need to know about anything, ask.

TIA,
- Att.

 

[flopperfrog]

In my 10 gallon tank I have a male betta and a nerite snail. I used to have a mystery snail until recently they passed away from sickness (water company dropped the pH on me from 7.6 to 7.0, I used to do 50% PWC every week so I could fully vacuum. Somehow my nerite's okay). Almost since I set up the tank (21/01/31) I have wanted to add neo shrimp. Now, with only a nerite and a betta, I think it's almost time. I know how to feed and care for the shrimp (would love tips though). All I need is a quarantine tub and reassurance that my betta won't turn the shrimp into snacks.

I ask FishLore now. Below is a picture of my 10 (it doesn't look very nice right now but I will clean it over the next couple days and the shrimp would help too). Do you think there's enough cover presently? In the future I will add moss to the wood and maybe let it carpet a little. The back right corner/behind the DW will eventually fill with plants. But right now - is this enough for the shrimp to feel comfortable?
View attachment 793063
Space info: My betta has claimed the 3 stone caves for resting. There is a huge bush of limnophila in the left corner and next to it, bacopa. Crypts in the front by the DW, unidentified plant on the left (looks like leggy pygmy sword or vals). 2 separate anubias in the center filling in the crevices/cracks in the DW. Dwarf water lettuce as a floating plant.

Tank info:
Size: 10 gallons
Filter: HOB Topfin (w/ DIY media + intake sponge, output sponge baffle)
Heater: Topfin 50W
Ammonia: 0 ppm
Nitrite: 0 ppm
Nitrate: 5-10 ppm
pH: 7.6 (Tap is 7.0)
Temperature: 79°F
Cycled?: Finished cycling ~3 months ago
Water change schedule: 20% Saturday + Sunday, I vacuum

If you need to know about anything, ask.

TIA,
- Att.

yes i think there is

 

[awilkinson871]

What kind of shrimp? I know bettas often go after the smaller kinds so maybe some larger types.

 

[attheworld]

What kind of shrimp? I know bettas often go after the smaller kinds so maybe some larger types.

I'd prefer coloured neocaridina shrimp, probably cherries. Might go for orange or amanos, though. I'm worried amanos may be too aggressive, and spar with my betta over food. Whereas cherries may be too much of a target.

 

[awilkinson871]

I would be worried about small cherries since they need to hide after molting. They need thick vegetation or crevices to hide until their new shell hardens. That is when they are most vulnerable and when the betta would most likely take them out if it wanted to.

 

[StarGirl]

I'd prefer coloured neocaridina shrimp, probably cherries. Might go for orange or amanos, though. I'm worried amanos may be too aggressive, and spar with my betta over food. Whereas cherries may be too much of a target.

I dont think Amanos would fight for food. I would worry more about the betta taking their food. My betta scared my cherries into hiding.

 

[veggieshark]

I would use more surface cover for shrimp. My first purchase of caridina shrimp was 5 bee (or bumblebee, don't remember) shrimp. One came dead and two jumped out within the next couple days. Needless to say, I lost the caridina before they could become a population. If you are keeping a small number of shrimp watch out for jumpers.

 

[attheworld]

I have never kept shrimp before (only done a lot of research), so I'm grateful FishLore can help me out here.

I would be worried about small cherries since they need to hide after molting. They need thick vegetation or crevices to hide until their new shell hardens. That is when they are most vulnerable and when the betta would most likely take them out if it wanted to.

Alright, I'll fill in the back right with plants and see if I can add more little caves/hides. There is a little curve in the bottom of the big chunk of driftwood, do you think I could dig that out for another cave?

I dont think Amanos would fight for food. I would worry more about the betta taking their food. My betta scared my cherries into hiding.

You would know better than me. My betta loves his food, a couple times he's even snagged kale from my snail (he was on a fast though, hungrier than usual).

I would use more surface cover for shrimp. My first purchase of caridina shrimp was 5 bee (or bumblebee, don't remember) shrimp. One came dead and two jumped out within the next couple days. Needless to say, I lost the caridina before they could become a population. If you are keeping a small number of shrimp watch out for jumpers.

I'll add a lid before shrimp. I would like the water lettuce to cover my tank surface but when they build up too much, they block light from other plants and slow flow. I need to rig something up that keeps them over my anubias/DW or something.

I'll start with 6 shrimp. I will purchase amanos first and see how it goes, since they're bigger, and translucent. If my betta's docile with them, maybe in the future I could try adding cherries. And if things go horribly wrong, I could keep them in the QT until I can set up a permanent tank. For now, I still need to alter/add a few things...
- turn tank into jungle
- acquire lid
- buy shrimp food (do you think shrimp would go for snello?)
- set up QT

Thoughts?

 

[MasterPython]

If you want to try cherry shrimp having some piles of pebbles for the babies to hide in might help. But some bettas will hunt and kill adults and wipe out the population more directly.