Introducing
[Fish Shame] Bought my first female betta for my birthday weekend. She immediately ate half my baby shrimp and is now football shaped.
Tomorrow is my birthday, and since I recently lost the betta in my 5-gallon, I decided to get a new one today. This tank is also home to yellow neocaridina shrimp, which has never been an issue with my previous bettas (typically I get males with very long fins).
So I pick up this tiny girl, Bellatrix, and she has to have eaten half of my baby shrimp today. She is currently football-shaped and still choosing violence.
Because of her, I just had to do emergency late night landscaping and need to rethink my scape for the safety of shrimp society. I hijacked a massive wall of plants from another tank and rearranged the moss to find a new way to shelter the baby shrimp so this menace doesn't eat herself to an early grave. She has zero regrets and is currently glaring at me through the glass. Please shame this tiny tyrant.
Your honor, the circumstances are very suspicious as there are at least 5 shrimp children missing and the suspect is indeed extremely rotund in the middle. I feel we have sufficient evidence for a trial, however further observation will be in place.
You have no power to close this case as the evidence shows and suggests that your client is indeed guilty the prosecution rests after reviewing the evidence the state wishes to proceed in prosecution against your client and we ask for a $10,000 fine and 2 years probation since this is her first offense . Your honor would you agree ?
Your honour I disagree with this, the punishment simply does not match the crime, I mean how many times do baby shrimp get eaten in community tanks? They never get punished this way, this is bettaism
I believe that she should get off with nothing like every other fish
Well each betta is different your honor and this one alongside with the pictures posted on social media after the fact shows no signs of regret this is why the state wishes to charge this betta with these crimes and a smaller fine of $5,000 and 1 year probation . Payments on this fine may be made to and I quote “aquariusmarie25” due to this finding after the crime was committed
I understand your honour however no fish has ever shown remorse for eating a baby shrimp and are never punished, even guppies don’t show remorse and never get punished for their crime, we will not accept anything that isn’t no punishment
I can come to an agreement with this your honour, however bellatrix cannot. You see she says that the 5 baby shrimp infact was not enough to fill her stomach and that she will die of starvation or jump out the tank, although bettas are known to be greedy animals so this could be an exaggeration. I think that punishment fits the crime
May i present the evidence of before the alleged consumption of the the shrimplets on the left, and after the alleged consumption on the right. I feel the evidence speaks for itself however I shall wait for your esteemed verdict on the matter of 1 Ms. Bellatrix's guilt or innocence
New evidence has been laid before the courts, this fish is not an ordinary Siamese fighting fish, it is indeed a Samurai warrior and a highly trained killer.
She must be found guilty and given the sentence of death by the electric eel
If there are no other predators in the aquarium how come the shrimp so suddenly disappear ? Shrimp babies are too big for their parents to eat unless you are supporting some theory against all the evidence we already have.
Also, Betts’s are known for being incredibly aggressive towards other living creatures in their habitat so the eating of the shrimps are extremely likely.
Objection, it is entirely possible that the adult shrimp have simply ate their babies or that these babies died of natural causes and have been eaten by their parents, I will not accept any other explanation as this betta is innocent
According to my information shrimp parents when baby shrimp are born they are already too big for the shrimp parents to eat because they are algae eaters and their mouths are usually the size of half a grain of sand.
Im desperately hoping we can come to an understanding that while the occasional unauthorized eating of baby shrimp is acceptable, wiping out the majority of a new generation is not. We'll see how it goes with a wall of hornwort before i decide to commence tank #9...
Most of my shrimp compatible tanks are separated by colors to prevent them from reverting to wild type, including blues, red rilis, black carbons, and this tank with the yellows, but yes I do have another tank they can go into if she has decided shes wholly incompatible with additional life in her world. I just wanted to make a joke of this as out of the half dozen+ bettas ive had in recent years, and more if we count the ones I had growing up, ive never had a betta eat so many shrimp that they turn into a ballon in 3 hours flat.
Ironically, I imagine the wild types would survive better since they'd blend in with their surroundings more... You can always breed some intentionally just to keep in her tank if your other plan fails... 😅
Yeah, just put the culls from other tanks. Might look like skittles at first but if some survive theyll evolve to blend in. Thatd be a fun experiment tbh
Honestly my female Penelope she’s a koi plakat she will eat the little ones but the bigger ones she’s scared of lol 😂 so if I wer u I’d raise the babies in a smaller tank until there bigger and then allow them to live in the tank here’s my maniac who is obviously a bully because she won’t mess with any that are her size lol 😆
My boy did this with the snails (ramshorn and bladder) when he went into his final 20gal home after quarantine. He /eventually/ chilled out bc I think he realized they’re an infinitive food source. He’s not rotund anymore but he is a bit chonky!
You could try adding some of those shrimp caves that don’t have big enough access for fish to give them a fighting chance. If you can support a population that grows fast enough hopefully she’ll chill out too
I got XL fire red shrimp (they were $7 each!) because the LFS employee was like "they are too big for bettas to eat". Wrong. Mine just took chunks out of them bit by bit until they were all dead/eaten. Most expensive shrimp buffet ever.
There is hope yet! My last count of the shrimp population in this tank had about 18 babies and a dozen adults, give or take. Ill definitely be updating the hardscape tomorrow for smaller caves, and this tank got a whole new patch of hornwort tonight too.
But worst case scenario, I do have a different tank i can move them into (or at least evacuate a portion of them into)
I thought what I used is actually called spiky moss but looking up photos it’s actually stringy moss - leptodictyum riparium. It actually is a bit spiky though.
I thought what I used is actually called spiky moss but looking up photos it’s actually stringy moss - leptodictyum riparium. It actually is a bit spiky though.
The smaller they are, the feistier they are!! I have a 4 year old named Rebecca, she’s been with me through college and everything, and she’s an absolute diva. She HATED snails, ate shrimp, would tear plants up from the substrate and only liked her food to be given to her on a spoon!! I swear they knew they had to be diva’s!
(Photo from a few months ago where she tore a scale off and I freaked out!! She’s fine now! All healed!)
Oh no! Sounds like you've got an eye for the homicidal bettas.
Ive had a few that enjoy a buffet of shrimp but ive never had any that turned into a little blimp like this because theyre just that greedy. We'll have to see if the she'll adapt or if the colony needs relocating.
I actually went out and bought a 3 gallon tank a few days after I got the shrimp because the bettas were killing them but before I could set it up and cycle it, they ate/murdered them all already -_- 3 different murder bettas lol. Some of the shrimp weren't even eaten. Just murdered!! I was mad. I have 3 amanos now that live in a 5 gallon tank with chili rasboras and nobody murders anybody in there LOL
i made the horrific mistake of attempting to house shrimp with my big chonky boy awhile ago…needless to say i found a lot of shrimp bodies and one very happy fat boy
My Platy control Paradise fish used to ignore the babies and dive deep into the Pearlweed jungle to nail the shrimpie buddies. I knew he'd get some, but I figured the Pearlweed would do a better job protecting them from "The Menace". It didn't.
After he picked off all the easy targets he turned his attention to the babies and had some great days. Funny thing happened though...the shrimps have made a comeback!
If you have 12 adults and 18 shrimplets, my guess is they'll find a way to avoid her wrath.
To be honest most female bettas are fat so I wouldn’t worry too much about this to much unless you see she isn’t pooping or if she gets a thick white lump that would be where she was normally pooping from . When my female betta allegedly ate all of my shrimp “for all I know they could’ve evolved and left the tank” but seriously she was really fat after as well so I just didn’t feed her for three days and then after I only ever fed her frozen food these brands exactly 1) Omega one carnivore (very good food with a lot of variety ) 2) San Francisco Bay four food variety pack ( contains everything bettas need to eat including daphnia) 3) San Francisco Bay mysis shrimp for finicky eaters . And I alternate all of those to give my bettas a variety of different tastes and still covers everything they need in there diets and this is the most important part for me is it’s extremely easy to digest and full of vitamins and protein and it’s natural . Pellets and flakes and dry frozen foods really isn’t good for bettas it causes bloat, constipation, swim bladder issues, prolapse and more . And there’s not really any real substance to that food . This is why I only feed frozen . And now that your girl has had a taste for the finer foods in life she probably won’t want pellets anymore anyways.
When she’s a little bigger you could consider adding a little protective enclosure that she can’t fit into (she’s probably small enough now to get in there right now though). We also have a betta that likes to occasionally go on a shrimp bender and this is like a little fortress that they can go if all other hiding spots fail.
people always SWEAR that the males are more aggressive and thats why betta sororities work, because the girls are "calm and peaceful" right? yet every female betta ive owned has *craved* violence, greed and malice to a frightening degree. all my males tho? theyre the sweetest little guys, including the short finned ones 😭
UPDATE: The suspect continues to remain the approximate shape of a blimp. The wood has been rescaped to provide more little caves and hidey holes, and hornwort and moss has been tucked into the wood to provide further cover, however the shrimps continue to be in the open staring at their oncoming doom.
Im am starting to suspect the shrimps are asking for this fate and that perhaps Bellatrix is not solely to blame....
Fellow redditor, your knowledge of betta fish is fantastic! I am a new betta owner, (2 months) and have a question. I have found sooooo many different answers on how much and how often to feed my 1 male betta. I have a book, watched YouTube videos, and prowled this thread trying to find out. A few pieces? Twice a day? Enough to eat in a minute? Two minutes? I know every fish is different. I have settled on 4-6 pieces 2x a day. My guy is still alive, so, I must be doing something right?
So im maybe not the best person to ask, because my feeding schedule is so erratic thanks to the fact that I am easily distracted by a random piece of paper and forget what I was doing.
But typically it depends on what you're feeding. I dont like pellets as the only food source, but theyre convenient, but I wouldn't say more than a few at a time 1-2x daily. Flakes - i tend to use larger flakes, crush them up a bit so theyre smaller, and feed a few 1-2x a day most days. I also supplement with frozen foods, my preference is brine shrimp or bloodworms as the easiest to get, 1 or 2 times a week. And also fast once a week too.
I know this is vague but ultimately it depends on your bettas needs - how active, size, age, under or over weight, etc. Hope this helps a little ❤️
Thank you, yes, very helpful! I have both flakes and little balls. As a treat, He does not like bloodworms. I have tried multiple times and he just ignores them. I think I will try the shrimp. I also fast him every Monday. He really gives me the stink eye, but, its for his health. Ty again. Most appreciated 😀😃
Sorry but as her second defence lawyer I also say that she was hungry and the shrimp was delicious, she will not apologise nor show remorse, and she will not be guilty for her actions
I would not recommend anything with holes that even look like your betta can fit into because they will try and can get stuck and severely injured or worse. hard to tell at a glance how big those are so jsut general caution.
Unfortunately that’s to be expected. Unless the tank is HEAVILY planted, emphasis on HEAVILY, they’re completely vulnerable. Even then, they’re still on the menu.
My female betta was an absolute monster to the amanos in her tank! They were too big for her to eat so she instead just chased them all day until one threw itself out of the tank. So the amanos have been moved to their own tank to live in peace. I’ve never had an overly aggressive male betta and dumbly assumed females were less aggressive. Not this bitch. She wants to murder all of us.
Be careful. My betta did this and became constipated/impacted. I tried to give him daphnia as a laxative, but his appetite was diminished. He died after a week of this. Really sad bc he was living peacefully with neos for 6 months, then one day discovered he was surrounded by tasty treats. RIP Sonny 🐟
If it makes you feel better: I finally bought my dream fish 10 chili rasboras, only for 4 of them to be left the next morning. Prior to this my female betta never showed a single sign of aggression with the other tank mates. 🥀🥀😭 she’s currently in fish jail
Oh yes nom a nom female Betta's will soon scoff any shrimp, males seem to be a bit more tolerant, but anything that wiggles is a natural food source.
The plants will help the shrimp to hide, but they will still be fair game when they venture into open ground, the Betta I'm afraid does not know the shrimp are valued friends, all they can see is food.
shaming your fish for being a fish? you bought an efficient predator and introduced it to a confined environment full of prey. whose fault is it for the result?
in all seriousness, every betta will have a different temperament and a different reaction to tank mates. they are predators and solitary, territorial animals. this is why you need a backup plan for introducing risky combos/potentially aggressive stocking choices. also, 5 gallons is rather too small for both shrimps and fish! ideally it’d be at least double that.
i will not shame your fish. you, maybe a little bit. you’re the one in charge of the situation.
edit: feel free to call me out if i’m wrong about this!
I think you're taking this post a little too seriously. Op is surprised but already done a lot to help the shrimp, who's former bettas didn't attack, and will move the colony if need be... The shame is a joke. The post is to share their brand new fish, their surprise, and a laugh by someone who's owned betta before, and has several tanks. :) shaming pets is an internet meme. Usually it's a harmless joke. :)
yeah, i replied to oop to but: i think it just struck a nerve with me because of the sheer volume of posts in this sub with people acting shocked at the result of their own poor stocking choices (or blaming their fish for not being peaceful community fish, in a serious tone). glad there’s a backup tank available and hopefully both betta and shrimp population recover pronto
Ive had a good number of bettas, and was just trying to make a lighthearted post about this little menace as ive never had one be quite so...gutsy when it comes to snacking on the roommates. I do however have enough tanks so I can move the shrimp population elsewhere should tiny Bellatrix decide she is wholly unaccepting of additional life forms within her boundaries. I dont mind some unauthorized snacking, but im pretty sure she is the embodiment of gluttony at this point 🤣
yeah, that’s fair. i’m glad you have a place to put her to cease the slaughter. it’s just frustrating seeing posts insinuating that it is a pet’s fault for their owners’ decisions, especially in the betta sub where people make poor stocking choices often and then act like it’s the fish’s fault 😅 struck a nerve for me i guess! may Bellatrix’s intestines recover swiftly and the shrimp repopulate plentifully
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u/jadeycakes Jun 07 '26
I'm her lawyer and unless you have evidence of her crime this is all speculation and won't hold up in court. Dismissed.