Betta friend?

[On_a_dishy]

I'm preparing my 34L Fluval tank for a betta. Parameters are currently all out:

CH and KH 180
PH 7.5 (I've put an almond leaf in)
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 20
I'm using Seachem's Stability and tiny bits of fish food to get things cycling.

Anyway, I've maintained large tanks in the past and am used to the goings-on of several critters - I've had gouramis, acara, plecos, corys, dwarf frogs... and I'm thinking of taking the plunge with a snail to be my betta tank mate.

One snail! Not many. I've been there!

Any recommendations or advice against?

 

[Essjay]

I always had a nerite snail in the tank when I had bettas (one at a time over the years). The worst that happened is that one betta objected to a snail when it was on the glass walls, presumably he mistook it for a rival betta invading his space. He would flare at it but when the snail took no notice he gave up. The betta ignored the snail when it was on decor or the substrate.

Nerites are ideal tank mates as there is very little of their body outside the shell, and the antennae are small. There are reports of bettas biting the antenae of those snails with large ones.

 

[On_a_dishy]

Thank you! I'll find a pretty one

 

[gwand]

I'm preparing my 34L Fluval tank for a betta. Parameters are currently all out:

CH and KH 180
PH 7.5 (I've put an almond leaf in)
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 20
I'm using Seachem's Stability and tiny bits of fish food to get things cycling.

Anyway, I've maintained large tanks in the past and am used to the goings-on of several critters - I've had gouramis, acara, plecos, corys, dwarf frogs... and I'm thinking of taking the plunge with a snail to be my betta tank mate.

One snail! Not many. I've been there!

Any recommendations or advice against?

I have a mystery snail with my betta. They ignore each other. But the color combination is lovely.

 

[Essjay]

That's good to hear. Mystery snails (called apple snails in the UK) are one of the species reported to have their antennae bitten off by bettas - presumably the antennae look like worms.

 

[On_a_dishy]

Will snails suddenly produce baby snails out of nowhere? Or is that a myth?

 

[Essjay]

Some snails need both male and female snails to reproduce, others can reproduce by parthenogenesis, and some can do both. Malaysian trumpet snails are an example of those which do both which is why one MTS can become a lot of MTS.
Some female snails can store sperm. Buying a sperm carrying female usually results in eggs.
Nerite snails do not reproduce in fresh water. Yes, females lay eggs but those eggs never hatch as they need salt water for the larvae to survive. Having white sesame seed like eggs on their decor puts some people off keeping nerites, but it doesn't bother me
Apple snails lay their eggs in grape like clusters above the water line so they are easy to find and remove.
Ramhorns lay eggs in a clear jelly and are very hard to find, so these snails often multiply in a tank.
Rabbit snails and similar types, I have no idea about.

 

[TNG]

I'm preparing my 34L Fluval tank for a betta. Parameters are currently all out:

CH and KH 180
PH 7.5 (I've put an almond leaf in)
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 20
I'm using Seachem's Stability and tiny bits of fish food to get things cycling.

Anyway, I've maintained large tanks in the past and am used to the goings-on of several critters - I've had gouramis, acara, plecos, corys, dwarf frogs... and I'm thinking of taking the plunge with a snail to be my betta tank mate.

One snail! Not many. I've been there!

Any recommendations or advice against?

That’s a good size tank for a betta. If it’s planted, it will swim all over, exploring the tank.

Do you mean GH is 180 ppm? That’s a bit high, may not be an issue in the short term but could affect its health long term.