There comes the time when you get bored with only one fish in the tank even if it is as beautiful as a betta. You want a change but not a drastic one and you look for a solution. You do not want a new pet with too many obligations. You want to enrich your tank with something new and why not introduce a tank mate to your betta.
Since you know that bettas tend to show aggression to tank mates you are wondering if your betta will be like that. While living in solitude it behaved quite normal. Well, until you don’t try you won’t know.
Somehow it looks like a good option to go with a snail rather than a fish. If you are considering it, you should know that there are many kinds of snails and a lot of them can make good companions to your betta. They are Nerite snails, Mystery snails, Pond snails, Assassin snails, Ramshorn snails, Japanese Trapdoor snails and Malaysian trumpet snails.
If you are wondering whether to join a betta and a Malaysian trumpet snail or Turret snails as they are also called, we are going to help you learn more about them and decide if this should be your choice.
In this article:
Water Conditions for Malaysian Trumpet Snails and Bettas
Malaysian Trumpet snails ask for certain water conditions. The PH of the water should be between 7,0 and 7,5 and for bettas is 7,0 so keep it low and betta will be pleased. They prefer water between 70 and 78 degrees while bettas like it warmer. You should keep the temperature at the upper limit so that you fit betta`s needs. They need standard lightning which won’t hurt a betta.
Malaysian trumpet snails are great for your tank if you have gravel. They adore sifting through the gravel all day long and eating leftovers. They do not eat plants so you needn’t worry about it.
Malaysian Trumpet Snails Behavior – Do They Get Along With Bettas?
Malaysian trumpet snails are very peaceful and most of the time they are out of sight digging the gravel. Since they occupy the bottom, they will not endanger bettas space and your betta will have the middle and the top of the tank all by itself. In most cases, they do not trigger bettas and they do not disturb anybody.
Reproduction can be a big problem with them because a female can reproduce (parthenogenesis) without even having contact with the male. Once they inhabit the tank it is very hard to get rid of them so you need to control it. What you can do is to cut down on food and clean the substrate often so that you control sources of food and their number in general.
There are also some benefits from keeping them. They clean the substrate and prevent building up gases and ammonia spikes.
Can Malaysian Trumpet Snails Eat Betta Food?
When it comes to food Malaysian Trumpet Snail will eat anything it finds. Since they spend most of the time under the substrate, they eat all edible matters they come across. They would eat leftovers of flakes, pellets, algae waffles and debris.
How to Choose a Malaysian Trumpet Snail?
Before you choose you need to know what they look like and what to expect in their appearance. Malaysian Trumpet Snails are small creatures with elongated shells. They remind me a lot of a cone. Their shell grows in rings that are grey, brown or creamy-white. Malaysian Trumpet Snails are born really small but they grow up to about an inch. What they need is calcium for a healthy shell, so you need to keep it in mind to include it in their diet. Everything that doesn’t look like what we have just described should be avoided.
How Many Malaysian Trumpet Snails Can I Keep With My Betta?
Since they are rather small you can keep one or two Malaysian Trumpet Snail per gallon of water. Just count in your betta and its needs. If you have a community tank, be careful not to overcrowd it and jeopardize filtration. And the most important is to keep in mind that they reproduce really fast so you need to manage it by controlling the source of food.
Final Thoughts
To sum up, a betta and Malaysian Trumpet Snails can live together. They are by many the first recommendation when it comes to introducing a tank mate to your betta. They require similar living conditions and are not demanding to keep. The only thing that might become a problem is reproduction but it can be controlled.
If you decide to keep them together pay attention to this:
- You do not need a very big tank, one or two snails go per gallon, count in your betta
- have plenty of decorations and plants, they both like it and plants are safe because Malaysian Trumpet Snails do not eat them.
- provide a thick layer of substrate because they spend most of their time under it
- provide a balanced diet for your betta but do control the source of food for Malaysian Trumpet Snails because they will reproduce a lot more than you want
- keep the water parameters within the range so that it suits both kinds
After everything being said you probably try introducing Malaysian Trumpet Snails to your Betta.