# Can cherry shrimp and bettas



## endlerguppy

Can cherry shrimp and 1 male betta live okay in a 4 gallon tank.(p.s the betta had to be moved from the community tank as it attacked a platy and ate its tail but the platy is doing fine.)


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## dolifisis

I kept some in a 5 gallon and my betta had them for breakfast, lunch and dinner. There were also caves and live plants in there and he still sought them out!


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## BettaGuy

I wouldn't do it since you betta attacked a platy who is much bigger than a cherry shrimp, unless you want to provide your betta with an expensive snack.


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## Betta man

Good conditioning food if your breeding.... I wouldn't put them in with a betta unless you had a lot of cover and the betta was known not to eat shrimp. Try it out with ghost shrimp to see if it's a shrimp eater.


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## endlerguppy

*do you*

do you know why my betta fish is quite lazy?


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## Betta man

What is the temp of the water? When did you do a water change last? What type of filtration do you have? Is he old? Is he bloated? Is he sick? Those questions need to be answered before I know.


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## WildForFish

endlerguppy,

Would you clarify, what you mean by "quite lazy"?

Not sure, I get possible illness from that description.


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## endlerguppy

*he just*

he just doesnt swim around much but when he does he swims very slow.


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## Betta man

Most bettas act that way because of bad water conditions or sickness. We need to know the water temp and quality.


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## endlerguppy

*the temp*

the temp is room temperature and i dont test the water but i will just test it now.


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## lohachata

actually...bettas are not a real active fish..it is their nature to just kind of hang out..they don't flit around the tank like tetras and barbs and danios...so this fish , if being decently kept and being on the lazy side has nothing to do with poor water conditions..he is just being a betta.


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## WildForFish

Betta man,

I believe you would do well to change the beginning of your statement
(in most instances) from "most bettas" to "my bettas" that would be more experience oriented on your part.

I agree with Loha, as I found with most of my bettas to be very laid back.

Even in the big sorority tanks, the females after establishing the hierarchy were totally
lackadaisical on a daily basis.


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## endlerguppy

*the water is*

the water test is 
NH3/Nh+4=0.25mg/l


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## BettaGuy

Well "Room temperature" as I interpret it is 18C. That is way to cold for a betta. It should be at around 24C-25C. That might explain why your betta is swimming so slow. Possibly throw a heater in there.


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## lohachata

god....i wish my room temp was 18C.....


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## WildForFish

okay, three things.

A water change is in order, ammonia level should be at 0.

Can you check your nitrIte & nitrAte levels? This is a new tank as the betta was moved out of the community tank?

Please give your actual room temperature.


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## Betta man

Actually, just being a betta is usually swimming around actively instead of lying at the bottom all day. Remind me to show you a vid of my male poseidon swimming laps in my 20 gal. The only male that I have that lays around all day is constable who has an ulcer. He is also very large and has trouble swimming. In my experience, the larger the fish, the less active it is.


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## endlerguppy

*the tank*

the tank was cycled and i am doing a water change tomorrow and my room is really hot cos i always have the door closed and i cant test those tomorrow unless im allowed in town.


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## BettaGuy

lol lohachata, my room temperature isn't 18C either, but thats the temperature that is seen as room temperature


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