[xjasminex]

Hello!
I am currently setting up a NPT tank for my gorgeous betta Prince Caspian!
It has soil, then small gravel then sand capping the gravel.
Its a five gallon tank, and has a whisper 3i filter on it that provides perfect water movement for the size of the tank, considering this tank is for a betta!

I was wondering if a snail or shrimp would be better in this tank or maybe both?
I ideally would like a snail that doesnt eat plants, and eats algae because im expecting i might get some. I would also like a snail that doesnt reproduce a ton. I know snails have a knack for doing that...so if it cant be helped then oh well i will figure something to do with them =]

I was also thinking shrimp, now i dont know how my betta is with shrimp...yet, but i figured we would find out when the time comes, maybe get some inexpensive ones and see how it goes!

So if anyone has any suggestions on what kind of snail would be best for this tank please let me know, the internet is so confusing when it comes to snails! And also would you think the tank would support a snail and maybe two-three shripms plus my betta?

Thanks soo much!
Jasmine

 

[Eldachleich]

Go with a Nerite snail. algae eating machines... not too big or small. Will not disturb plants and cant breed in freshwater. Get some ghost shrimp, they are cheap and if your betta ends up eating them then they were only a $1 snack.... If he doesnt go for some nicer shrimp if you want. My betta is currently houses with a nerite and some ghost shrimp, and some red cherry shrimp... and he hasnt touched a one... he was really aggressive in the store though.

 

[GeToChKn]

Yes, some betta will eat shrimp and or small snails. I got some sunkist orange shrimp and put 3 in my girlfriends betta tank, 1 was eaten in about 15secs, 2nd I got out and 3rd I never found.

 

[RandomMan]

I second the vote for Nerite snails. Great algae eaters and won't reproduce in your tank. The only down side is females have a tendency to crawl out of the tank and to leave eggs stuck on things. If it bothers you, give her back to the store and hope the next one is male.

I have shrimp with my betta, and he doesn't bother them. Although I'm guessing he'd eat any babies. Since its a filtered and planted tank, I keep him well fed which might be why. Some bettas however will eat shrimp, so stick with shrimp you won't mind losing if your betta turns out to have a hankering for skrimps.

 

[xjasminex]

Thanks a lot, i was thinking about a nerite snail, but i didnt know if any other types would fit that profile either. I will try a ghost shrimp first petsmart has them here for like 30 cents so its super cheap if they die or get eaten.

My water parameters are finally normalizing...yay!
I figure that maybe if i put the shrimp in the tank first and then add the betta that maybe he wont bother the shrimp as much since the shrimp woudnt exactly be barging in on his territory....if you know what i mean.

He is a very active and curious so im not sure how a little shrimp will survive but we will see!

 

[PinoyBoy]

A horned nerite snail

Just wondering, why 3 layers for a substrate?

 

[frogsandfish]

I tried putting my betta in my son's tank which has an endler, a platy, and a bunch of cherry and malawa shrimp and mystery and nerite snails. It took him about 5 seconds to spot the first shrimp and lunge for it-luckily he got caught in a plant and couldn't reach him but it was like watching a shark going after a diver in one of those cages. He is back in his shrimp free tank with 2 harlequin rasboras.

 

[The Dude]

I have a couple Amano shrimp in a 46g with an Angel and a Plakat betta. They pretend like they don't even see them. Amano's are also great for algae.

 

[celine]

tread carefully with bettas and tank mates. i put my guy in a tank with corys once....few days later i notice the cories are missing half of their dorsal fins. i would never put a shrimp in a tank with him, it'd be a death sentence.

i'd try sticking to a snail first (nerites are awesome! eating all the time, no reproduction!! (they do make large poops tho...) and see if he nips at that, and let that be a judge twords shrimp.

 

[Coursair]

I just got my first Nerites and they are awesome. They have been fabulous algae eaters. I have a Ruby, a Zebra and a Horned. Cute boogers

 

[xjasminex]

A horned nerite snail

Just wondering, why 3 layers for a substrate?

A horned one sounds fun!
I have three layers because the dirt is for the plants, the gravel is to hold the dirt down and i wanted to try sand to see how i like it, and it does well to help contain the little pieces of dirt that might fit through the gravel with any water disturbance.

Thanks for all the advice!