Betta Tankmates

[hokankai]

Hello! I'm new to these forums and just had a question. I got my bettas about a month ago, each in a 2.5 gal tank. I was interested in getting a nerite snail to house with one of them, but I don't know if it's a good idea. Here are the tank specs:

2.5 gal
heated
not cycled or filtered
weekly 100% water changed
hornwort in tank along with silk plants and a cave
1 male betta

would this be okay for one nerite snail? thanks!

kk

 

[wilsonnw8]

Hello! I'm new to these forums and just had a question. I got my bettas about a month ago, each in a 2.5 gal tank. I was interested in getting a nerite snail to house with one of them, but I don't know if it's a good idea. Here are the tank specs:

2.5 gal
heated
not cycled or filtered
weekly 100% water changed
hornwort in tank along with silk plants and a cave
1 male betta

would this be okay for one nerite snail? thanks!

kk

Your tank isnt cycled or filtered? it would be better for your betta if it was. Im afraid I dont know what type of snail that is but without a filter its prob not a good idea as snails create a lot of waste

 

[Honeythorn]

In an unfiltered tank I'd say no. Snails eat, and they crap. This creates ammonia just like fish waste.

If you get a 10 gal and divide it for the two males, you can filter and heat it much more easily, and you can safely keep the snails with them.

It makes no sense to keep bettas ( in an average home I don't mean breeders ) in such a small unfiltered tank each when you can pick one up secondhand cheaply, divide it and fit a decent small filter to it which will provide a safer, more stable biological tank environment , and save you the job of 100% water changes ( which can prove really quite stressful to the fish ) . It's also easier to get a divided 10 gal and run that, rather than two separate tanks.

Your tank/s need to be filtered. Bettas are really no different to gouramis in terms of care ( except requiring a slightly higer temperature than most gouramis ) and require filtration just the same. They will also suffer from ammonia spikes just like any other fish if the filter is not cycled . If you can get some mature filter media, you can instant cycle a small filter and that way you won't have to go through the laborious process of fishless cycling

 

[hokankai]

Lol, oh believe me I know all about the filtering and stuff. They don't absolutely need it, because I don't let the levels get high enough to cause any damage, stress, or sickness and their labyrinth organ allows them to breathe air. Plus hornwort absorbs ammonia (yes, plants prefer ammonia/ammonium to nitrite...done plenty of research on that too) to help out as well. filtering isn't the issue. And about the tank size, I actually have a 5.5 gal with a whisper and a 6 gal eclipse that they will be moved into once i get home (i'm at college right now and therefore no time to cycle and i won't do it with them in the tank), plant and cycle them.

but you're right, i'll just give them their own space until the other tanks are up, then i think i'll add some ADFs and a nerite snail or two XD.

p.s. i wish i knew someone to get some mature filter media from...but truth is i have NO idea who or where to get some. haha, any ideas on that? i have some SeaChem Stability (don't have high expectations for it though) but that's it.

 

[bronzecat]

Lol, oh believe me I know all about the filtering and stuff. They don't absolutely need it, because I don't let the levels get high enough to cause any damage, stress, or sickness and their labyrinth organ allows them to breathe air.

I suggest that you check the ammonia levels after 4/5 days. You say you dont let the levels get high enough?? Ammonia and NitrIte should always be zero, there is no other safe limit. Just because they are surface breathers, it doesn't mean that they immune to toxins!

 

[Honeythorn]

*sigh* .......

and their labyrinth organ allows them to breathe air

This has nothing to do with water quality and ammonia/nitrite. The ability to breathe air does not exempt them from disease caused by water quality if something goes awry. Gouramis have the same organ but are not kept in small unfiltered tanks as many bettas are. I'd still love to know why.

Ok, try an LFS, one you trust and seems clean and well kept. Ask if you could perhaps run your filters in one of their display tanks for a month, or ask if they would maybe sell you some media to start your filters off.

I think fish stores should sell mature media instead of things like Cycle, which do absolutely nothing. A piece of "live" sponge or other media packed with a little ice pack to keep it cool ( and the bacteria more dormant and slower to die off in transit ) would be great.