Suitable Snails?

[lisa2701]

Hi everyone,

I have a 12g tank with 5 Endlers and a male betta who was only added to the tank a couple of days ago. I don't want to add any more fish as such as I want there to be plenty of space for the Endlers and the betta to stay out each others way so I am thinking of maybe getting a snail or two. i like apple snails but they obviously grow to big for my tank, so can anyone suggest a good snail for my tank? Any other suggestion regarding adding to my tank without adding fish would be appreciated.

 

[fishprotector]

A Zebra Nerite snail would work well as they are a good community snail, look great, are fantastic at eating algae and as far as I am aware need brackish conditions to successfully breed so you won't become overrun.

 

[lisa2701]

A Zebra Nerite snail would work well as they are a good community snail, look great, are fantastic at eating algae and as far as I am aware need brackish conditions to successfully breed so you won't become overrun.

Great, I'll have a look at them, thanks. . At first glance they sound perfect for my tank, and I don't want to be over run so its good they don't breed easily. Do you think getting two or three is an appropriate number or are they best on their own? Will have a good read up on them before I get any thing.

 

[Essjay]

In a 12 gall tank, I'd stick to just one. Or 2 of the smaller type. Ive seen those called bee nerites, bumblebee nerites, clithons etc - basically they grow to half the size of zebra nerites and are black and yellow striped. Some species have 'horns' some don't. Check before buying as some nerites are marine. Snails travel very well in the post so don't be afraid to get them mail order if your shops don't have any.

A couple of words of caution. Firstly, nerites in common with other snails don't cope well with fish medication. If you need to treat the tank as opposed to your hopsital tank, move the snails out first. Second, they are escape artists. Lsst month I got up to find a snail on the floor twice and both snails once, luckily the tank is in the kitchen with a vinyl flor covering so they didn't get full of carpet fluff. The tank has two cutouts in the lid. The one the wires go though now has a clump of filter wool stuffed into it and the unused one has a spare bit of sponge selotaped over it. No escapes since.

Edit to add - if you ever find a snail on its back, turn it over. They have to come right out of their shells and grab onto something to right themselves and fish like endlers and bettas will be very interested and pick at it, sending it back into its shell. The poor thing will need help.

 

[lisa2701]

Oh I really like the bumble bee nerites! Love their bright colours. I have found freshwater ones on Ebay. Doing a bit of reading first to double check my tank is suitable and so before I buy any, but a couple of these guys would be lovely! I need to stop learning about aquatic species...the more I learn about the more I want... going to need a bigger tank

EDIT: thanks for the heads up regarding medication, as you know I have a hospital tank so if its ever needed I can either move the snails or the affected fish. Thankfully all running smoothly now thank goodness. And I will be sure to block up any of those holes, my lid does have a few spots they could escape from.

 

[Essjay]

I have to confess to liking these snails, even if some people think they are gross I have zebra nerites in my 125 litre, red ones (sometimes called red onion or racing stripe) in my 50 litre (the escapees) and a bee nerite in my 25 litre.
Snails do like hardish water. My GH is 6, but my pH is 7.6 in the tanks. Their shells can dissolve if there isn't enough calcium in the water or the pH is acidic. One way round this is to put a piece of cuttlefish bone in the tank, like you buy for budgies, the snails can get calcium from that. I've even heard of using tums, the indigestion tablets, they work too.

If you ever need to treat sick fish (again!) either move the fish, or like with whitespot when you have to treat the whole tank, move the snails.


Edited for spelling. As usual!

 

[lisa2701]

I have to confess to liking these snails, even if some people think they are gross I have zebra nerites in my 125 litre, red ones (sometimes called red onion or racing stripe) in my 50 litre (the escapees) and a bee nerite in my 25 litre.
Snails do like hardish water. My GH is 6, but my pH is 7.6 in the tanks. Their shells can dissolve if there isn't enough calcium in the water or the pH is acidic. One way round this is to put a piece of cuttlefish bone in the tank, like you buy for budgies, the snails can get calcium from that. I've even heard of using tums, the indigestion tablets, they work too.

If you ever need to treat sick fish (again!) either move the fish, or like with whitespot when you have to treat the whole tank, move the snails.


Edited for spelling. As usual!

Hmm gross is not the word I'd use to describe them, I actually think they have a lovely shell, and I like the horns lol. I like the Zebras too. You think 2 is a maximum for my tank (48litre with 5 Endlers and a Betta nothimg else?)? My Ph sits at 7.6 naturally so thats great. sorry not sure what GH is? I have a budgie so cuttle fish isn't a problem although doesn't it cloud the water?

Funny enough, I no longer think I had white spot in the tank as the fish in questioned died but none of the other fish have shown any signs of illness. I treated the entire tank for the full course to make sure but everything has been perfect since. But yes, I will be sure to either move fish or move snail if I ever needed to treat for diease, thanks

I am struggling to find any decent information on them, what size do they grow to as adults? and do you have to suppliment their diet with algae wafers etc? Will the bumble bees be big enough that the betta won't be a threat to them or is that a trial and error? If it is a problem I can move them to the other tank I suppose and have a snail tank, my husband would love a snail tank I bet (NOT!)

 

[Essjay]

The zebra ones grow to about an inch across, the bee ones to about half an inch. In a 46 litre tank I would say 1 zebra or 2 bees. I have 2 red ones on my 50 litre but I'd prefer just one. I got them off ebay a couple of years back, I ordered 2 zebras and he sent 2 red ones as a free gift! The original plan was to put 1 zebra in the 125 with one I already had (which died recently, I'd had it 4 years) and 1 in the 40, so I eneded up putting both zebras in the 125 and both red ones in the 50. I'm nor sure the 50 produces enough algae for 2 of them though. Have a look here for info http/www.planetinverts.com/snail_species.html The ones they call tracked nerites are my red ones.

I have a bee nerite in my 25 litre with my dragonscale betta. He's flared at it one or twice when it's got near a bubble nest but thats about all. The plakat in the 50 litre hasn't paid any attention to the snails. Or the pygmy cories and endler females. But knowing how inquisitive bettas and endlers are, if one fell on its back, they be in there wondering if they could eat it. That's why I said before about turning them over. Nerites do have a trapdoor to seal themselves out of harms way, but if they can't come out to turn over for fear of being eaten, we have to do it for them.

GH is a measure of hardness. Mine, at 6, is harder than soft but not quite medium. I think it's the pH that's the critical factor, and with both of us having alkaline pH the shells won't dissolve. I did buy a bottle of liquid calcium from a shop that's no longer selling, but there's still over half the bottle left many years later. I've never used cuttlefish so I have no idea if they cloud the water. Since you have access to them, maybe try a piece in a tub of water first to see.

 

[Essjay]

Something I forgot to warn you about. Being vegetarians, nerites poo a lot for their size! Make sure you clean the gravel (assuming that's what you have) very well.

 

[lisa2701]

Thanks for all the info Essjay. That Website was great and I really enjoyed reading about all the different types of snails (helped me identify that I have a pond snail in the tank that my betta used to be in - now empty apart from a snail, trying to work out what to do with it). definitely think i'm going to go for 2 bumble bee nerites, I REALLY like them (and they got my son's vote too). Going to place an order tonight for 2, so hopefully have them on Friday.

The website mentions supplementing their diet with algae waffers, do you find you need to do this?

I will need to experiment with the cuttle fish. I assume it is safe for the other fish in the tank for calcium to be added?

EDIT: I have sand on the bottom and I clean it regularly so hopefully the extra waste isn't a problem

 

[lisa2701]

Have ordered 2 Bumble bee Nerites and algae wafers just in case I need them

 

[Essjay]

When you get the algae wafers, you'll know how big they are. I've had ones about a cm across, I would use a quarter of one of those to start with, and put it in just before you go to bed or the endlers will eat it before the snails get there if there's any light at all. Endlers do like a bit of veg. I only use algae wafers/pellets every so often as, ermm, my tanks have algae (I know, I should solve what causes the algae rather than having snails to eat it!)

With sand, you may find yourself cleaning the bottom a couple of times a week, though the smaller bee nerites don't make as much mess as the larger ones. I have a piece of wood in my 125 litre, the shop said it was mangrove root, and the zebra snails love it, they spend more time on that than eating the algae. You can imagine what wood that's been through a snail's digestive system looks like on sand.......



Speaking of endlers and veg, have you tried feeding mashed, cooked, skinned peas yet?

 

[lisa2701]

Yeah I was thinking of only using 1/4 or 1/2 depending on size but didn't know about putting it in at night so that's great to know.

I have bog wood too and currently it has some algae on it, and an ornament which has a little too but overal I don't have millions of algae (but then it's a reasonably new tank set up).

I can't wait to get them. No idea why I am so excited about them. Haha. I will be sure to clean the tank regularly, not a bad thing anyways.

No I haven't fed them any veg yet? Do they go daft for them? I've seen a video of a betta with a pea and that was funny so I will definitely need to try it some time soon.

 

[lisa2701]

Fed them a pea today. Absolutely loved watching them. The endlers instantly noticed it (had mushed it) and started nibbling away. Took ages for the betta to notice the bits of pea but when he did he was hilarious, he was properly attacking it and loved it. He even took a bit and put it inside the ship (which he has claimed as his) which I will now need to try get without disturbing the tank too much. might need to ask about portion sizes on the betta section as my boy either has an unsatisfiable appetite or I am under feeding him. I swear he'd eat the entire contents of my fridge in one sitting if he could.

My snails are coming on Tuesday.

 

[Essjay]

Bettas are absolute pigs when it comes to food. I've had my plakat 5 weeks. I feed him first, he gets three betta pellets, then I add flake for the endlers and broken up sinking tablet for the cories & apisto juveniles, though the betta eats them as well which is why he only gets three pellets. It took about three days for him to respond to my hand hovering over the water and swim to the corner of the tank where I drop the pellets - the filter doesn't swoosh the pellets away there. It's quite sweet watching him eating food off the bottom in the middle of the cories and apistos.

So yes, your betta would eat the contents of your fridge if you emptied in the tank.

Mind you, the endlers are as bad. Cleaning the tank is a nightmare as when they see the bits of muck stirred up they dash over to see what it is and are in real danger of being sucked up. I think I must have sucked up a youngster a couple of weeks ago as I haven't seen it since that water change. Though with just males you shouldn't have that problem.