my experience with snails and bettas.Need ideas

mousey · 05-19-2006, 02:43 PM

3 bettas in 1/2 gallon containers. Containers were fully cycled but full of algae-- sheets of it.
obtained 2 small pond snails for each container- now no algae anywhere.
1 container snails are dead. Added 2 new snails- they died as soon as they hit the water.
tested water- shows nitrites. tested other containers and all have nitirites.
Supposition. Algae consumed any ammonia and nitrites. snails ate all algae and added bioload to tank .== uncycled tank again.
Conclusion; either cycle tanks again with snails in them or get rid of snails and have algae again.
Any other ideas on what may be going on?
mousey

Sprite42 · 05-19-2006, 04:41 PM

What kind of filtration do you have?

IME, it is very hard to cycle and maintain the cycle in a 1/2 gallon. There is just not a lot of surface area for bacterial colonies to establish with any degree of stability. There is just no margin for error, the least little thing will cost you in terms of the cycle holding. I usually don't recommend cycling anything smaller than 3 gallons. I think you would be better off just doing weekly 100% water changes on tanks that small. Or, get a divided 10 gallon that will be able to maintain a good cycle.

PerculaClown · 05-20-2006, 12:02 AM

i agree, i used to have 2 snails in my 2.5 gal and ended up dying because of the water quality. they are better off in bigger containers

emc7 · 05-20-2006, 12:08 AM

I think you hit it the first time, all that algae that got eaten turns into ammonia, its like feeding that much food, so call it a mini-cycle, the biology will take time to catch up, assuming your filtration is up to the new load. I've seen similar spikes when I move a pleco into an algae covered tank. Its just more significant in a small container. Change water and siphon up the snail poop (what does this look like?)

mousey · 05-22-2006, 09:06 AM

I have no filtrationb in the small containers. All had been going well for the last year or so until I added the snails! no prob in telling what is snail poo and what is betta poo-- it is totally different.
I use only a few bio beads on the container floor so I can suck out waste very quickly but apparently not quick enough to save it from mini cycle.

yesterday at a nursery and was able to buy a scoop of duckweed and water lettuce babies for $1.00. The goldfish havw already eaten what i gave them but each of my betta containers no has a bit of water lettuce as well as duck weed.That should suck up some of the nitrates etc.

Ialso have a huge amount left to grow on my window sill for another time and snack for the goldies.

05-19-2006, 02:43 PM	#1
mousey Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 835	my experience with snails and bettas.Need ideas 3 bettas in 1/2 gallon containers. Containers were fully cycled but full of algae-- sheets of it. obtained 2 small pond snails for each container- now no algae anywhere. 1 container snails are dead. Added 2 new snails- they died as soon as they hit the water. tested water- shows nitrites. tested other containers and all have nitirites. Supposition. Algae consumed any ammonia and nitrites. snails ate all algae and added bioload to tank .== uncycled tank again. Conclusion; either cycle tanks again with snails in them or get rid of snails and have algae again. Any other ideas on what may be going on? mousey

05-19-2006, 04:41 PM	#2
Sprite42 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Arkansas Age: 46 Posts: 315	What kind of filtration do you have? IME, it is very hard to cycle and maintain the cycle in a 1/2 gallon. There is just not a lot of surface area for bacterial colonies to establish with any degree of stability. There is just no margin for error, the least little thing will cost you in terms of the cycle holding. I usually don't recommend cycling anything smaller than 3 gallons. I think you would be better off just doing weekly 100% water changes on tanks that small. Or, get a divided 10 gallon that will be able to maintain a good cycle. __________________ First, Do No Harm!

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05-20-2006, 12:02 AM	#3
PerculaClown Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Age: 18 Posts: 116	i agree, i used to have 2 snails in my 2.5 gal and ended up dying because of the water quality. they are better off in bigger containers

05-20-2006, 12:08 AM	#4
emc7 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Johns Creek, GA Posts: 3,621	I think you hit it the first time, all that algae that got eaten turns into ammonia, its like feeding that much food, so call it a mini-cycle, the biology will take time to catch up, assuming your filtration is up to the new load. I've seen similar spikes when I move a pleco into an algae covered tank. Its just more significant in a small container. Change water and siphon up the snail poop (what does this look like?)

05-22-2006, 09:06 AM	#5
mousey Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 835	I have no filtrationb in the small containers. All had been going well for the last year or so until I added the snails! no prob in telling what is snail poo and what is betta poo-- it is totally different. I use only a few bio beads on the container floor so I can suck out waste very quickly but apparently not quick enough to save it from mini cycle. yesterday at a nursery and was able to buy a scoop of duckweed and water lettuce babies for $1.00. The goldfish havw already eaten what i gave them but each of my betta containers no has a bit of water lettuce as well as duck weed.That should suck up some of the nitrates etc. Ialso have a huge amount left to grow on my window sill for another time and snack for the goldies.

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