[MyRainbowBettaFish]

Hey everybody!

I am going to Petsmart tomorrow to pick up some supplies for the 10 gal, and i thought that since i now have a moss ball that is thriving in my tank, why not try out some shrimp with Honeycomb? I was only planning on 2 or 3, just to see how he handles them(he seems pretty mellow) since he has been in that tank for almost 2 years...

Also, would the nutrients/particles on the moss ball provide an ample source of food? if not, what else would i feed them?

I have never had invertebrates, so some care and info would really help.

The tank is currently at 81-82 degrees with a TOP FIN filter, and Neptune submersible heater. I do weekly water changes of 25-30%, sometimes twice a week if he tore his fin.

How hardy are ghost shrimp? Could they hurt my betta?

I am getting Ghost shrimp because i would like my tank to be a little more "lively", but if it is bad idea, i will refrain from buying any whatsoever.

Ghost shrimp are also the only shrimp they carry at my local Petsmart,and they don't do special orders or requests.

My biggest question:Are Ghost shrimp hardy, will they add activity to me tank, are they good for beginners, and..CAN THEY TRANSMIT DISEASES FROM INVERTEBRATES TO FISH?

These shrimp are really cheap, so if it dosent go well, i am not losing money.

Thanks to all of you who read this ridiculously long post, and i appreciate any suggestions or advice you can give me!:-D

 

[ChoclateBetta]

They can be hard to see males are smaller than females I love shrimp as pets. An apple snail would be interesting ghost shrimp live 1-2 years they are native to eastern america and are used as live food.

 

[MyRainbowBettaFish]

thanks, but i have had apple snails and while they are fun, they produce a lot of ammonia and i have had bad experiences with them.

Anybody else, can you help? I will be going today, so any help would be appreciated!

 

[MyRainbowBettaFish]

Also, i forgot to mention, i have HIGH ph, along with VERY HARD water

Sadly, my local Petco/Petsmart has not been carrying Nerite snails lately, so my only option right now are Mystery snails(they produce too much ammonia for me and i have had bad experiences associated with them) and Ghost shrimp.


Thanks everybody! I am going today anyway for supplies, so i would like any advice you can give me!

 

[starrlamia]

ghost shrimp will do fine in your tank and ghost shrimp are hardy little guys. Provide them with lots of hiding spaces incase your betta decides they are tasty or incase you get a brazen shrimp, some can be a bit bolder and snap at a fish but it doesnt usually happen (usually the bettas eat the shrimp haha).
Yes they can spread parasites to fish, you can quarantine for a week or so to see how they fare, depends on how much you trust your store, but for petco/petsmart I would recommend quarantining.

 

[MyRainbowBettaFish]

ghost shrimp will do fine in your tank and ghost shrimp are hardy little guys. Provide them with lots of hiding spaces incase your betta decides they are tasty or incase you get a brazen shrimp, some can be a bit bolder and snap at a fish but it doesnt usually happen (usually the bettas eat the shrimp haha).
Yes they can spread parasites to fish, you can quarantine for a week or so to see how they fare, depends on how much you trust your store, but for petco/petsmart I would recommend quarantining.

the only problem with that is that i don't have a quarantine tank :X

:/ it sucks i know....

Should i just skip them as to not risk endangering my betta? Maybe get another decoration instead to spruce up the tank? :?

 

[starrlamia]

you could always invest in a small kritter keeper, it's always handy to have an extra little tank hanging around for sick or new guys.

 

[MyRainbowBettaFish]

you could always invest in a small kritter keeper, it's always handy to have an extra little tank hanging around for sick or new guys.

Thanks, but until i get a KK, i will leave Honeycomb alone

Maybe i will even wait for my divided tank to buy some :-D

Thanks!

 

[ballard2]

i am new to betta, i decided to add some shrimp(amano i think) from my lfs, one escaped the fluval chi by climbing the filter and the arm that holds filter in place. my cat got to him b4 me. one was killed by a betta. so i guess it really depends on how tolerant tour fish are of tankmates.

 

[MyRainbowBettaFish]

Thanks everybody! i decided to wait and get them when i divide the 10 gal

I appreciate all the help!

 

[Boo]

I have a couple ghost shrimp with my betta in my 20gallon. The only thing I had a problem with was my shrimp cooking!!

I have very high pH and very hard water too, and those two factors have never effected my shrimp, only my temperature. My tank usually hovers around 78 - 80 Fahrenheit. I got 8 shrimp originally and only two have survived. The other six all died over the course of about 3 weeks. I would find them on the bottom of the tank bright pink and cooked through!! It seems some of them manage to adapt and some don't. Since they're only like 30 cents a piece its not costly to try until you find a tough guy. The two I have now a very active, healthy and large. They're thriving and my betta doesn't mind them at all.

 

[MyRainbowBettaFish]

Thank you!

 

[starrlamia]

Pink is the normal colour they go when they die.