Greedy snail!

[Kwhite]

Well all my little snail babies are in my 25 gal tank, but I also have 1 betta and 1 mystery snail in a 2.5 gal tank. The betta has been looking poorly lately and I've been wondering why, and then tonight after I dropped her food pebbles in the tank I think I figured it out. The snail immediately went up and ate all my bettas food! He has his own food, which he likes, but he is eating the bettas food too! He's starving the poor thing out! Grr. I am not pleased. I put some flakes in Nd the poor betta was able to eat some, but a more long term solution must be found. I just wanted to vent my frustration on my poor bettas behalf lol.

 

[Fishfur]

What are you feeding the Betta ? Most of them prefer floating small pellets.. they are surface feeders on insects in the wild. No snail should be able to grab floating pellets away from a Betta. Once they sink, the Betta will not be interested in them, so if the snail eats them then, no problem.

 

[IsabellaRows]

That's the first time I've heard of that happening! About the betta looking poorly, how often do you do partial water changes? If the snail is eating a lot he is also producing waste. I would recommend at least weekly WC of 25% if that is more often than what you currently do.

 

[Kwhite]

I do weekly pwc. I feed my betta floating pellets. I would never have thought the snail would go for those, but right before my eyes he slithered right up the side of the tank to the surface and basically hung of the side kinda floating on his back and ate the floating pellets. I was in shock. I feed my snail algae wafers as he eats them too.

 

[IsabellaRows]

Mr Snail has a big appetite! Could you describe more of what seems to be wrong with your betta? Have you tested your water?

 

[Fishfur]

Wow. I would never have suspected a mystery snail would do that.. I have seen them take floating flakes at times, but usually when the flake is stuck to the tank side with the water tension. That is one sneaky snail.

 

[Fishlover3578]

What sort of bio load does a mystery snail have if any?

 

[Fishfur]

Fairly high, if it's large. Tiny ones don't add much, but the bigger they get the more they eat and the more they contribute. Big snails are quite messy, like a goldfish, but I don't think they contribute as much ammonia as fish do.

 

[Kwhite]

My betta just kinda sits around at the bottom of the tank, doesn't really swim around a lot. Every time I test water it's all good. :/

 

[gobbledygook]

You might try feeding your snail some protein. Mine sucks the flakes off the surface and he'll surface and "beg" for freeze-dried bloodworms every other evening or so. He'll literally stick his mouth up and take the bloodworm from my fingers, eat it, and come back for another.

Maybe offering your snail a different treat will encourage him to leave the betta food alone.