Betta Attacked Snail

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ArcudiElizabeth

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Jul 23, 2017
Messages
28
I've had a betta for a few weeks now, a few days ago I bought a gold inca snail. I finally let the snail free in the tank and it won't move for a few hours. Then I notice that when it comes out my betta will 'ram' into it (literally knocked the snail over). I took the snail out and im keeping her in the little betta container I got with the betta as i have no other tank. I plan on getting a 20 gal soon but don't have the money right now, what should i do? Should I put the snail back? I just dont want her to die.
 
How big is your current tank? How long did yiu leave the snail in the tank? I have 2 snails with my betta. He bumped them a few times, when i first put them in. He did leave them alone a few minutes later. I would be concerned about leaving the snail in the cup for a long time. Maybe put a divider in the tank? I have 2 nerite snails with my betta, so maybe your guy doesn't like his bright ?
 
I'm not completely sure on the size, I got it from my cousin who didn't want it. Since putting my snail in the cup she moves a lot more, should I put her back in and just make sure to put her inside of one of my hides?
 
Edit: I put her in for about 8 hours. Maybe I just freaked out when my betta pushed her over?
 
Any luck? TMaier, seems to know a lot about snails on here, and provides great feedback. Petco is having a sale $1 per gallon on tanks till 8/19. 8 hours seems lime a long tine for him not to be used to it. Sometimes betas just have aggressive.
 
The Bettas often don't like any snails or other fish in "their" territory. That said sometimes they do harass them some then leave them alone, and sorry to say, sometimes they will bite the unsuspecting snail, injuring and/or killing them.

My Betta was flaring at my RH snail and doing what I call stomping, since they dont' have feet (lol) it is like when a school yard bully would stomp out his foot at his intended target threatening the target to menace /goad him.

The Betta jerk towards the target just to the point of biting, up to and including bumping into them. Otherwise I would call the biting an attack and not allow them to be together.

You can use a very large vase, with an air bubbler ideally. Pwc on a probably daily basis.

Or there are needlepoint plastic mesh sheets which run about .79-1.59 and you might be able to make that into a separation screen, the snail doen't need a huge side of the tank. You can sew them together with fishing line, just whip stiich and tie the line every inch or 2, and /or double stitch up and then down.


Make sure that the mesh goes into the substrate enough to cover the crack. Betta are able to shimmy through tiny places, as well make it as high as you can above the tanks waterline, I have seen mine jump right over the divider like a pole vaulter (or shiimy in the sand under the divider) to get to the other fish/thing on the other side.
 
Update: Well I braved it and placed her back into the tank, a day later she's just dandy. Maybe it was just the Betta establishing territory?
 
Possibly or just figuring out what it was and a threat level. Lol.

My current Betta Red will lay on top of the algae wafers I put in for the snails. They moooozzie their way under his fins slowly to get to it and then he'll leave. Little jerk.
 
My one betta absolutely will not tolerate a snail in his tank. He attacks, full force. I put one in there to help with some diatoms. New plan has been to take the decorations out, put them in the tank with the otocats, and let them have it for a night and give it back to him. Then he gets grumpy that his decoration is gone. (And I have to put them back in in the EXACT same way they were before or he flares at me until it's right. He may be spoiled.) I think my other guy would be fine, but that tank is pretty full. He still doesn't know what on earth the frogs even ARE but he doesn't attack them and he totally ignores the otos.
 
We did this with our main betta you should have the snail in first then put the betta in. In our other betta tanks we put fish in first and they all get along my betta perry fell in love with a Molly they were best friends. The betta brat we have is Bart he killed his shrimp and tried to kill his snail. Simply because he had an established territory.
 
I have a Crowntail Betta. Decided to add a nerite snail. First couple of weeks he checked him out did peck at it a few times. Everything OK. After 3 weeks noticed him constantly flaring and pecking at it. For the health of both, I decided to move the snail.
 
I just saw my Betta give the RH snail a big ramming and knocked it off the glass. They are odd creatires. Sometimes they seem to get crankier.
 
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