What's A Good Clean Up Crew Snail For A Betta Tank?

[Honeythorn]

You have absolutely NO excuse not to have a basic sponge filter. I don't know where you got the idea that bettas don't need one but frankly it's incorrect.

They are anabantoids and breathe surface air as you probably know, and they are no different to gouramis or any other anabantoid. The labyrinth organ is a survival mechanism for use in the dry season when a vast amount of them die or dry out in small amounts of water.

In a normal aquarium they have no need to "survive", as there is plenty of water and no chance of drying out. They do however, need a filter and a stable biological cycle.

A sponge filter will not create any current to disturb your bettas, and will provide the conditions for bacteria to thrive and give a stable system. They are also powered by airpumps which you obviously have to power your airstones.

With the filter, your tank will be healthier and you will be able to add shrimp and snails safely.

 

[Inchworm]

Hi Honeythorn

All fish need clean, fresh water to live in. This means Ammonia at 0, Nitrite at 0, and Nitrate at a low level. How it gets to be that way doesn't matter to them.

Even if there is just one fish in a 5 gallon tank, it would still be a lot of work to keep it that way, so it's more practical to use a filter to breed beneficial bacteria that will consume the ammonia and nitrite.

I agree with you about the airstones. The water movement they create will not do the betta any good and the pump would be put to a better use running a small filter.

 

[Honeythorn]

I've never understood why people think bettas don't need filters and yet provide them for their other fish. Same as I've never understood why some people ( not the OP in this case ) think they can be kept in very small containers purely on the basis that they have a labyrinth organ. So do gouramis but you don't see them being kept in 1 gal bowls ect. Madness.


There's just no real excuse for not having a basic small sponge filter in even a small tank like a 5 gal, and for even a 2-3 gal shrimp tank you can make a filter out of an empty fish food pot and a few other bits and pieces as shown in a topic in the DIY section . They cost very little in comparison to many other small internal filters ( many of which often have too strong a flow for male bettas anyway ) and if the OP has airpumps to run airstones (that create the surface agitation , which is also not good for bettas as you say ) then he/she definately has no reason not to have one, as those airlines can each run a sponge filter.

5 gals is easy enough to keep in good order with 50% weekly water changes when filtered.

 

[Smokescreen]

I didn't read through this whole thread, but I'd be careful putting snails in with bettas. I put two in my six gal when I still had a betta in there, and he was fine, but the one I put in my three gal with my one betta didn't fare so well. I had to take her out because the betta would wait until she came out of her shell, and then attack her.

It all depends on your bettas' personalities. My betta in the three gal is just downright nasty (hence why he's by himself) and the betta that was in my six gal was perfectly happy to peacefully coexist with other fish and dwarf frogs. So my suggestion is, if you do end up putting snails in (which I don't suggest without filtration, because they do produce a lot of waste) keep a very, very close eye on them for the first few days to be sure they're not getting harassed by the big mean fishes.