Can Bettas Live with Black Racer Nerite Snails? All You Need to Know!
This is one of the most frequently asked questions. Can Betta and Black racer nerite snails live in the same tank? Is it safe? Are both of these a good option to be tank mates? If these are some of the questions that bother you then you are at the right place. In this article, we will discuss Black racer nerite snails’ characteristics and how Betta behave with them around.
Can Black Racer Nerite Snails and Betta Live Together?
The answer to this question is, yes! Black racer nerite snails are excellent tank mates for Betta. So you don’t need to separate them from each other. You never know they might be best friends and curse you if you separate them!
Related Post: A Beginners Guide to Brine Shrimp?
Properties of Nerite which makes them good tank mates for Betta
If you want to add snails to your betta tank then you should have a basic knowledge of few things.
Add only one snail to your 3.5 to 5 gallon tank. However, if gallon is bigger then you can add more.
Nerite snails will eat the left overs of Betta fish normally but often you will not see them eating. Because they generally eat algae and live plants in your aquarium. Even if you don’t find any algae there but there is a very thin film so snails feed on to that.
They prefer 75-80 deg Fahrenheit and the Bettas require 78-82 deg Fahrenheit so they go get along easily sharing a tank.
They tend to leave the water and spend some time out of water so I advise you to better cover your aquarium.
Female snails lay eggs but they don’t hatch in the freshwater. So, you need to clean them up. Normally it is easy if these eggs are stacked to aquarium glass but it is difficult to get rid of them from the plants, driftwood or decorations.
Now we will discuss the characteristics of Black racer nerite snails which makes them a great tank mate option. We will discuss these properties one by one;
1. Cannot Reproduce in Freshwater
As Betta lives in freshwater so your fish tank will definitely have fresh water. Black Racer Nerite snails can only reproduce in saltwater. Due to this reason, your tank will not get overcrowded with Black racer nerite snails. They will lay eggs but those will never hatch
2. Very Peaceful
Black racer nerite snails are very peaceful and calm. They mind their own business. These creatures will never bother your Betta. But your Betta might bother your snails, we will discuss this shortly.
3. Increase the Beauty of the Fish Tank
Black Racer Nerite snails are very beautiful. This beauty makes them a good option to add to your Betta tank.
4. Keep the Tank Clean
Black Racer Nerite snails survive on algae and Biofilm present in the tank. So by eating these things they keep the fish tank clean.
Issues Which May Occur
Life is not a bed of roses. Despite being such good tank mates there are some problems that could exist when these two species live together. We will now discuss these problems.
1. Betta Might Start to Eat the Algae Wafers
Sometimes if there aren’t enough algae naturally present in the tank then we have to add algae wafers ourselves. Algae wafers are not good for Betta. Betta is carnivorous and must be kept away from plant-based food. Consumption of Algae wafers can lead to bloating, constipation, and swim bladder disease in the Betta.
2. Betta Might Try to Eat the Black Racer Nerite Snails
Yes I know it sounds surprising but this can happen too sometimes. Betta is known for being greedy creatures. They can simply try to eat anything and everything which comes their way. So they can even try to eat their tank mates at times.
How to Counter these Problems?
Now we will discuss what to do to avoid these issues. We do not want our betta to get sick by eating the algae wafers. We also want to keep our snails safe at all times. Now we will discuss a few remedies to help us with this. The points are listed below;
1. Make Sure your Betta is not Hungry
Make sure that you are feeding the Betta their pellet regularly. If the Betta is satisfied and not hungry so they will most likely avoid eating algae wafers. They would also avoid trying to eat the snails if their stomach is already full.
2. Monitor the Behavior
Sometimes Betta is just aggressive for no reason. If you observe that the Betta is bothering the black nerite snails even when they have been fed then the only option is to separate them from each other.
3. Feed the Snails When the Betta is Sleeping
If the snails need extra algae then feed them at times when the betta is sleeping. Also, remove any leftover algae wafers from the tank as soon as possible.
The Bottom Line on Can Bettas Live with Black Racer Nerite Snails
Both Black racer Nerite snails and Betta are extremely beautiful creatures. They add to the beauty of the tank amazingly. They are good tank mates and can generally co-exist without any problem. I hope that through this article you are now at peace with your tank mate situation. So keep an eye on your betta and make sure that it isn’t bothering the poor snails. Till next time happy fishkeeping and happy snail keeping!
