Yes, a ghost shrimp can live with a betta, but it isn’t guaranteed. Many bettas ignore ghost shrimp, and others hunt them. It depends on the individual fish, so you need a roomy tank, plenty of cover, and a plan for removing the shrimp if the betta turns out to be a hunter.
Ghost shrimp (Palaemonetes paludosus) are small, usually about 1.5 inches, and spend most of their time near the bottom. Bettas stay in the upper and middle part of the tank, which helps. The shrimp are also see-through and unaggressive, so they rarely provoke a betta, but they are small enough to be treated as food.
How to improve the odds
- Use at least a 5-gallon tank, and preferably 10 gallons or more. More floor space gives the shrimp room to stay out of the way.
- Add dense plants, caves and driftwood. Floating plants and moss give shrimp somewhere to hide, especially after molting, when their shell is soft.
- Keep the betta well fed. A hungry betta is more likely to hunt. Feed floating pellets for the betta and sinking pellets for the shrimp.
- Choose a calm betta if you can. Female bettas are often more docile than males, though temperament varies.
- Cover filter intakes with sponge so the shrimp can’t get sucked in.
- Buy true ghost shrimp from a reliable source. Some shrimp sold under that name are other species.
What to watch for
Watch closely for the first few weeks. Warning signs include the betta chasing a shrimp, shrimp missing without a body, torn legs or antennae, or a shrimp that hides all the time. A betta that keeps going after the shrimp won’t stop, so move the shrimp to another tank. Ghost shrimp are cheap and short-lived (often about one year), so many keepers expect to lose a few even in a good setup.
If you’re unsure about keeping your ghost shrimp with a betta, here are some other tankmates you can consider instead. Keep in mind that each betta is different, and some will go after small fish or shrimp: