Apple Snail Maybe?

[PrairieSunflower]

I have spent the last couple of months working on removing my assassin snails from my betta's tank and I am finally sure I've got every last one.  My goal has been so I could put in a little snail buddy for him and I'd been thinking maybe an apply snail.
 
My question is... would an apple snail be my best choice?  The tank has minimal algae and I'm sure one snail could take care of that easily.  And... apple snails don't breed with themselves, right?  I do only want ONE snail.  Or, is there another snail that would be a better choice?

 

[Liv15]

I don't think apple snails reproduce with themselves but you might have a little difficulty finding one seeing as you're in the UK as they have put a ban on importing them and pet shops don't sell them anymore. Have a look online for one though.

 

[PrairieSunflower]

Oh pooh.  Why is there a ban?

 

[richpowell1989]

Im in the uk n all 8 shops near me still sell them, I was in Maidenhead aquatics yesterday n they still have them

 

[Francesjane]

My sister had a tank full of apple snails until recently when she moved and they went to the garden centre that she works at....I can remember them very well because they bred like wild fire...there was always clusters of dozens of eggs stuck to the dry parts of the tanks, above water line for example and tank lid....
I didn't like them at all...probably because there was just so many and always multiplying!!!

 

[DrRob]

Oh pooh.  Why is there a ban?

 
There's an EU ban on the whole genus after a subset became invasive in Spain.

 

[PrairieSunflower]

I suppose that makes sense.  Shame.  Anyhow... I want to aim for a snail that doesn't reproduce with itself and will eat a touch of algae.  I am finding info online a little bit vague on the part of snail reproduction.

 

[Liv15]

Im in the uk n all 8 shops near me still sell them, I was in Maidenhead aquatics yesterday n they still have them

Aw I've looked in the pet shops and aquatics shops near me and there aren't any! I did really want an apple snail.

I suppose that makes sense.  Shame.  Anyhow... I want to aim for a snail that doesn't reproduce with itself and will eat a touch of algae.  I am finding info online a little bit vague on the part of snail reproduction.

Also, I still don't think they reproduce with themselves so you would be okay with just 1 but if you get anymore then they will breed like crazy.


Can anyone confirm this?

 

[Wildbetta]

You have to have 2 snails to make more snails with mystery/apple snails so getting only 1 would keep you at just 1 snail.  Even if you have 2, they have to be of opposite sex to breed.  Plus if you by chance were to get 2 snails and they were a pair, it is easy to keep the population under control since they lay eggs above the water line.  Just remove the egg clutch and throw it out -- no more snails.  That easy.

 

[PrairieSunflower]

Thanks!  I shall go into my LFS at some point and see what they have.  I didn't really look the last time I was in... they had something but not sure what they were.