Should I add a tankmate for my betta?

[emilyekk]

I have a 5 gallon hex tank for my betta.

Do I have enough room to add a snail or something of that sort?

I had heard I could add a frog but I feel like that would require a much larger tank...


If I CAN add something, what could I add?

I'd rather not add shrimp - I don't find them visually appealing. =)

[Northernguy]

I would not!
If it was a 10 gal tank it would be a lot easier.

[emilyekk]

I would not!
If it was a 10 gal tank it would be a lot easier.


really? not even a snail?
I figured that would be possible... do they produce a lot of waste or something?

[Mvjnz]

You could add a mystery snail or two. I've kept a snail or two with a betta in a tank that size, but if you get two you have to check for eggs under the lid regularly, as they don't have room to breed in a tank that small.

[Marty]

I wouldnt add anything, not even the snails in a tank that small with that much planting. My betta worked the best with some glowlight tetra's but they need to be in a school ideally, 10g would have been better.
Betta's dont need company, as long as they have a well planted/decorated tank they will always be busy playing and exploring.
Some Betta's are pure aggressive and will attack anything else in the tank.

I tried having a small african frog with him in a 10g, but my Betta bit his leg off and he died :(

[thrakuarium]

After your tank has cycled, between 2-6 weeks, then you could consider a mystery snail or 2. Until it has cycled any new additions adds bioload to a system that isn't ready yet . That could cause an ammonia spike that would be dangerous to your betta and whatever you added. Be patient for now.

[fishbum]

Mystery snails get too big for a 5 gallon.If you want a snail go with a nerite.Zebra nerite are very cool.

[emilyekk]

this might be a dumb question but to snails self reproduce or do you need two snails for that to happen?

I definitely don't have room for probably but 1 snail...


also - where would you buy a zebra nerite snail? They look cool but I know I've definitely never seen one before! =)


Btw - a snail is now all I am even considering, lol. rest assured everyone. ;)

[Marty]

I personally dont know about tank snails, but let me share with you a story that i did when i was about 12,13?...

I was in our garden (sorry, back yard; i am english) and on our brick bbq i saw two snails very close together (i used to live next to a elementary school and we would get snails ALL the time, so i used to drop kick them over our 8ft tall fence onto the school roof..anyways).. i thought, those beggers, so i tried to seperate them to drop kick them, and low and behold, they were connected.. clearly having snail sex - so, i decided to be really really cruel (dont ban me mods) and i got a knife and i cut through the large slimy gooey thingy that was connecting them together... the snail SCREAMED - seriously, it wasnt a deafening scream, but it was a high pitch squel, enough for me to go, Oh S$#t what have i done.

I drop kicked them into the school and went and had dinner.

So, i would say the snails would need a partner, and someone without a knife.

[fishbum]

this might be a dumb question but to snails self reproduce or do you need two snails for that to happen?

I definitely don't have room for probably but 1 snail...


also - where would you buy a zebra nerite snail? They look cool but I know I've definitely never seen one before! =)


Btw - a snail is now all I am even considering, lol. rest assured everyone. ;)
Nerite snails only reproduce in saltwater.They will lay eggs in freshwater,but they do not hatch.There needs to be a male and female for them to reproduce.(i think)
Mystery snails will reproduce if there is a male and female.They lay their egg clutches above the water line so they can be removed and discarded if you do not want the babies from them.
I believe there are some types of snails that will change sex if there are not a male and female present,but I am not sure if there are any that can reproduce with only one snail.
This is who I get my nerite snails from.They are awesome algae eaters,and I have one in each of my 5 gallon betta tanks.
[Only Registered Users Can See Links.]
One will cost you $9.00 with shipping.You can also look for them on aquabid,but I have never seen anyone sell just one,you could ask though.And I have only seen olive nerite there(aquabid) lately,no zebras.

[thrakuarium]

Mystery snails do not change sex, but it is near impossible to sex them. 1 will not reproduce, but if you have 2 then there is a chance you'll get one male and one female. The smaller black snails that seem to come along with live plants are asexual and dont need a partner to procreate. Thats how its so easy for them to overrun a tank.

[jaysee]

Malysian trumpet snails give birth to live young and reproduce all by itself. 1 can lead to 1,000. Pond snails and MTS are typically the ones that take over a tank.

Emily - I don't think you have anything to be worried about in adding a snail.

[emilyekk]

Nerite snails only reproduce in saltwater.They will lay eggs in freshwater,but they do not hatch.There needs to be a male and female for them to reproduce.(i think)
Mystery snails will reproduce if there is a male and female.They lay their egg clutches above the water line so they can be removed and discarded if you do not want the babies from them.
I believe there are some types of snails that will change sex if there are not a male and female present,but I am not sure if there are any that can reproduce with only one snail.
This is who I get my nerite snails from.They are awesome algae eaters,and I have one in each of my 5 gallon betta tanks.
[Only Registered Users Can See Links.]
One will cost you $9.00 with shipping.You can also look for them on aquabid,but I have never seen anyone sell just one,you could ask though.And I have only seen olive nerite there(aquabid) lately,no zebras.


oh wow. I LOVE the green tiger nerites... so pretty.

I think maybe I'll get one of those. Is it okay to just get one?
If I don't have algae in my tank should I be giving them a wafer?

[jaysee]

I think maybe I'll get one of those. Is it okay to just get one?

Snails like to school too :hmm3grin2orange:

[Northernguy]

This was my female apple snail.I caught her laying eggs up inside my canopy one morning.
[Only Registered Users Can See Links.]

Here is a link for great snail info.
[Only Registered Users Can See Links.]

[emilyekk]

This was my female apple snail.I caught her laying eggs up inside my canopy one morning.
[Only Registered Users Can See Links.]


WOW. that is crazy. lol. I never assumed it would look like that!

[Northernguy]

Pond snails and mts eggs are much smaller and hard to see.The Pomacea bridgesii is the only one that lays eggs above the water,the rest are under water and I am not sure if they are clustered together.

[fishbum]

oh wow. I LOVE the green tiger nerites... so pretty.

I think maybe I'll get one of those. Is it okay to just get one?
If I don't have algae in my tank should I be giving them a wafer?
I like the green tigers too.I ordered 5 this morning.Getting one will be fine.
And do not count on there being enough algae in your tank for the snail to survive on.Give it a bit of algae wafer 2 or 3 times a week.