Hi

[Vdm9204]

I have a plant that my snail eats, but the store said I should put in these algea food tablets. So far, he hasn't touched it but my betta is gorging himself on it. You can see his belly sticking out. Are these things necessary if the snail is eating the plant? I worried about the betta eating so much of this thing. I can't even get it out because it disintegrated and is now ALL OVER the tank that I just completely cleaned. I think my betta is going to eat himself to death.

 

[fishycat faceplant]

I totally get it. I haven't had a betta that wasn't also a piggy. Snails will eat decaying plant matter... if you want to supplement with algae tablets, consider starting with half of one tablet just after lights out on the tank (at night). This way it gives the snail a chance to eat and hopefully the betta can't find it. It's probably a good idea to remove extra tablet if you still see any in the morning.

 

[FreshyFresh]

What type of snail(s)? Mystery snails, apple snails, etc are pretty much the only ones that would require some type of specific food for them.

Bettas can overeat and they can get bloated / constipated from poor quality foods.

Make sure you read those fish food labels. You want the first 3 ingredients to be whole protein and veggie matter. No grains and fillers in the first 3-4 ingredients is best.