As the popularity of keeping betta fish keeps sky rocketing as well as the popularity of keeping various types of shrimp in an aquarium also increases, we have noticed more and more people reaching out with various questions about keeping betta fish and shrimp together.
Over the last couple of months, bamboo shrimp have been increasing in their popularity within the fish keeping hobby and we have noticed a number of people reaching out and asking about keeping bamboo shrimp and betta fish in the same tank.
There have been a number of different questions asked about keeping bamboo shrimp and bettas in the same tank so we have decided to collect them all and answer them in this article.
Our goal is to try and help as many of our readers as possible who are thinking of keeping a bamboo shrimp and betta in the same tank get a better idea of how the two species will worth with each other.
There are also a couple of things that you are able to do to your aquarium to increase the chances of your having a harmonious bamboo shrimp and betta fish that we will touch on too.
Are Betta Fish Aggressive?
Betta fish can be aggressive to other fish in their tank, especially in a smaller tank but this aggression is usually much lower towards shrimp that are in their tank.
Even then, there seems to be a correlation of aggression from a betta fish towards brightly colored neocaridina shrimp such as cherry shrimp or neon yellow shrimp.
The larger size and blander color of bamboo shrimp tends to reduce the chances of the betta fish being aggressive towards the shrimp in most tank setups.
That said, there are some hyper aggressive male betta fish that may nip and pick at your bamboo shrimp.
If you are worried about keeping betta fish and bamboo shrimp with each other then just setting up a separate 1 gallon shrimp tank or even a 2 gallon shrimp tank with some neocaridina shrimp in it may be the better option.
That said though, these tanks are far too small for a bamboo shrimp due to their large size and active nature.
Are Bamboo Shrimp Aggressive?
For a larger species of shrimp, bamboo shrimp tend to be much calmer and relaxed when compared to some of the alternative larger shrimp species.
Due to this, bamboo shrimp tend not to be aggressive at all.
This can make them a great tank mate to have with your betta fish as they pose minimal threat to your betta fish.
Just keep in mind that if you do have a hyper aggressive betta fish that is nipping your bamboo shrimp, there is a high chance that your bamboo shrimp will try to defend itself.
Can You Keep Bamboo Shrimp And Bettas Together?
You can definitely keep bamboo shrimp and bettas together with minimal problems and many people within in the fish keeping community does this.
Ideally, you want a female betta fish in your tank as it drastically reduces the chances of you having any problems with aggression from the betta fish.
Still, in the majority of situations, you will usually be able to keep your bamboo shrimp in an aquarium with a male betta and not have problems.
It is somewhat rare that a male betta fish will be hyper aggressive and you are able to add various hiding spots to the tank to further reduce the chances of your betta being aggressive to your bamboo shrimp too.
What Size Tank Do You Need To Keep Bamboo Shrimp And Bettas Together?
We would usually recommend that you use a 20 gallon tank for a betta fish and a bamboo shrimp if possible but in some cases, you may be able to use a 10 gallon or 15 gallon aquarium tank.
The 20 gallon tank minimum is not due to trying to reduce the chances of aggression from the betta fish either as most people think but to keep your bamboo shrimp happy.
This is an often underlooked point as bamboo shrimp tend to be much more active than other shrimp species and they will usually need a larger tank.
Still, the 20 gallon tank size for a betta fish and bamboo shrimp can still help with aggression from your betta while also helping you add various accessories to the tank to help further reduce the chances of problems.
Do You Need To Add Shrimp Hides To Your Tank?
We would always recommend that you try to add some type of live plants to your aquarium no matter what you are keeping in there as they offer some excellent benefits to your tank.
Both betta fish and bamboo shrimp will usually appreciate some cover in their tank with live plants being the obvious option for most people,
Driftwood and some leaves can also be an excellent addition to your tank with a betta and a bamboo shrimp in there too.
Not only can these serve as a source of tannins for your betta fish but they will also act as an indirect food source for your bamboo shrimp too.
This is due to various microorganisms living on driftwood and leaves that your bamboo shrimp will then be able to filter out of the water throughout the day.
Fish hides are usually a waste of time in a tank that only has one betta fish and bamboo shrimp in it but if you are keeping a larger betta sorority tank then fish hides can be a great addition too.
Rocks are usually not needed if you go with live plants and driftwood but some people will add rocks to their tank with betta fish in that has any type of tank mate.
How Many Bamboo Shrimp Can You Keep With A Betta Fish?
The number of bamboo shrimp that you can keep with your betta fish will usually depend on the size of your aquarium rather than the fact that there is a betta fish in the tank.
We have seen many people with larger aquariums keep many bamboo shrimp in their tank without issue.
The general rule of thumb is that you will usually need between 10 and 20 gallons of tank water per bamboo shrimp in your tank.
