Bettas and Snails

[Syriiven]

Okay, tomorrow I go to get live plants and two new bettas for my 10g/split. I've been calling the pet stores and neither of them seem to have Nerite snails, and I'm wary about getting the apple snails (the teller on the phone called them peruvian??) because I don't want the betta to harass the snail.

Are there any other snails that won't suddenly breed a-sexually and won't eat live plants (just dead stuff) that a betta might not be keen to harass?

Otherwise is there something else I could use to help with algae and keeping the tank clean?

[shellieca]

I have not been able to find Nerite snails anywhere but online. As for Mystery/Apple snails, you have to have a male & female in order for them to reproduce, 1 alone will not produce eggs. I have one in each of my tanks & I love them. With the small volume of water you're going to have on each side of the divider you'll be very limited as to what you can add to each side. IMO, a snail is your only safe option.

[Syriiven]

Originally Posted by shellieca

I have not been able to find Nerite snails anywhere but online. As for Mystery/Apple snails, you have to have a male & female in order for them to reproduce, 1 alone will not produce eggs. I have one in each of my tanks & I love them. With the small volume of water you're going to have on each side of the divider you'll be very limited as to what you can add to each side. IMO, a snail is your only safe option.

I'm just concerned about the fish attacking him. Like headbutting him off the side or nipping at his antennae. But I guess I can get the apple snails (only 2) and keep an eye on them and see how they do. Maybe I'll luck out and no one will get hurt.

Thanks for the response.

[NeptunesMom]

You should be fine. Mystery snails are a good size, and if he bites off their antennae they will grow back. My betta has never hurt my mystery snail. Actually, he doesn't hurt the pest (pond) snails I have in there either. They are about the same size as his food. I saw him bump one once to see what it was, but that was about it.

[sandybottom]

mgamer at aquaria central. or aquabid but i think most of those are mgamer's also. he has, zebra,redspot(tiger), horned and the list goes on. he sells mixed horned nerites 10 for 10$$ i think.

[Syriiven]

@ Neptune's Mom - Thanks =) It's reassuring to see some stories where people don't have a problem with their bett and their snails. I've read so many horror stories....=(

@ Sandybottom - if the mystery snails don't work out I'll likely have to order them, but I may have to wait till spring time. Winter in Canada is cruddy and I don't have a transhipper nearby xD. Also I could wait for my LFS of choice to rebuild their aquarum section. They had a fire last month and all they've restocked are plants, no fish (other than bettas on display elsewhere) or snails or frogs yet.

[shellieca]

The Betta may harass the snail in the beginning but they usually quit. All of my snails lost a good portion of their antennae in the first few days but they're all good now. One snail is in a tank with 10 female Bettas. If you get 2 be prepared for eggs. I only keep one snail per tank.

[Syriiven]

It's a split tank, I hope to keep the snails split as well. Or do you think one snail will get over the divider and take care of things on both sides?

[sandybottom]

some bettas will eat snails, i like trapdoor snails for this reason. mystery snails are good. apples get really big and will eat plants,plus the bioload. mysterys and nerites wont eat health plants unless they are starving. you need a higher ph for snails and calcium supplements (which raise ph).

[Syriiven]

My pH is 7.6-7.8 and it's constant. So I figure the snails would be okay. But would a calcium thing like cuttlebone raise it high? I don't want to harm the bettas.

And I thought mystery and apple snails were the same? Not sure if I'm cool with an apple snail eating my plants =( I have to drive a ways to get new ones, so replacing plants would only be able to happen once every month or more.