# can a mystery snail go back in my male bettas tank?



## bettaboy123 (Jun 13, 2014)

hi I was wondering if my new dwarf mystery snail can go back in with my male betta fish. I have a 3 gallon non heated tank with air pump and my betta showed a little bit of aggression towrd my dwarf mystery snail he attacked my snail twice and then he left him alone for a while until I took my snail outand put him in a 1 gallon non heated non filtered with no air pump so eventually can my betta get used to my snail????


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

If you want to do right by both your Betta and the snail

1. Your Betta needs to be 100% healthy and not "better;" adding the snail back too soon could stress your enough to cause him to get sick again;
2. Your tank needs more cover for the snail; rehome if your Betta continues to be aggressive;
2. You need to Ammonia test frequently because of the high amount of waste these snails produce;
3. With the added waste you'll need two 50% water changes (there's less than 2.5 gallons in a 3-gallon tank by the time you factor in substrate and equipment);
4. A friend who's raised Mystery Snails for years has never heard of a "Dwarf" Mystery Snail; maybe someone sold you a baby and called it a "Dwarf?"


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## bettaboy123 (Jun 13, 2014)

yea he is 100% healthy


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## bettaboy123 (Jun 13, 2014)

anyone else


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## jaysee (Dec 9, 2009)

RussellTheShihTzu said:


> If you want to do right by both your Betta and the snail
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Agreed.


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## bettaboy123 (Jun 13, 2014)

thanks anyone else I just want to know will it get used to it


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## CrazedHoosier (Mar 18, 2014)

Haven't you already asked this question several times before? In several different forms?


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## bettaboy123 (Jun 13, 2014)

no I was wondering in the other forums if it can well now I got one


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## jaysee (Dec 9, 2009)

I thought you were getting a nerite - would have been a better choice. Aside from being smaller, their bodies are better protected by their shells.


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## huckleberry77 (May 31, 2014)

bettaboy123 said:


> no I was wondering in the other forums if it can well now I got one


Didn't people tell you not to get a Mystery Snail because:

1. Your tank is too small for a Mystery Snail and a Betta because Mystery Snails are dirty. They suggested a Nerite instead.

2. Your betta is sick and it is not wise to add new companions to a tank with sick fish. Let your betta get 100% well first.

Why bother asking for help/advice when you don't follow it... then come back and ask for more help solving problems you brought on yourself by not following the advice?


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

You took the words right out of my mouth. But we keep answering. :frustrated:


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## CrazedHoosier (Mar 18, 2014)

I agree!


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## bettaboy123 (Jun 13, 2014)

they were sold out of nerite snails

i have my snail in a 1 gal.


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## jaysee (Dec 9, 2009)

I guess I don't understand how being sold out changes the fact that the mystery isn't appropriate. Oh well. Best of luck.


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## CrazedHoosier (Mar 18, 2014)

What kind of snail did he get?


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## jaysee (Dec 9, 2009)

A mystery.


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## CrazedHoosier (Mar 18, 2014)

And he put it in a 1 gallon tank?!


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## bettaboy123 (Jun 13, 2014)

yes I did got a problem with that. it was the only other tank I had im trying to find something bigger. and my mystery is a little baby snail


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## bettaboy123 (Jun 13, 2014)

and my betta is better he don't ever clamp his fins now


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## bettaboy123 (Jun 13, 2014)

I think I can return the snail and find a nerite I got it from petsmart do they take returns or not


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## bettaboy123 (Jun 13, 2014)

HI
I am bettaboys mother or whatever his name is on here. First I want to apologize for all of his questions and posts. He's 11, had cancer and Immune Problems and now suffers severe anxiety and panic disorders. He is in Therapy and on meds. I thought I was doing a good thing by buying him this fish but it has done the total opposite and has him stressing and worryine 24-7, no kidding. Im pretty sure you all believe me by the amount of questions he has been asking. It is really really bad and I am deeply sorry for all of this. I am deleting this page after everyone has hopefully read this apology.


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## bettaboy123 (Jun 13, 2014)

worrying, not worryine....sorry about that


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## huckleberry77 (May 31, 2014)

I am sorry to hear that your son has such serious health challenges. I am sure that is very hard for your family to manage. Perhaps if you read up on how to care for the fish and saw to it that his needs were properly cared for, you could reassure your son that the fish has everything it needs to be well.

The basic needs for the fish include water changes with conditioned water (try Seachem PRIME- 2 drops per gallon) at least twice a week in his 3 gallon tank, good quality feed 1-2 times a day such as NLS or omega one pellets, heated water that is a steady 76-82 degrees (a 25 watt heater will work in the 3 gallon tank), soft fabric or live plants that don't tear fins, and not overstocking the tank (no other fish or companions in that 3 gallon other than maybe a nerite snail). If you see to it that the betta has these living conditions you can confidently reassure your son that the betta has everything it needs to be well.

P.S. Don't use vacation feeding disks. They can pollute the water and make the fish sick. The betta is better off just not being fed for several weeks. It will not starve.


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## jaysee (Dec 9, 2009)

He's certainly not alone - there are a lot of people here that constantly worry and obsess about their fish. It can be quite a stressful hobby for some people, and very relaxing for others. I don't know if it would be good for someone with anxiety issues to associate with people that worry and obsess like some have a tendency of doing - I'm certainly not qualified to make such a call....but common sense tells me it's worth a deeper look.


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## myexplodingcat (Apr 9, 2014)

Ohh... I'm really sorry you're going through this, Bettaboy and mother. I know from experience the stress that cancer can put on a family, and this definitely isn't easy. I also know what depression and anxiety are like--let's just say they aren't fun either.

I hate to say it, but perhaps you should be the one to do most of the care for the fish. Maybe he can feed it and play with it, or do water changes when his condition is calmer and more stable. Until then, if it's possible for you to help him out with some things--learning how these fish need to be cared for, perhaps making sure the water is being changed regularly and learning how to do it yourself if your son's having an off day. If you can, prevent him from buying other things unless you know it's appropriate for the tank.

As for future hobbies that might help him relax: try picking something that you can't really get wrong, or that doesn't have much of a repercussion if you do.

Low-risk sports like swimming, biking or even Zumba (that's like hip-hop-ish dancing) would be an excellent choice; it's been shown that exercise can help with depression and anxiety, and a close friend of mine found himself on top of his anxiety issues because he started getting more exercise.

Drawing or painting, those are good too--the worst that could happen is that he'll get frustrated with that, and then all you need do is take him to a modern or abstract art museum and show him all the different ways that art can be art.

Music lessons are another good option, if you pick an easy instrument like maybe a keyboard, although, again, it's possible to fixate on that and get frustrated.

Listening to music can release quite a bit of dopamine--a calming, pleasure-related neurotransmitter--so I'd definitely recommend that.

Reading would be great if he can keep focus... fantasy in particular, I'd recommend, because of the escapism factor. The Companions Quartet by Julia Golding is aimed towards his age group, and they're really good books about kids who form bonds with mythical animals. You can get them on Amazon pretty cheaply.

The fish was a really nice idea, but it seems to have gone over the wrong way, unfortunately. You seem like a really caring mom, though, so I'm sure you'll figure something out.

Again, I'm really sorry you're going through this--both of you, and any other family you might have. Praying for you


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## BettaStarter24 (Mar 24, 2014)

sorry to hear about his health issues. Hope things get better!


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## 2boys2fish (Jun 13, 2014)

Sorry to hear about your son. Taking care of betta fish is a bit more involved than I thought it would be. I have a 9 year old and a 5 year old, and I got them each betta fish in bowls, a gift to the 9 year old because he made straight A's on his report card. 

Even so, I had already palnned do all of the care for the fish, and have since invested in a lot more equipment (heater, filters, etc) and moved them to a 10 gallon aquarium each. (I'm ok with being the main care-giver because I'm a pet lover, grew up with all sorts of pets, and always interesting in learning)

It's stressful when your pets are sick, and you know what they need and can't get it, a position that a child often finds themselves in. But much more relaxing once you get them into a situation in which you know they are thriving well. (Ie, 10 gallon tank with a filter and heater.)

I clicked on this thread because I got a mystery snail to go in one of the tanks, and it was a mistake. The betta fish won't leave it alone, and it won't come out of it's shell for many hours. I have seperated them, putting the snail back into the little cup it came in, and the snail promptly came out, is now latched onto a piece of zuchinni. It had been in it's shell so long that it was very very hungry. 

I was wondering if there was a way to make it work, maybe I have to put a seperator in the tank. Or maybe, I will put the snail in one of the bettas old bowls. (They are outside, filled with old fish water, loaded with algae. I was hoping to attract mosquitoes for the larvae. Maybe I will change the water to clean water and put the snail in one of them, it might enjoy the algae in there? Then i'd have a snail bowl, PLUS two 10 gallon tanks. My husband will love all of this. Not.)

But yeah, there are so much conflicting advice on the net regarding snail and betta fish compatibility.


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## 2muttz (Aug 16, 2013)

bettaboy123 said:


> HI
> I am bettaboys mother or whatever his name is on here. First I want to apologize for all of his questions and posts. He's 11, had cancer and Immune Problems and now suffers severe anxiety and panic disorders. He is in Therapy and on meds. I thought I was doing a good thing by buying him this fish but it has done the total opposite and has him stressing and worryine 24-7, no kidding. Im pretty sure you all believe me by the amount of questions he has been asking. It is really really bad and I am deeply sorry for all of this. I am deleting this page after everyone has hopefully read this apology.


So so very sorry for you both. Noone should have to suffer cancer, particularly a youngster.

I agree with the poster who commented that the fish/ snail might be a wonderful relaxer for him if , at least for right now, the responsibility for their care ~ and the anxiety that is accompanying it~ is removed from him.

If you yourself are able to spend a bit of time and money, bettas and snails are among the easiest aquatic pets to care for. If you could get a separate small 2 or 3 gallon tank for the snail, along with a teeny weeny heater just to regulate the temps in there, and then make sure the betta is comfortable in his own little spot with a heater and perhaps a little filter ~ I bet you and your son could spend many happy hours watching them and decorating their homes. I have a mystery snail all by herself in a 2 gallon tank in my bathroom - they are so entertaining, and calming, to watch as they quietly go about their day, never seeming to be bothered by much..... it's somehow therapeutic!

Well, good luck. I hope it all works out for you both!!!


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

FWIW, last post prior to being resurrected was June 26 and the OP hasn't been on the forum since before that.


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## 2muttz (Aug 16, 2013)

RussellTheShihTzu said:


> FWIW, last post prior to being resurrected was June 26 and the OP hasn't been on the forum since before that.


Well, I sure missed that! Oops. Anyway, I hope everything worked out for them....


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## 2boys2fish (Jun 13, 2014)

Oh sorry. I had a similar question to the OP, and I hated to start the exact same type of thread a couple rows up.


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## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

Always better to start a new thread...IMO, anyway. ;-)


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