can ONE small apple snail live with ONE betta in a 1gal?

[WuGolfer07]

I have been told no that is cruel, blah, blah, blah. But i mean really? It is ONE small snail and ONE betta fish in a 1gal ( the 1inch 1 gal rule is lame b/c would any of us put a 10inch fish in a 10gal tank?? of course not haha). That is a lot of room. I change the water all the time( every couple days( 50% or 100% depending on what the water looks like) and use conditioner. I feel i am going to get yes and no answers on this and maybe some answers from ppl that are a little sensitive when it comes to fish. But really.... if a betta can live for a while in a small cup in a pet store(not promoting that) or in a .5 gal for 2 yrs like mine did ( i now have a 1gal and a 2.5 gal) then surely one betta can live with one SMALL apple snail right or wrong, i do not even know anymore (been told both, i have done it with no problems, just double checking) haha sorry if it seems like i am frustrated. I just feel some ppl get a little carried away with their responses if they read something that is not up to their PERSONAL standards. So i will not tolerate bashing from anyone or anyone insinuating that i am a bad betta fish owner.

[1fish2fish]

No one on the forum has bashed you or insinuated your a bad fish owner.. if you want that head on over to UB.. they are MUCH less kind over there.

As I said before you cannot keep an apple snail and a betta together in a small tank. Small apple snails become big apple snails.. a full grown apple snail looks like this..


and no that is not doctored. If a person takes good care of an apple snail it should reach this size. They eat a LOT and poop a LOT. They need at least a 5 gallon tank to be with a fish with a 10+ gallon tank being ideal.

Water changes have nothing to do with it.. there is simply no space. If you want to starve your snail to keep it small thats your right.. but I can guarantee you the snail will not live a long time.(The life expectancy of an apple snail is 3-5 years with snails recorded living as long as 10 years).

[WuGolfer07]

I AM NOT STARVING MY SNAIL, lets get that straight. 2nd of all i KNOW how big they can get. But right now, that snail and the other 5 are like the size of a nickel. Not an apple haha. I never said anyone was, i SAID i will tolerate it like i have on other forums.

[1fish2fish]

I didn't say you were starving your snail. I said IF SOMEONE starved their snail to keep it small then it could probably live with a betta in a small tank (not a 1 gallon though). I answered your question. No an apple snail will not live a healthy life in a small tank with a betta. I also forgot to mention that snails need aerated water from something like a filter or an airstone. They also need calcium for shell growth.

The snail will grow very fast if he is getting enough to eat. In a few months he will out grow the tank.

[WuGolfer07]

i was told by the breeder i bought them from i do not need a filtration system b/c the apple snail has a lung where it can breath in and out of water. What can i use for calcium? What's an airstone?

[dramaqueen]

I was told by a very knowledgeable member here that snails need high levels of calcium, kh and ph which make bettas prone to fin rot and bacterial infections.

[WuGolfer07]

so then what do i use for calcium and what is an airstone haha

[1fish2fish]

You can crush up some cleaned eggshells and hide them under the gravel but I would only add a very small amount. When you add calcium you have to do it slowly because it raises the pH and kH like DQ said. If you do it slowly IMO you can keep both snails and fish together in large tanks.

The snails do have a lung but they also have gills and some prefer to stay under water instead of having to go to the surface for air.

[WuGolfer07]

I will do that! That sounds easy enough. So what is an airstone?

[1fish2fish]

I'm not exactly sure. Its a stone made out of some material that you attach to an air pump. You put the air stone in the water and it creates bubbles which infuse the water with oxygen.