# Add a snail?



## caswithsass (Dec 22, 2015)

Hi! It's been a while since I've posted but I take that as a good sign because my betta is doing well! He's lasted a little over 6 months, the longest I've had one, so I'm happy! Anyway, I bought a betta buddy when I bought him but I took it out a few months ago because it was creating a lot of algae and it was making the tank look dirty. The algae isn't really growing, but it still looks like fluffy green cotton balls on the fake plants and the back wall. Yesterday, I thought that getting a snail might clean it up a little but I have some questions.

I've done some research but can't quite decide on what type of snail to buy. I've always wanted a tankmate for Poseidon and I think a snail would be good. I've read that nerite snails are smaller but they lay unfertilized eggs that are near impossible to get off but that mystery snails don't always lay those eggs, unless their female, and that they grow bigger. I'm leaning more toward a mystery snail but I'm worried that my betta might be aggressive.

He's become quite the jumper when I feed him, it's really cute. But I'm worried that he'll react badly to a snail. If something should go wrong, what would I need in a temporary tank should I take the snail out? I have a 1 gallon bowl but don't have any gravel for it and I don't think I have much decor either. I don't think I'll be able to buy a new tank completely because I don't have room for it. 

I'd plan to buy cuttlebone and place that in the tank for calcium and then feed the snail cucumber slices or lettuce. I think I'd also buy a turkey baster to clean up all the waste once in a while. My tank is a 10 gallon and is stocked with two large fake plants and two smaller fake plants along with a viking helmet and a log for cover. My betta really likes hiding in the viking helmet and the log in the night time but he's pretty active around the leaves during the day.

I guess I'm just not sure if getting a snail would be the right move, even though I really want a tankmate for the little guy. I spoil him too much, so he'll probably be a little bratty if I add anything. Help?


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## sabrinah (Jan 2, 2015)

How big is your tank?


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## caswithsass (Dec 22, 2015)

sabrinah said:


> How big is your tank?


It's a 10 gallon tank.


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## sabrinah (Jan 2, 2015)

I have no idea how I read past your tank size in the first post. Sorry! 

Oh and I forgot to mention that a plant will not cause algae in the tank. Quite the opposite actually. 

Nerites can be hard to care for because they only eat real algae and will not tough wafers or veggies. They can easily starve to death. You would have to keep rocks sitting in water in the sun to grow algae for it to feed on. 

As you mentioned, a mystery snail can get big. They will however eat blanched veggies so they are easier to feed. 

In any case, there is the risk that your betta will not like the snail. He could bite off its eyes and attack it's shell which could lead to the death of the snail. If you decided to get a snail make sure the store accepts returns in case it doesn't work out


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## fernielou (May 19, 2015)

never had a problem with mysteries and bettas...their shells are quite tough and there's a trapdoor so they can hide completely. They might nibble a feeler but in my experience that wears off quickly and the betta gets bored. You definitely have space for the snail...golf ball is as big as it will get. 

So the only thing you really need is some calcium source (I like sunken cuttlebones but I have liquid calcium I add on water change day) and a food source. A missed betta pellet won't cut it. Rotting veggies are their fave...sometimes stuff has to be in the tank a couple of days before they like it. Faves I have seen are zucchini peelings (you can freeze these in strips) and carrot chips. Once you get addicted to the snail you can do snail jello if you want...I just put clear jello and fish food or baby veggies so it doesn't cloud the water as bad as the food. I have not had success with tums in the recipe..


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## caswithsass (Dec 22, 2015)

I actually wasn't aware that you could return pets to pet stores so it's nice to have that alternative if I need it. I'm really hoping my betta will just ignore it after a while. He's lasted a lot longer than my other bettas so I'm hoping this is just a small hurdle he'll get over. 

I definitely plan to use some sort of veggies for food. I've been thinking of using cuttlebone for the calcium source, I'm just hoping it doesn't affect the betta's environment too much. Mystery snails are what I'm leaning towards at the moment, since I really don't want to deal with unfertilized nerite eggs.


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## fernielou (May 19, 2015)

to avoid the mystery eggs just keep the water line higher. They WILL lay eggs on the hood if desperate, but it does cut down on egg clutches. Let the clutches dry a day or two and they pop right off...squish in a plastic baggie and put in the garbage if you don't want them to develop.


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## caswithsass (Dec 22, 2015)

There's only about an inch from the waterline to the hood, thanks to a rim from the type of tank. Eggs will be a pain, but I guess I'll deal with them if they happen.

There's a bunch of different types of snails so I'm trying to figure out which one is best. Mystery is good and I was researching zebra snails too. I want to make sure I have everything I'd need for a snail because even though I researched for my first betta, I was still unprepared. I plan to buy the snail, some sort of veggies for food, some calcium source, and a turkey baster for waste (because I don't think I have one yet).

I do 25%-50% water changes once a week. Would I need to increase that with the snail? I'm gonna watch the tank for a week to see if there's any prolonged aggression from my betta and then I'll hopefully be able to return the snail if I have to.


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## kitkat67 (Mar 10, 2015)

Let me stop you there. Mystery snails don't eat algae. Only if they are starving and they don't exactly clean every bit off, just a munch here and there. You will need to feed that porker daily and they produce enough poop to leave you cleaning the tank every few days.

Nerites are picky eaters and need A LOT of their special algae. You might want to look into something more size-manageable like ramshorns. Yeah, they do reproduce like crazy but you can cull them, sell them, give them away. Once all the algae is gone they, too, disappear, or at the very least, stop reproducing.


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## caswithsass (Dec 22, 2015)

Hmm. Honestly, cleaning the algae isn't a huge concern of mine anymore, though it'd be really nice if the snail did eat it. The amount of waste produced though sounds like it'd be tedious to keep clean. Hmm. I'll keep looking at other snails. You make a good point. I'm actually looking for ways to make more money so maybe having them reproduce wouldn't be that bad after all.


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## kitkat67 (Mar 10, 2015)

Shrimp are good, too.


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## caswithsass (Dec 22, 2015)

Yeah, I was just doing some research on shrimp as well. They seem to be fun little critters. I guess my concern would be with any new tankmate that my betta would be aggressive because it's his territory. He's been alone in the tank for 6 months and is probably pretty territorial. Ghost shrimp, from what I've read, are cheap though so it wouldn't be such a loss if I found my betta didn't like them. They clean algae but what else do they eat? I can usually make sure my betta gets the food I give specifically to him, but I don't know how I'd feed a shrimp or two.


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## kitkat67 (Mar 10, 2015)

@NickAu feeds them like a flake every blue moon and his seem to be thriving, miraculously. Then again he's in Australia so things are weird there, lmao.


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