Feeding Betta & Glass shrimp advice

[shokanti]

It's been almost 2 months, I have had my betta fish! I really enjoy him. I also really like my 4 glass shrimp I have in the tank.

They have been co-existing ever so happily in my tank, I have even watch the shrimp swim along with the Betta or just crawl around the bottom of the tank while the betta just stares at them. 

now, here is my dilemma and i have read so many forums about this. (Feeding Time Advice.)

I have done so many strategies.

1. I have tried feeding at the same time, observing them (and taking away the food(they eat bottom feeder pellets)). The betta nips on the food and runs away with it and hides in the coconut hut or in the glass jar. where I can't reach him.

2. I have tried to keep the food on the clippers while keeping him busy eating his food, but nope. tries to go straight to their food.

3. I have tried hiding the food in a corner of the tank, and he still tries to eat it.

4. I have also tried to rip the food in smaller little bites and toss them in different sectors of the tank (he finds them and eats the food.)

At this rate,

5. Tried feeding the shrimp at night, while all the lights are out. (pitch black.) wake up the next day, the betta has his belly full.

I chuckle of  all this to the fish.

Is there any other advice or a shrimp feeder I can use to feed them with the betta not interfering on their meal time.

Edited July 7, 2023 by shokanti
the 3rd picture was not able to be seen

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

I have a few ideas.  Shrimp do very well with powdered foods.  You can take a pinch of Repashy soilent green powder, for example, and release the pinch under the water where it will disperse and coat the objects. It's not something you will really see other than when you put it in, but the shrimps will know it is there.  They love to clean stuff like that off sand etc.  Repashy is different than a powdered fish food because it contains gelatin, so it doesn't foul the water.  

Also shrimp really LOVE boiled vegetables.  Boiled spinach, boiled lettuce, zucchini, cucumber, green bean - they love to pick at that stuff.  I would remove the seeds though because they may not eat those and the seeds might float around your tank. I use a plant weight around the vegetable, and that makes it too heavy to be moved. Also catappa leaf is a food for the shrimp, and it will provide tannins in the water that benefit the betta, but the betta does not view catappa leaf as a food.  The shrimp will need some calcium.  You can drop a piece of cuttlebone into the water for them if you cannot get calcium-rich food to them.

You can take a look at shrimp caves and try to find one that the shrimp can fit into but the betta will not.  The one that aquarium co op sells is just 2 inches in diameter, you'll just want to see if it's not too small for glass shrimp - they are bigger than neocaridina.  If you find one that works, you can drop small food (such as Hikari shrimp cuisine) with tweezers into that cave.

https://www.aquariumcoop.com/products/shrimp-shelters

Edited July 8, 2023 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[Lennie]

Shrimps are nocturnal scavengers.

In my community tanks, I feed my shrimp and snails after the lights are off. Easy peasy! 

Feed your betta normally during daytime. Incase he misses any food, shrimp will likely take care of the uneaten food. And you can feed whatever you wanna feed your shrimp after the lights off.

The only thing to consider is, make sure to feed your shrimp somewhere that you can see the leftovers in the morning. In a shrimp dish would be the best bet, so you wouldn't foul the water by overfeeding

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 7/9/2023 at 3:51 AM, Lennie said:

Shrimps are nocturnal scavengers.

In my community tanks, I feed my shrimp and snails after the lights are off. Easy peasy! 

Feed your betta normally during daytime. Incase he misses any food, shrimp will likely take care of the uneaten food. And you can feed whatever you wanna feed your shrimp after the lights off.

The only thing to consider is, make sure to feed your shrimp somewhere that you can see the leftovers in the morning. In a shrimp dish would be the best bet, so you wouldn't foul the water by overfeeding

Looks like the OP already tried this.

On 7/7/2023 at 7:16 PM, shokanti said:

5. Tried feeding the shrimp at night, while all the lights are out. (pitch black.) wake up the next day, the betta has his belly full.

 

[Lennie]

On 7/9/2023 at 12:25 PM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

Looks like the OP already tried this.

there must be something offI think, either a lightsource adding some vision, so not dark enough,

or,

overfeeding shrimp so with the morning lights, betta eats the uneaten food.

They are diurnal all my bettas either sit on the bottom or on the top of the water motionless during night time. I cant think of a scenario out of these two. As they said they keep it pitch black, then overfeeding imo.

4 shrimp can eat only a tiny amount of food

[shokanti]

Thank you all for the feedback! super appreciate it!!

Yes, I noticed the 4 glass shrimp don't eat too much but, I kind of feel bad that they have food, but yet the betta eats it and takes it away from them. I believe the Betta is saying "Finders keepers!" 
I'm probably going to try first the boiled cucumber and see if he doesn't fight the shrimp for it.
remove the seeds, boil  it, then cool it off, then freeze a bunch of slices. (remove the slices in the tank after I see no shrimp have no interest in it.)

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 7/9/2023 at 11:09 AM, shokanti said:

Thank you all for the feedback! super appreciate it!!

Yes, I noticed the 4 glass shrimp don't eat too much but, I kind of feel bad that they have food, but yet the betta eats it and takes it away from them. I believe the Betta is saying "Finders keepers!" 
I'm probably going to try first the boiled cucumber and see if he doesn't fight the shrimp for it.
remove the seeds, boil  it, then cool it off, then freeze a bunch of slices. (remove the slices in the tank after I see no shrimp have no interest in it.)

It's ok to leave it there for a couple hours.  The veggies don't really affect parameters like commercial foods would.