Apples Snails, Pomacea bridgesii can make a useful addition to a Betta breeding tank. Now the first thing to understand is, they are also known as Mystery Snails here in Australia (and in particular Melbourne). Therefore when you go to purchase an Apple Snail at your local aquarium, depending on where you live, you may have to ask for a Mystery Snail otherwise you might just get a blank look as I did.

Apple Snails don't just clean the bottom of your tank but they'll keep the sides clean as well.

Therefore Apples Snails are freshwater snails and come from tropical areas so they are well suited for a Betta breeding tank. They are also very good at removing algae but more importantly they are also good at removing any uneaten fry food. As a first time Betta breeder I found it difficult to judge just how much food to feed the fry. Just after they leave the bubble nest they are very small and when hidden amongst the Java Moss it is difficult to know just how many fry you actually have. Therefore you are faced with two scenarios, over feeding and under feeding.

Obviously you don’t want to under feed them as they will starve and die or at best their growth will be retarded. Therefore it is best to overfeed them (not excessively though). The obvious problem with this is the tank soon accumulates an excess of rotting food contaminating the water, leading to a decrease in water quality. So this is where the Apple Snail comes into play. Apples Snails will remove any uneaten fry food and help keep the water in your tank clean.

Now if you want you can add them to the tank while you’re getting it ready for spawning to help keep the algae under control although this is not essential I’m lead to believe. If you do add them at this time make sure they are removed before spawning as they will devour any eggs on the bottom if given half a chance. Also after you remove them make sure you vacuum any snail waste from the bottom to ensure the breeding tank water is as clean as possible for spawning. Therefore if you do add them before spawning add extra water right from the start to take into account water that is removed when vacuuming out the waste. The idea is to end up with a water level between 10 to 15 cm (4 to 6 inches).

If you haven’t added your Apple Snails before spawning or if reintroducing your Apple Snails the best time to do it is after the male has been removed and the fry are free swimming. This is when you start to feed your Betta fry so it’s also time for your snails to go to work. Now the next question is how many Apple Snails to add? I’ve been told 1 and I’ve also been told 2. In the end I added 2 and I suppose it’s one of those things there’s no real answer to, as some breeders don’t even add any and just rely on constant water changes to maintain the water quality in their tank.

Therefore what I’m writing about here is how I went about it and what worked for me. As I said earlier, breeding Bettas isn’t an exact science so once again research, considering other peoples opinions and using your own judgment to make your own calculated decisions is essential.

At the end of the day, during my first spawn I added 2 Bristlenose Catfish and then later on, 2 Apple Snails. This I feel was an overkill and it really only worked out this way because I couldn’t get the catfish out of the tank without causing too much of a disturbance and then discovered the snails were better at eating any left over fry food.

Therefore you can see just how easy it is for inexperience and lack of initial research to trip you up.

Possibly Related Posts:

• Cleaning the Betta Fry Tank
• Breeding Crowntail Bettas
• Do Bettas Take Breaks While Spawning
• Breeding Bettas During the Cold Weather
• Microworms