Can bettas live with cherry shrimp?

Verdict

Yes, with care

Yes, with care. Bettas and cherry shrimp can share a tank, but watch one thing. Bettas will eat baby shrimp and may chase adults. Dense plants or moss give cherry shrimp somewhere to hide.

Betta76–82°F · pH 6.5–7.5

Cherry shrimp65–80°F · pH 6.5–8

What to watch

Watch outBettas will eat baby shrimp and may chase adults. Dense plants or moss give cherry shrimp somewhere to hide.

What works

Both are fine at 76–80°F.
pH 6.5–7.5 suits both.
They use different parts of the tank: bettas the top, cherry shrimp the bottom.

Water side by side

The green band is the temperature range both can live in.

The green band is the pH both tolerate.

Size to scale

Adult length in an aquarium. A fish can swallow anything that fits in its mouth, roughly a third to half its own length for predators.

Care at a glance

	Betta	Cherry shrimp
Temperature	76–82 °F	65–80 °F
pH	6.5–7.5	6.5–8
Adult size	2.5 in	1.5 in
Minimum tank	5 gal	5 gal
Temperament	Semi-aggressive	Peaceful
Swims at	Top	Bottom
Group	One per tank	Groups of 6+
Diet	Carnivore	Omnivore

Better tank mates for bettas

All betta tank mates

Better tank mates for cherry shrimp

All cherry shrimp tank mates

Questions

Can bettas live with cherry shrimp?

Yes, with care. Bettas and cherry shrimp can share a tank, but watch one thing. Bettas will eat baby shrimp and may chase adults. Dense plants or moss give cherry shrimp somewhere to hide.

What temperature suits both bettas and cherry shrimp?

76–80 °F. Bettas need 76–82 °F, cherry shrimp need 65–80 °F.

What size tank do bettas and cherry shrimp need together?

At least 5 gal, set by the betta. Add space for each extra fish.