Hi all!! People have suggested that if I keep a pond snail (that I already have...ok, now a few) that a good 'birth control' would be the gf eating the snails eggs. (Ick!) Anyway, I was thinking of setting up a small tank... maybe a 2 gallon for a betta. Would he eat the eggs too? I'm trying to keep this little pond snail, but now there is 2 plus a half-dozen new hatchlings. I would put him in with the goldies, but he'd be food for sure. So I thought maybe a betta would like the eggs... and do some population control for me.

Hi
It really depends on your betta. They all have different personalities and feeding habbits although bettas are carnivourous so I guess the betta might be allmost guaranteed to eat the eggs and mabye the snail if it is small enough
with the snail prob.

Thanks Pearlscale Fan! The problems not with the snails- it's me! I'm such a softy. I should jsut bring the little thing back to the store- he came home with me on an anacharis plant! poor snails!

Huh, I don't know. I'd have to guess no, since most bettas have pretty bad vision and snail eggs are a clear sac... but of course you never know.

Im pretty sure he wont eat them. I went to my LFS and their betta was swimming near a whole bunch of snails and he wasnt ven looking at them.

bettas have good vision, how else would they fight off those males? oh and im also pretty sure your betta wont eat the snails, but GF.. will eat just about anything..

I haven't had young snails in tanks with bettas, so I think they do eat the eggs. At least mine do .

When you say pond snail do you mean apple snails? If so, apple snails will lay their eggs on the tank wall so you would have to actually throw them eggs in the water. It all depends on the betta whether or not he would actually eat the eggs. Betta's and apple snails get along well. In my 10 gallon tank all I have is 1 betta and apple snails.

If you want to get rid of the eggs, (before they hatch) just boil them in water. It will kill them before they have a chance to hatch.. you wouldn't want to do that with baby snails.

Hey all. No, he's not an apple snail, he's a pond snail. The eggs gross me out a bit too. Maybe that would be a good set up, the betta and pond snail. No I just need some $! Anyway, thanks again. I'll let you know how it goes!

I had a lot of snails in one of my tanks until I put in some female bettas! The snails that were large enough survived, but the smaller ones and the eggs ... all gone.

I have Ramshorn snails,and just the little regular snails that I've thrown in different betta tanks to help keep a clean enviroment.When I have done that,all the snails that I've used have turned up mysteriously dead........... All I can tell you is that if thet're the smaller snails,every betta I have tried to do that with,was caught in the act of attacking the snails......An apple snail may work if the tank is big enough-the snail of course should be a nice size..The only thing about snails,is the fact that they like good water quality. If you don't keep that for your bettas,the snails won't make it too long. Just wanted to mention that as far as I know,apple snail eggs do have to be kept out of the water to hatch.

Wow Dev, Thanks. And thanks to everyone else as well. I'm confused as to whether the snails will be safe. I guess I could just try... poor snails, maybe i should bring them back to the store they hitched a ride home on some anacharis from. Well, this whole thing has me wanting an apple snail for my tank and a betta or two (I know, not together!) Poor pond snails, they reproduce like crazy. Thanks everyone!

I didn't think of this before, but I have a 29 gallon with a betta and there are always snails in there. I harvest some for my puffer as a matter of fact so they are definately breeding. Of course, he has plenty of stuff to do in a 29 gallon tank. If he was in a little 2 gallon, he might be bored and picking on anything there is to pick on...

Bettas do have bad vision, ever watch them try to eat? Often they take 2 or 3 swipes at a worm before they manage to get it. As far as fighting, how could they miss those big colorful fins?? ROFL...

Update- hee hee. The betta kept pinging them! He can't eat them so he'd hit them so hard they would fall off the glass. I took the snails out. Well, now I have a new betta! Yea

Congratulations on the new betta!

Better late than never! Thank thank you i love him