Small tank + betta fish + snail = problem?

[Kilope]

I have a very lovely crowntail betta fish named Ro.
I've had him for about two and a half months, and his tank light has brought about quite a bit of algae. I do weekly partial water changes and try to keep his tank light on for no more or less than 12 hours, but the algae that sits on the bottom of his tank is hard to get rid of and detracts from the visual appeal of the tank.

The tank is 1 gallon with a light, a small heating pad, and under gravel filter.

I heard that a snail would help with the algae and fish waste, so without hesitation, I went out today and bought a black mystery snail. The man who sold it to me warned me about the possible problem of snail waste in such a small tank but assured me that if I maintained the weekly water changes it would be okay, and that if it wasn't, I had 15 days to return the snail.

But upon some after-research I heard that they aren't really suited to tanks under 10 gallons. A bigger tank isn't really an option, I have to take Ro to university with me, and space is a serious issue.

I've had bettas in the past, but I didn't really connect to them as well as I have with Ro (he's just so friendly and spunky) so I really want to make sure he stays healthy.

Should I return the snail?
And if so, how should I deal with the algae problem.

Thanks in advance for your help!

[RoseyD]

is the snail in the tank already? if yes then keep him a week and see how the algea looks at the end of the week and how bad the waste problem is when you do the water change.

you could also consider doing a 2 x week water change to address extra waste and possible toxin build up in your tank.

if you havent gotten some yet... an ammonia test kit could be quite handy...

if you have 15 day return policy ... try it out...

as long as you have algae to feed it ... would be the bigger worry. water changes for such a tiny tank are easy.

[RoseyD]

oh... snails dont eat fish poop...

the term fish waste can be really misleading. they eat food that falls to the bottom. single betta in a tank rarely let that happen...

[Kilope]

Great! Thanks!

I'll leave the snail in for at least a few days to see what happens.

[dr2b]

A common misconception (from what I was told) is that snails are thought to eat algae. But certain ones eat certain types of algae...you gota supplement their food with other things too (like some veggies). Also, snails require different water parameters than bettas, which makes bettas prone to fin rot and other diseases. So keep an eye on your betta.

[dramaqueen]

If you want to know anything about snails, ask Lupin. He's our snail expert.

[Kilope]

Well, thanks for all the advice, but I think I'm going to return the snail.
The poor thing just seems miserable (I'm not even 100% sure it's alive, because it's very slight movements around the tank may just be from Ro nudging his shell).

I've moved it into a Ziplock container with some of the tank water, and I'm going to put in some lettuce in an hour or two.

I suppose it's for the better, I'm pretty sure I can't take the snail across the border with me when I go to school.

But thanks anyways guys!

[dr2b]

Ohh trust me - you would know if it was dead. It would smell HORRBILE if it was dead. You'd know immediately!

[Kilope]

Good to know. The snail is definately still alive. I caught it pulling back into his shell.
I'm still pretty sure I'll return it however, I don't think my tank is going to support a happy and healthy snail.

[dramaqueen]

Yeah,I've heard that dead snails smell REALLLLLYYY disgusting!! Eeuuuwwww!!!