Can a betta live with cherry shrimp?

Sometimes, with care.

Betta fish eat baby shrimp and may pick off adults. Dense plants and moss help a colony survive.

Plan on a tank of at least 5 gallons for both.

By tank size

Below 5 gallons there isn’t enough room for both, so the answer is no.

How to try it

Use at least a 5-gallon tank, and bigger is better if you can manage it, because more space lets shrimp stay out of the betta's reach. Cover the tank floor and sides with dense plants and moss, and add at least 6 cherry shrimp to a mature, cycled tank with one betta.

1. Cycle the tank fully and let the plants and moss grow in before any animals go in. Both species need a mature tank.
2. Keep the water at 75–82°F, pH 6.5–7.5 and 4–8 dGH, so it suits both the betta and the shrimp.
3. Add the shrimp first, at least 6 of them, and give them a few weeks to settle in and find hiding spots in the moss.
4. Feed the betta well right before you add it, so it is less likely to go after the shrimp straight away.
5. Add the betta last, and watch the first few hours closely, then check in several times a day for the first week.

Warning signs in the first weeks

• The betta chases or flares at the shrimp, or hovers near the moss clumps where they hide.
• You see fewer shrimp over time, or you stop seeing baby shrimp. Bettas eat baby shrimp, and shrimp don't always leave a body behind.
• Shrimp stay hidden all the time, or they rush around in a panic whenever the betta comes near.
• Adult shrimp turn up with missing legs or antennae, or you find damaged shrimp, which means the betta is picking them off.

Backup plan: If the betta keeps hunting the shrimp, or the colony shrinks despite dense cover, separate them. Move the betta, or the shrimp, to their own tank of at least 5 gallons. A colony of 6 or more shrimp does better on its own, and the betta will do well alone.

How we reached this verdict

Side by side

Better tank mates for a betta

Ember tetra10 gal+ togetherPygmy corydoras10 gal+ together

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