Snails and tank cleaning

[Pele]

Hey guys...
I was thinking about adding a mystery snail to a uncycled, unfiltered, 10 gallon betta tank. I know that they go well together, but i was wondering. would biweekly 100% water changes be harmful to the snail? Thanks, and have a great day!

[Lab_Rat]

I would cycle the tank first, before adding a mystery snail. No sense in adding him pre-cycle and exposing him to the ammonia and nitrite. Are you going to fishless cycle? Why are you not filtering the tank?

[Pele]

I used to filter, but my filter was so horribly strong it horribly ingured one of my bettas, plus it took up like, half the tank! I heard that unless the tank was cycled, you dont need a filter. I already have a betta in the tank. My filter was a cartrage filter.

[Lab_Rat]

I would add a sponge filter to the tank if the current from the other filter you had was too much for the betta. Really, they need filtered water. I have my betta in a 5g with the eclipse filter and he does fine with the current. Another option is to modify the flow of the filter so the current is not as strong.

Mystery snails do put off a good bit of waste, so if you're simply going to do water changes with no filter be prepared to step up your maintenance schedule.

[Northernguy]

Make one of these and set your filter back up.[Only Registered Users Can See Links.]
Also get an ac filter songe and cut a slit in it and pull it over your filter intake.
You will not have any more problems with strong filtration.

[Pele]

Thanks guys. Heading to my lfs tomarrow to get a spounge filter (not doing the current breaker because my cartrige filter already takes up like, half of the tank.. Once the filter runs for a while, then what do you think about the snail (or maybe corys!)
Thanks and have a great day!

[Lab_Rat]

After you have the filter running and tank cycled, either a snail or dwarf cories would work in a 10g.

[Pele]

Thank you for your help everybody, especially you lab rat. youve answered my questions alot.
Thank you all and have a terrific evening!!!

[Pele]

wait... it has occured to me that the posts main question has gone unanswered, after cycling, will water changes hurt my snail?

[Northernguy]

As long as you do not suck it up the water changes will not hurt your snail.

[bluebluecow]

also once you have a filter you can cut water changes down to maybe 30 percent a week

Liz

[Pele]

I just got back from my lfs, and the spounge filters are a little out of my budget (by about 50 dollers...) i dont want to use my other filter because its almost as big as the tank. What now?

[VoidParadigm]

Look for a cartridge filter with a lower current? I have an AquaTech 5/15 on my 8 gallon.

Also; Some bettas will try to eat snails! Afterall, their diet does include invertebrates in the wild. Adding a snail has a 50% chance of it being fatal or painful for the snail, imo.