Marine Beta
- Thread starter jstngates
- Start date
SecretiveFish
Member
They should be OK as long as they are not very small. Mine was with a coral banded shrimp who has since past but the marine betta was not at fault.
Mine eats mysis, spirulina brine shrimp, and small pieces of krill (she can't seem to keep large pieces of krill down so I tear it up). She is a slow feeder though so putting the pumps on a feed mode is a good idea. Also, I need to make sure there is plenty of food added because the more aggressive feeders get most of it. She is my favorite fish who I have had for a couple of years know.
Mine eats mysis, spirulina brine shrimp, and small pieces of krill (she can't seem to keep large pieces of krill down so I tear it up). She is a slow feeder though so putting the pumps on a feed mode is a good idea. Also, I need to make sure there is plenty of food added because the more aggressive feeders get most of it. She is my favorite fish who I have had for a couple of years know.
OrionN
Moved on
They are very hardy. I have a pair in my 320. Beautiful fish graceful but not out very much. Does not bother my cleaner shrimp. They only eat meaty frozen food. Slow feeder but they also hunt in my tank. Grow slowly in my tank from tiny 2 inches to about 5 inches over 3+ years. If you lucky you can get a pair. Can't sex them but when I tried to pair them before I have to remove one because of fighting. Second try they tolerate each other and in time paired up
ThRoewer
New member
I've had 3 spawning marine betta pairs in the past and have another one in the making right now. In the past I was even breeding them.
In my experience fish are safe from them (unless you stop feeding them for a good while and their tank mates are small enough to be swallowed). The ones I had in the past wouldn't even eat small frozen gobies that were by-catch in the shrimp I fed them.
Shrimps are fair game. If you feed them well it may work out, but if they get hungry and there is a shrimp around that has the right size to be swallowed it may be gone soon. In the past one of my pairs ate all the fire shrimp I had in that tank. In the tank where I have my current two, I'm missing my peppermint shrimps.
Cleaner shrimp may have a certain level of protection, but again, if a marine betta is hungry enough it will likely go after them as well.
I would prefer a marine betta over those annoying skunk cleaners that always harass fish and outcompete them at feedings.
In my experience fish are safe from them (unless you stop feeding them for a good while and their tank mates are small enough to be swallowed). The ones I had in the past wouldn't even eat small frozen gobies that were by-catch in the shrimp I fed them.
Shrimps are fair game. If you feed them well it may work out, but if they get hungry and there is a shrimp around that has the right size to be swallowed it may be gone soon. In the past one of my pairs ate all the fire shrimp I had in that tank. In the tank where I have my current two, I'm missing my peppermint shrimps.
Cleaner shrimp may have a certain level of protection, but again, if a marine betta is hungry enough it will likely go after them as well.
I would prefer a marine betta over those annoying skunk cleaners that always harass fish and outcompete them at feedings.
Moort82
New member
My Betta took out two cleaners who were a similar size to it. It took a couple of days and it shouldn't have been that hungry as it was well fed. If anything I think they annoyed it.
I feed with the pumps off and it comes right to the surface and eats out of my fingers. I don't really have any competition for it though, a starkii damsel, indigo dotty, black and white clowns, mandarin and linear blenny. I also think this is the reason why its out most of the time.
I feed with the pumps off and it comes right to the surface and eats out of my fingers. I don't really have any competition for it though, a starkii damsel, indigo dotty, black and white clowns, mandarin and linear blenny. I also think this is the reason why its out most of the time.
GimpyFin
Active member
I'll agree, very hardy, peaceful fish. Mine has never touched any shrimp. They do like a cave type spot to hang out, and aren't the most active swimmers, but are very cool to watch when they do. Mine is also a slow eater and doesn't actively go after food like the other fish. (I put some pellets or mysis chunks on the bottom near his hangout and he'll slowly swoop in and pick them up.) Very cool reef fish, IMO.
Moort82
New member
I should have perhaps said that the cleaner shrimp mine ate were with it for a year or two and it was only when it reached a large enough size that it went for them. Before it was fine and didn't worry but increasingly lunged at them as it matured and grew. From the outside this looked more like it was being annoyed (did the same lunge at my dottyback at that time but they get on fine now) as they tried to steal food and bother it.
It may have been that it was hungry as I stick to the old predator rule of feeding and it does have a big appetite but a month or so before they went i'd been away for a week and it hadn't been fed and they were still fine together.
It does kill mythrax crabs as I've seen it do that. Doesn't touch hermits or snails but I haven't seen a bristleworm since it been in.
and I agree give it something to hunt and they are very different. I use white shrimp and give them a quick blast with a powerhead to get them moving and then the hunt is on.
It may have been that it was hungry as I stick to the old predator rule of feeding and it does have a big appetite but a month or so before they went i'd been away for a week and it hadn't been fed and they were still fine together.
It does kill mythrax crabs as I've seen it do that. Doesn't touch hermits or snails but I haven't seen a bristleworm since it been in.
and I agree give it something to hunt and they are very different. I use white shrimp and give them a quick blast with a powerhead to get them moving and then the hunt is on.
