Snail Question

[bugsy66]

I have two male bettas in a divided 3 gal tank. I would like to know if I added one mystery snail for cleanup if that would put a damper on the bioload of the tank?

I want to move this snail back and fourth between the dividers to keep both sides clean. The tank is filter and heated.

 

[Katty]

Honestly, I think you'll do a better job of cleaning than a snail, if that's the only reason you want it.

 

[t3l01v]

If the tank is planted, add snails. Snails are great when it comes to aerating the substrate and eating used up plant roots/ detritus. They also allow oxygenated water to flow through the substrate, preventing the buildup of hydrogen sulfide gas pockets.

If I were I snail, I'd be quite annoyed at being picked up and moved, so just get a few of them. Mystery snails are a little big though. For algea and general crap clean-up, I recommend Malaysian Trumpet snails. They're small and have long, rounding shells. Careful that they don't have a black stripe in their shell.

Keeping them happy will entail slightly overfeeding your tank for the first three or so weeks. After that, they'll be fine on their own and multiply WAY faster than rabbits. The neat thing is that once there's not enough food to sustain them, they die off and stop reproducing.

If it's cleaning though specifically, then just do it yourself. Easier, better, and faster.

 

[bugsy66]

Thanks for the replies, I think its better for me to just clean it myself.

As for the other kinds of snails recommended, it has taken my over 2 years to kill each and everyone of them I so stupidly added to my 46 gal tank with the addition of new plants. I hate snails and that is why I asked about these bigger ones as they need two of them to lay any eggs. I would never recommend anyone add those small snails for their tanks unless they know exactly what they are getting themselves into. My loach has done a great job of eating all the snails and for the past 6 months i have not had one snail in the tank, keeping fingers crossed.

I dont mean to sound harsh at your recommendation its just they are a pain in the butt when you are over run by them and they are very unsightly.

 

[fluffycabbage]

I have two male bettas in a divided 3 gal tank. I would like to know if I added one mystery snail for cleanup if that would put a damper on the bioload of the tank?

I want to move this snail back and fourth between the dividers to keep both sides clean. The tank is filter and heated.

Im concerned that you have even 1 betta in a 3g tank, let alone 2!!!!! thats waaaaaay too small the absolute minimum per betta is 5g !!!

 

[Ethan]

It is his choice so don't go nuts on him just saying it isn't polite.........

I have two male bettas in a divided 3 gal tank. I would like to know if I added one mystery snail for cleanup if that would put a damper on the bioload of the tank?

I want to move this snail back and fourth between the dividers to keep both sides clean. The tank is filter and heated.

Im concerned that you have even 1 betta in a 3g tank, let alone 2!!!!! thats waaaaaay too small the absolute minimum per betta is 5g !!!

..............

 

[fluffycabbage]

It is his choice so don't go nuts on him just saying it isn't polite.........

hey - i am only giving advice - that is a seriously small space for a betta to happy and healthy. any and every other regular TFF member will say the same. yep its his choice, but if he wants unhealthy and unhappy fish then thats the way to go!
..............

 

[bugsy66]

I thank you for your concerns. My two bettas are just fine in this tank, it is filtered, heated and has twice weekly water changes done to it. I have been keeping tropical for over 20+ years and many bettas also in that time. These two super deltas are very healthy and do alot of swimming in this tank and are fed a variety of many different kinds of foods each day.

If one were to really look at the big picture of keeping fish today, we are all keeping them in confined spaces (aquariums) as appose to where they should be kept. Big open bodies of water. Weather its the saltwater hobby or the freshwater hobby, nothing will ever take place of their natural areas. So we provide mini oceans and mini freshwater areas for them so we can enjoy them all in our homes.

The most important thing in this hobby is to make sure you provide them with good clean aquariums and a varied diet.

My longest lived betta in a tank this size was 4 1/2 years old from a small baby to adult size. Thanks for your concerns but my fish are in very good hands.

 

[fluffycabbage]

I thank you for your concerns. My two bettas are just fine in this tank, it is filtered, heated and has twice weekly water changes done to it. I have been keeping tropical for over 20+ years and many bettas also in that time. These two super deltas are very healthy and do alot of swimming in this tank and are fed a variety of many different kinds of foods each day.

If one were to really look at the big picture of keeping fish today, we are all keeping them in confined spaces (aquariums) as appose to where they should be kept. Big open bodies of water. Weather its the saltwater hobby or the freshwater hobby, nothing will ever take place of their natural areas. So we provide mini oceans and mini freshwater areas for them so we can enjoy them all in our homes.

The most important thing in this hobby is to make sure you provide them with good clean aquariums and a varied diet.

My longest lived betta in a tank this size was 4 1/2 years old from a small baby to adult size. Thanks for your concerns but my fish are in very good hands.

thats good to hear, but do you not think a betta would be happier in twice if not four times its current tank volume??

 

[loraxchick]

It is his choice so don't go nuts on him just saying it isn't polite.........

hey - i am only giving advice - that is a seriously small space for a betta to happy and healthy. any and every other regular TFF member will say the same. yep its his choice, but if he wants unhealthy and unhappy fish then thats the way to go!
..............

i am a regular member of TFF and i differ in my thinking. I keep very healthy bettas in 3 gals and less. i have kept them in tanks ranging from 10+ to about 1.5 gal and have noticed no difference in health and activity. as long as water parameters are good and the tank is heated and filtered you can CERTAINLY keep a betta in less than 5 gal. it is personal CHOICE not fact. i do not like it when it is stated as fact and some sort of "death sentence" to the fish as this is simply not true.
my only issue with 2 males in split 3 gal is the water quality. also dimensions of the tank so they have enough swimming room.
and to answer the OPs question, a 3 gal tank might be a bit small for a mystery snail. they can grow quite large (it is not a water quality issue as snails add little to bioload). some malaysian trumpet snails or common "pest" snails would be a better choice in a small tank. you wont be overrun by snails if you are feeding properly. only lots of excess food=excess snails.
cheers

 

[JoshuaA]

i am a regular member of TFF and i differ in my thinking. I keep very healthy bettas in 3 gals and less. i have kept them in tanks ranging from 10+ to about 1.5 gal and have noticed no difference in health and activity. as long as water parameters are good and the tank is heated and filtered you can CERTAINLY keep a betta in less than 5 gal. it is personal CHOICE not fact. i do not like it when it is stated as fact and some sort of "death sentence" to the fish as this is simply not true.

I can say exactly the same about nearly every single fish we have in this hobby, most tropical fish will live in a smaller tank without having a health issue. For example you can put goldfish in really small tanks and if its heated and filtered they will live happily. After all there is little it can say to you to say "I'm not happy". I can easily keep water parameters happy for any fish and most of them will live their life out.

Same for other animals, you can put gerbils and hamsters in small cages and they will live throughout their life as normal just with less space to perhaps enjoy yourself.

Tank size is down to what you believe is suitable, to me in mind for me to keep fish it would have to be in a 10 gallon minimum tank. Where as shrimp snails I would happily keep them in a 3g tank.

I do agree though, I don't like people thrusting their opinion on you saying it's fact however I still agree with them that the tank is too small for 1 nevermind 2.

We all know what happens when people keep pushing the boundaries we end up with Betta cups or Bettas living in vases. Finally, with the thought of the OP saying they keep the tank clean however looking to use snails to help clean a tank of 3g I am a little concerned, I would understand if the tank was perhaps 30G but for a 3G and looking for cleaning assistance I'm not too convinced.

 

[fluffycabbage]

it is personal CHOICE not fact. i do not like it when it is stated as fact and some sort of "death sentence" to the fish as this is simply not true.

i didnt 'state as fact' or even imply it was death sentence at all. i am giving advice which i have been given by TFF members. Ive never heard of anyone keeping a betta in a tank that small either (apart from lfs's!) I have been told over and over (on here) that 20l (4.4 UKG/5.2 USG) is the minimum recommended tank size for a betta. I just cannot imagine a fish being happy in a space less than half that!

To the OP, yes we are all on here because we confine them. What size space we confine them to is obviously a personal choice. Although there is no hard and fast rule we should stick to, it makes sense that a larger body of water would mean a happier and healthier fish, would it not? I apologise if it sounded like i was stating fact - that was not the case, as im sure you are aware having kept fish for so long, and i did not imply it was a death sentence either. I was purely showing concern that is all. Good luck.