Snail compatibility?

[iamtetsuo]

I was wondering if I could add a snail of some sort to my 3 gallon tank. I am having a small algae problem and I figure getting a snail would be easier than having to scrub the tank every time I change the water. Currently my tank has my betta and one Java Fern. It's heated to 79ºF and has the Eclipse filter and biowheel system.

Could a snail be added to this set up, or would it be too much of a load for the tank?

[doggyhog]

I think 1fish2fish has a snail in her 3g eclipse. I don't know what her water change routine is, but you could ask her. :)

[Chicklet]

I keep a single applesnail in with all my betta's that are in 3 gallon tanks,
The tank does need to be filtered/Cycled as snails can be touchy.

Snails prefer a more stable environment that isn't disturbed to much.
To many large water changes can cause some snails to just simple die.

[1fish2fish]

Yep.. I had* a mystery snail in my 3 gallon. Unfortunately he passed away over the weekend. If you want a snail in a 3 gallon I would suggest a nerite snail.. they come in a bunch of cool patterns and are slightly smaller than mystery snails. Technically a mystery snail and a betta overstock a 3 gal.. I hope to eventually get a nerite for that tank (I have to order them here).

Snails must have a filtered tank. I actually cycled my tank with the snails in there but I wouldn't recommend it as they are very sensitive to water conditions.. so I would cycle your tank before getting a snail. You also need to make sure you have calcium in your water.. you can do this by cleaning egg shell and putting it in your filter (a small piece will be enough).. snails need calcium for shell growth. I would also supplement its diet with veggies and algae wafers in addition to the algae in you tank.

If you want a great algae eater with almost no bioload I would go with ghost shrimp.. these are probably what I will put in my eclipse next. They eat algae like there's no tomorrow and produce very little waste. I would try to buy the biggest ones possible because your betta may think they are tasty ;) You could easily fit 2 or 3 ghost shrimp in a 3 gallon. Again they are very sensitive to water conditions so I would cycle the tank before getting them.

On my tank I do 2 water changes a week.. a 25% one and a 50% one w/ vacuuming. My tank is cycled and stays at 80*F. Technically if you cycle you would only have to do a 25% pwc a week on a 3 gallon but that is the bare minimum and I try to have the best water quality possible.

Sorry for the extra long post.. I just wanted to cover everything :) Hope it helps