Does Marine Betta eat cleaner shrimps?

[vaporize]

Just wondering if Marine Betta will eat cleaner shrimps?

It does have a 'quiet' predator way of eating like the lionfish and my other fish in the same tank seems to be afraid of it. foot long marine betta, with a pair of ocellaris clownfish and a small blue tang 2".

The other fish seems to be always hiding at the back and avoiding the betta, but I have not notice any aggression of the betta towards the fish.

The only thing that makes me wonder is because it does eat like a lion fish (doesn't move or move very slowly, then a quick jaw action to consume the pellets / whatever).

 

[tcmfish]

You have a foot long marine betta? Seriously a foot long? How long have you had it?

 

[vaporize]

Sorry Tim, my mistake, it should be 6" I think the longest one I've seen at a LFS is around 8-9"

So do they eat cleaner shrimps normally?

 

[tcmfish]

Well IME they haven't eaten shrimp of similar size to that of a cleaner shrimp, but others have had it happen. What I can say is that you have the marine betta first it may eat shrimp introduced later, but if you have the shrimp first it will probably leave it alone. They do love smaller ghost shrimp and fish like feeder guppies though, which it is really cool to see them flick their tail to scare the prey.

What I was going to say if you really had a foot long marine betta is that it probably would :lol: but if I had a 6" marine betta and wanted a cleaner shrimp I would find a big one and try it! Add it at night or turn the lights off for a while. That is what I would do.

 

[wanabebell]

Well IME they haven't eaten shrimp of similar size to that of a cleaner shrimp, but others have had it happen. What I can say is that you have the marine betta first it may eat shrimp introduced later, but if you have the shrimp first it will probably leave it alone. They do love smaller ghost shrimp and fish like feeder guppies though, which it is really cool to see them flick their tail to scare the prey.

What I was going to say if you really had a foot long marine betta is that it probably would :lol: but if I had a 6" marine betta and wanted a cleaner shrimp I would find a big one and try it! Add it at night or turn the lights off for a while. That is what I would do.

If your going to try a cleaner shrimp dont do it at night. Thats when your sea betta is going to be most active and on the prowl. Id put the shrimp in during the day. I cant have shrimp with my sea betta...

 

[amore169]

I have a marine betta for at least 4 years, and he hasn't bother any of the shrimps i had.

 

[tcmfish]

IME my bettas have always hid at night. They also spawned during the day, which leads me to believe they aren't nocturnal. They would always be in their usual cave or pipe until the room lights were on long enough they thought it was day again.

 

[cakemanPA]

My betta is more active when my tank is in "actinic" mode. But I don't consider it to be nocturnal. But it does prefer its caves, nooks, and crannies.

 

[tcmfish]

I never lit their tanks that much either, so it was dim light during the "day" and night was dark.

 

[vaporize]

yeah my betta is active day and night whenever it sees me, but right now it's in a quarantine with a pot

maybe I will drop it in the DT and try my luck. The baby blue tang and small ocellaris seems to be hiding at the back all day long with the betta in there.

 

[tcmfish]

One thing I like about these fish is they seem to be extremely disease resistant.

 

[vaporize]

One thing I like about these fish is they seem to be extremely disease resistant.

yeah that seems to be general consenus even with LFS owners, I am interested to see if I can get a breeding pair like what Matt.W did

 

[tcmfish]

Those were my breeding pair, but Matt had done them before also. But the article in coral were my fish. That is why I have it in my signature.

 

[LobsterOfJustice]

Considering this fish as well. Used to have some small gobies but they didnt do well in the new larger tank so I thought I might give this guy a shot. Like my cleaner shrimp though - dont want them to get eaten.

 

[vaporize]

Those were my breeding pair, but Matt had done them before also. But the article in coral were my fish. That is why I have it in my signature.

hahahah no wonder So do they lay eggs like once a year really?

 

[tcmfish]

Not once a year, they are spotty at best and the male did get aggressive with the female a few times and severely beat up and injured another marine betta (there were three at first) although after they were separated the other fish made a complete recovery with no infections or anything another testament to their hardiness and toughness. They did lay a clump of eggs though (egg mass) that was like an inch ball, when they spawned.

Here they are laying and fertilizing the eggs:

 

[vaporize]

Tim, how do you distinguish between male and female?

 

[tcmfish]

Well the female is laying the eggs, just kidding :lol: (sarcasm)

The male will be larger and less round around the vent. The female will be smaller (shorter length) and more round around the belly, like she swallowed some marbles. But IMO you can't just look at a single fish and say "oh thats a male/female", the characteristics I mentioned are for once you already have a pair. But if I were pairing them I would get a larger and smaller fish or a couple smaller fish, and whatever ones are getting picked on remove and those that get along will pair up.

 

[Hermannsae]

I am considering this fish as well.
I found this interesting link:
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/sept2002/Fish.htm

 

[Death Shrimp99]

I've always wanted one of these. Awesome, very unique looking fish.