The Shrimp Vs. the Beta Fish

A few days after we got a Beta Fish, we decided that it would be nice to have a bottom feeder as well. We already had a snail, but it soon became clear that something like a shrimp might be nice. Because Beta fish are so attack prone, it surprised me when the lady at the pet store told us that you can put a shrimp in the Beta tank as long as the shrimp is big enough to stand up to the Beta.

So, wanting a bottom feeder, we tried it. We bought a big shrimp and took it home to our bowl.

Our Beta Fish was NOT happy about it. The fish immediately attacked Cocktail (that's what we named our shrimp). I was thrilled to see that Cocktail could hold his own. The Beta Fish would snap at Cocktail and Cocktail would snap back at the Beta Fish. After an hour or so of being together in the tank, the Beta Fish had backed off a ton and the Shrimp was taunting him like crazy. Multiple times I watched the Shrimp jump up on the back of the Beta and run down its tail.

He had guts, that's for sure.

The Beta fish would swim away and then sneak up behind the shrimp and watch him. Then the shrimp would lap around the bowl and jump on the Beta again.

It looked like Cocktail had settled in. He could stand up to the Beta.

That night we ran some errands. When we got home we ran straight to our fish bowl to see how things were faring.

Cocktail was on his back, missing some innards! The Beta was hovering over the dead as dead can be shrimp.

The Beta had won!!!!!!!!!

Don't be the Shrimp in a Beta fish bowl. Too many people see a potentially hazardous situation and think "I can handle it" "I won't get hurt" "Things would never go too far."

At the point where you may be thinking these things, consider that the situation might have already gone too far.

Don't be a Shrimp in a Beta Fish Bowl!!!!!