# betta and snail



## pj1218 (Jun 11, 2011)

hi so i got a 1.5 gallon tank and it has a filter heater and all that good stuff. in it i have a girl betta and a snail. i got the snail today and the person at petsmart said that i didnt have to acclimate the snails the way i had to do my fish so i put him in the tank and he stayed in the same spot for 15 minutes. in the bag he was in he was crawling all over the place. so he finally started moving and the betta went right next to the snail and he hid. i had to go somewhere and when i got back which was 5 47 and i left at 4 30 and the snail was on his side. i thought he would get back up on his own and he did. but the betta nipped at him so i put him into a bowl i use when i had to clean my old betta bowl. the person at petsmart said if he looked dead to poke the hole he comes out of and if it moves then hes dead. he didnt move when i did this so i put him in the bowl and he started crawling around. i put him back in behind a plant and hes crawling around and the betta isnt all in his buisness. but if it does happen again what do i do or do they have to get used to each other? i have a old betta bowl and i can use that for a while until i can get a snail tank. thanks for the help :smile:


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## Ryan V (Jun 12, 2011)

I really hate to seam rude buuuuut it would make it a lot easier to understand your question if you maybe proofread it; possibly use a couple commas/ cappital letters. 
Once again, i'm not trying to be mean I just had to read your question over a couple times to understand it. Sorry. I hope someone more knowledgeable than me is able to help you.


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## pj1218 (Jun 11, 2011)

sorry i was just in a hurry so heres a short version.
i went 2 petsmart and got a snail put him in the 1.5 gallon tank i have that has a filter and light and everything. the betta started to just lay next to him but then i had to go somewhere. when i got back the snail was tipped over and the betta would just keep laying next to it so i took the snail out to see if it was okay and it was so i put him back in and the betta tipped him over again. so i waited until it was dark to put him back in. the betta didnt bother him and he was able to crawl around but now hes in the little cave i have for the betta. i was wondering if the betta was just curious so thats why she tipped him or if shes tring to be territorial.


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## Betta man (Mar 25, 2011)

It shouldn't be a problem. I have kept bettas with shrimp, and they did well. The shrimp move around more then snails do and they also went next to the betta. Male bettas are more territorial then females, but some females are territorial. My female beat up my male. Bettas have personalitys. How do you think those snails survived in the wild?


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## pj1218 (Jun 11, 2011)

i know what you mean by the surviving in the wild thats why i dont see why some people thing you need a huge tank for betta when they only live in puddles in veitnam ( idk how to spell that ). but back to my question. well since my betta ( whos a girl ) is beating up the snail can i put him in a non filtered bowl and keep him in their until i can get him a new tank with some buddies ( more snails  ). but if i cant the snail is hiding in the hollow tree stump ( its a decoration i got from walmart with hiding holes ) and is not being pestered by the betta. sorry for all the () just thought id throw those in.


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## egoreise (Mar 16, 2011)

> thats why i dont see why some people thing you need a huge tank for betta when they only live in puddles in veitnam


FALSE! The bettas that are pulled out of the puddles are essentially being rescued, as that puddle is the last little bit of their environment that dried up during the hottest season. The ones that don't get pulled out to be put in captivity just end up dying when the puddle dries out more. Your betta will survive in the 1.5 gallon, and do much better because you have the heater and filter (as long as the current isn't too strong... not much space to escape current in a 1.5 gallon...), but would thrive even more in at least 5 gallons. 

The snail shouldn't be a problem. Is it an apple snail? i.e. mystery snail... I keep snails with all my bettas. At first, they get picked on a little bit while the betta gets used to them, and then it's fine. Don't expect the snail to keep those long feelers, though... a lot of fish, including bettas, like to nip those off. The snail will learn to keep the shortened feelers tucked around his eyes.


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## pj1218 (Jun 11, 2011)

the filter doesnt make much of a current at all. most of the time the betta just swims around the little tree stump decoration. i got 2 more snails and now the betta doesnt bother them anymore. i do have little algae wafer to feed the snails so if theres no algae they wont starve. i think there mystery snail but the little tag under the that they were in said they only get inch and a half. ill probly put the smallest one i got into my 10 gallon. and the little one had huge feelers but the betta got half of it off


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## egoreise (Mar 16, 2011)

Awesome! What color are they?


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## egoreise (Mar 16, 2011)

Oh... you may consider moving two of the snails into your bigger tank as they grow. They don't get huge, but they do carry a pretty big bioload.


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## pj1218 (Jun 11, 2011)

theres a white one with a blueish tint and the other is nothing but gold. ill probly do what you said and put two snails in the 10 gallon. i think the bettas done bein mean to snails


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## egoreise (Mar 16, 2011)

Ooooh I love the bluish ones. Does he have a black body, too? I've got one with a black body and a bluish shell and she is soooooo pretty. My golden one is my other fav.

If one is a male and the other is a female, don't be surprised if you find eggs around the top of your 10 gallon tank. You'll know they are breeding if the male climbs onto the female's shell. Even if she appears distressed, do NOT pull them apart. They can both be seriously damaged that way. Just let nature run it's course.  She'll calm down. 

Anyway... if you do get eggs, post in the invertibrate section! There are a few snail people here who would love to help.


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