I'm setting up a betta tank for my mom for her birthday. She loves bettas. I've had a 3 gallon cylinder tank I don't need so its been set up and cycled for her upcoming bday. It came with an air pump, so using a round nano sponge and tubing I made a small filter while keeping bubbles at surface at bare minimal. I've gotten a small heater already and its decorated and ready to go. Besides a couple fake plants i've added a marimo ball and a piece off my sprite to float at top. I know many people say 5 gallon for a betta is best, but i've got a happy living space set up. My mom can't physically handle the upkeep of anything bigger but she'll be able to manage a 1-1 1/2 gallon wc once a week plus i'll take of care of testing and stuff for her. I want to add something to help keep it cleaner for her so it will be less work. What would be best in a 3 gallon with a betta, a couple ghost shrimp or a single nerite? If ghosts, how many? I'm thinking 2-3. If snail i'm only doing one. Or could I do one snail and 2 ghosts? I want to add them this week before I get her betta next week.
3 gallon Betta with snail or shrimp?
- Thread starter candygirl415
- Start date
There is a good likelihood of ghost shrimp becoming a food source for your betta. If you're okay with that, they should be fine otherwise. I think you could do a snail and throw a few ghosties from time to time.
Getting her to go to pet store will be a task, lol. She likes to stay local. She had a beautiful blue one several years ago. So iI was going to find one like it. I've never actually seen a snail in a tank in person so i'll have to look at them and see if she would like it. If the 3g can handle it, i'll do 2 ghosts and 1 snail. It will help in case she over feeds. I figure the ghosts may get eaten which is why I want to give them a week in the tank first to find hiding places. I have rcs that I know she would enjoy, but i'm not letting any of my little reds become betta food! I just want to make sure I don't overload the small tank.
Nerites and mystery snails are all my nearest pet store has to offer. I'd prefer a nerite anyways as there won't be a population explosion. I've read where ghost shrimp have actually snagged onto a betta's tail. That concerns me. I may give her 2 from my tank as my ghosts have never been aggressive whatsoever towards my frogs or cherries and put a couple new ones in my tank.
I think the nerite, I've had betta that liked to pick at the mystery snails eye stalks before but most of them don't bother snails. I've never had shrimp so I don't know how those would do but I'd skip if you think they might bother the betta's tail.
I got 2 tiger nerites for my own tank and 1 for hers. I did also get a ghost shrimp for hers but it died befored I got it home in the tank. Oh well. Since my cherries are practically breeding around the clock now, I may just toss a couple in hers and see what happens.
