Betta ate my ghost shrimp!

[beatle]

Bah! I came home from work today and went to feed my Betta. He didn't go nuts over the food like he usually does, and I then noticed some white, sparse "gunk" floating on the top of the water. I looked for my shrimp, which usually swims to the top for the food, but he's nowhere in sight. I then saw a bit of his exoskeleton and some "meat" hanging out of it. Upon further examination, I see my betta looks really fat and isn't as active as he usually is. I'm guessing he's pretty full!

I had the shrimp for about a month. He'd molted once already. I assume I'm asking for trouble putting another one in there, but he was such an efficient scavenger. Are there any other creatures that are good at cleaning up a 3g tank? Aside from being "cruel" to another ghost shrimp, am I risking my betta's health by putting another one in with him?

[Emg]

Yep, betta are known for eating ghost shrimp....lol....I have one in with one of my bettas, he hasn't touched it yet, but I'm sure sooner or later he will.

A good scavanger for a 3 gallon.....hhmm...that the betta won't eventually eat.......can't think of a one ! Some betta will even take bites out of a snail if you were to put one in there with it...but you could try. :huh:

Maybe you could try getting a LARGER ghost shrimp. They get up to 2 1/2 inches...I have some pretty hefty sized ghosts in some of my tanks....perhaps your betta won't bother a larger sized shrimp. You just want to be sure you don't get a preditory shrimp...one that would possibly EAT your betta !! :eek: Or try adding more plants and hiding spots for the shrimp.

[CBTF]

this actually shocks me!

i kept a ghost shrimp with my betta for a year before my he died (RIP). i bought another betta about a week and a half ago and he doesnt go after the ghost shrimp either.

perhaps my old betta was a tame one, and thats why the shrimp survived. he's an inch long now which may be what makes everyone else leave him alone.

as far as snails, i have large apple snails. each betta ive ever owned has tried at one point or another to kill them (although it doesnt work, its still a hazard.) smaller snails will be gone within the first few weeks. your best bet is a larger shrimp.

[reiverix]

I guess it's a hit or a miss with betta personalities. My betta ignores ghost shrimp. Then again, so do my dwarf puffers.

[beatle]

I'll just go for another ghost shrimp in a few days and perhaps a snail. My betta won't be eating for a few days. ;)

[CBTF]

precisely. beatle, how large was your ghost shrimp?


am I risking my betta's health by putting another one in with him?

Nope. Your betta probably enjoyed the snack. Shrimp can be found in many fish foods.

[beatle]

He was actually pretty big, approx 1.5" not including antennae, of course. My betta flared and snapped at him for the first couple days, then they didn't bother each other. Recently, I saw the betta eyeing the shrimp, but I thought nothing of it since there was no aggression.