Betta fish are known as very territorial fish so if you have a betta fish, you may think of getting them another tank mate other than a fish.
Can You Put a Betta Fish with A Ghost Shrimp?
It depends on the temperament of the betta fish but yes, you can put some betta fish with ghost shrimp. The easiest way is to buy a betta fish that is already living with shrimp then put the betta in the tank that is already occupied by ghost shrimp. Then you need to make sure the tank is 10 gallons or larger and has plenty of plants and decorations or toys to keep the betta fish entertained so that the betta fish leaves the ghost shrimp alone.
People will very rarely put a betta fish with another betta fish. They will never put a male betta fish with another male betta fish. Sometimes a male and female will work or two females, but it always depends on the personality of the betta fish.
Betta fish just want their own turf, and they are very picky about what other aquatic creatures they will let roam their turf, if any. They are just too aggressive towards very colorful aquatic creatures, other males, and bigger fish.
A ghost shrimp only stands a chance because they are smaller and are practically see-through. Because of this, they stand a chance of not attracting too much attention and not getting attacked.
If attacked ghost shrimp don’t stand a chance. The only chance they have is if the betta fish leaves them alone. If the betta fish doesn’t leave them alone then they are tonight’s dinner for the betta.
Ghost shrimp are also smaller than the betta so hopefully the betta won’t perceive the ghost shrimp as a threat. Never fear, it will either work or it won’t and unfortunately, you won’t know until you try it.
By far and away, the easiest way to have a betta fish and ghost shrimp in an aquarium together is to buy a betta fish that is already living with some type of shrimp at the pet store before you even bring your betta home.
The Proper Way to Put Your Betta with a Ghost Shrimp
You need to make sure that there is enough room in your aquarium for the ghost shrimp and betta fish to live together. The more room, the better, a 15-gallon tank is the best minimum size. Make sure your tank has decorations for the betta to hide behind, in, or explore.
You want to keep your betta fish busy so that they don’t begin to focus too much attention on your ghost shrimp or they might start becoming aggressive toward it.
If you keep your betta fish busy, it will leave your ghost shrimp alone so your ghost shrimp can explore the aquarium decor as well as keep your aquarium clean.
You should also put the ghost shrimp in the aquarium first so they can explore and get used to it. Betta fish can be territorial, so if they are already in the tank, it will be harder for them to accept their ghostly friend.
This can be a win-or-lose situation if your betta starts constantly bothering or harassing your ghost shrimp. It may sound a little harsh but if your betta fish actually eats the ghost shrimp it is good for their diet. Ghost shrimp aren’t too pricey so you can keep feeding your betta fish ghost shrimp if you want as long as you’re not too attached to your ghostly friend.
What do I feed My Betta Fish?
Betta fish are carnivores. In their natural habitat, they eat mostly insects. There are plenty of betta fish formulas you can get online or at your local pet store. Only feed them enough betta fish food that they can eat in 3 minutes.
Most betta lovers feed their betta’s betta pellets. If you buy these make sure they are the kind that expand. You can also soak them in clean water so they expand before you put them in the tank.
Another food you can feed them is betta flakes. Make sure they are specifically formulated for bettas because bettas need a lot of protein since they are carnivores.
You can supplement their diet with live and frozen foods from your local pet store.
What Do I Feed My Ghost Shrimp?
Before you put your ghost shrimp in the aquarium, make sure that you put fine-grained sand in the bottom of your aquarium as substrate. This will mimic the ghost shrimp’s natural environment so that they will want to start eating.
Shrimp are considered cleaners and something that needs to be constantly cleaned is the substrate in your aquarium, so the ghost shrimp is going to be constantly cleaning and scavenging the substrate. They have very thin antenna-like structures that can be irritated very easily by bigger-grained sand.
Ensure the substrate is finely grained. Ghost shrimp have a long, sensitive antenna that could get damaged if they regularly rub against rough surfaces.
When you feed your ghost shrimp it is important to keep variety in their diet. There are many live and frozen foods that you can get for shrimp at the pet store. They like to eat fatty foods but if you buy the shrimp food at the pet store it will already have the fats that they need so you won’t have to worry.
Here’s a small list of foods that you can feed your shrimp and most likely get most of them at the pet store or online:
- Any kind of algae or algae wafers
- Shrimp Pellet Foods
- Fish Pellet Foods
- Aquarium Plants
- Brine Shrimp
- Daphnia
- Flake Foods
- Frozen Foods
- Fruit
- Green Vegetables
- Insects
- Mosquito Larvae
How much to feed your ghost shrimp depends on how dirty your tank is. Ghost shrimp as stated above are scavengers and cleaners so they will be constantly eating. If you have a lot of algae growing in your tank then the ghost shrimp won’t need that much food. Just feed them a little at a time and make sure they eat what you feed them.
If the aquarium already has fish in it then the ghost shrimp will hardly need any food.
Conclusion
I trust this has answered your question and now know that you can put betta fish with a ghost shrimp.
Let’s briefly go over the steps involved.
Let’s start with the easiest way to mix bettas and ghost shrimp. It is easiest to buy a betta fish that is already living with ghost shrimp. It is even easier if you put them in an aquarium that is already occupied by ghost shrimp. Make sure the aquarium has aquarium plants, decorations, or toys. This is to make sure the betta fish is entertained, and the ghost shrimp can get away from the betta fish.
