should i add a snail?

[copper08]

ok i can take care of everything except for ph, which i have never really considered even with bettas.. i thought everything would be fine if you just kept to a water change every 3 days and full tank cleaning 2X a month or so! umm could you fill me in on PH or am i ok?

[Falina]

Originally Posted by copper08

ok i can take care of everything except for ph, which i have never really considered even with bettas.. i thought everything would be fine if you just kept to a water change every 3 days and full tank cleaning 2X a month or so! umm could you fill me in on PH or am i ok?

In a low ph their shells will erode and the snails would be very uncomfortable, keeping inside their shells a lot I think. What is your current ph? Would it not be possible to add some crushed coral to the tank or filter?

Trishfish and fish4all are the snail experts so if I were you I would wait until one of them is able to help you but what I have said is based on information form them in previous posts about my snails. I certainly wouldn't add the snails in a low ph personally.

What do you mean by a full clean twice a month? I hope you don't do 100% water change? This will kill of much of the good bacteria in your tank and can cause mini-cycles. Snails, also it is worth adding, are often more sensitive to bad water quality caused by mini-cycles, than fish.

[Lindsey88]

I think all 10 gallon tanks should have a filter. I have also heard that female bettas should always be in groups of 6.

[copper08]

i don't have a filter, i think i shouold pick one up.. and crushed coral! i'm not very experienced
ive had the 10 gallon for about a week now and have a water heater, thats it. i thought bettas didnt nesessarily need filters because they can get 02 from the surface!
i am starting water changes every three days but now i wont do the full tank cleanings!! i didnt know they were so bad..
so i need to get filter, crushed coral, then snails
wow its kinda confusling!

ps what do you need to figure out what your ph is?

[Lindsey88]

You can figure out ph and all the other important water parameters by getting a master test kit from your local petstore.

[Falina]

Originally Posted by copper08

i don't have a filter, i think i shouold pick one up.. and crushed coral! i'm not very experienced
ive had the 10 gallon for about a week now and have a water heater, thats it. i thought bettas didnt nesessarily need filters because they can get 02 from the surface!
i am starting water changes every three days but now i wont do the full tank cleanings!! i didnt know they were so bad..
so i need to get filter, crushed coral, then snails
wow its kinda confusling!

ps what do you need to figure out what your ph is?

It's the same sort of test as you would use to check for your other water parameters. Do you test for amonia, nitrite and nitrates? If not then I recommend you getting a master liquid test kit (the test strips are unreliable) which will test for the above 3, and ph. They usually run about £20 but last for AGES and are well worth the money. It's important to check your water parameters even after your tank has cycled.

Is your tank cycled? If not, please, please hold off on adding anything else, especially the snails until it is. Like I said snails are often more sensitive to bad water quality than fish.

Wait until you can check your ph before you add the coral. Maybe you won't need to add it. Add it only if your ph is too low, and do it gradually so as not to shock your bettas, though they will do fine in a higher ph as long as they are acclimatised by doing it gradually.

You can add it to your filter, but the way I do it in my betta tank is simply to add it to the substrate in amongst the gravel. It's easier to do it gradually that way as you add a little, then monitor your ph after a day or so and add more if need be, monitor your ph after a day or so and so on.

Just to let you know though, you may need a lot ofit. I added a full bag (about the size of a bag of sugar) to my 8g to bring my ph up form 6 to 7.5. Of course how much you need, if any, will depend on your current ph.

Sorry to overwhelm you with information, just didn't want to see you buying a snail and finding it doesn't do well. It's best that you find out as much as possible before adding anything new to your tank. :)[/i]

[copper08]

ok thank you soo much for the info! one last question though.. if i get a liquid test kit, and find that my ph and others are fine, will the filter and coral be necessary?

[Lindsey88]

Filters are pretty inexpensive and will make your life easier. I couldn't imagine maintaining a 10 gallon without a filter.

[Lindsey88]

http://fishforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=3738

[copper08]

and what does the tank being cycled mean?