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I decided to give a Mini-Bow 2.5 a try for one of my two bettas. I know some betta keepers are dead set against it, but my Bubba really did well in his filtered 5.5 gallon. He perked up in there. This one is smaller, but I'm limited for space. I have dosed the tank with Fritz-Zyme 7, which is as close to Bio-Spira as I can get. I don't expect Ruby to have to deal with any ammonia or nitrite during cycling, but am watching closely regardless.

Here's the setup:

http://www.all-glass.com/products/aquariums/goldfish_minibow2_5.shtml

No goldfish should ever go into this thing, in spite of its name . But, it seems perfect for a betta with the UGF. So far, with the outlet pointed along the back, Ruby is not having any problems resting at several places within the tank. I have it heavily planted (all fake, atm).

I'm contemplating a simple snail to keep the algae under control? Any recommendations for such a small tank? I don't want any shrimp at this point and would rather stick with a snail. What about a couple of MTS? I could feed an algae pellet or some fresh zucchini until algae begins to build.

How can I tell an MTS from any other snail?

I'm thinking an apple snail will be too big for such a tiny tank.

I'm going to try to get one of these heaters and put it in there too. Ruby is on the first floor, kind of close to a drafty door. It gets cold down there.

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=12087&inm=1&N=2004+22787+2035.

I can stick it along one of the side walls.

Last edited by Cory_Di at 28-Feb-2005 11:43

MTS are very good snails for tanks. They dig under the gravel or sand in the tank and help to aeriate it. *ran off to get Heidi...she will post a picture of one soon*

In my experience apple snails eat the plants in the aquarium, also the ramshorn snail eats plants.

Hey Diane, Leslie says you need a picture of a MTS...so I've got a picture to post for you Also if you want some let me know, it could take me a little bit, but I'd be happy to send you a few if you wantthey seem to breed as well as guppies do for me:%)and we know how well that is...heidi



heidi attached this image:


"I've got a great ambition to die of exhaustion rather than boredom." Thomas Carlyle

Don't MTS get out of control?

I think I saw the MTS at the fish store. They have long icecream cone style shells, right? They seemed awful small and I'm concerned the betta will really harass them.

I picked up a small, golden mystery snail. He is in quarantine right now. I wasn't thinking about my 2.5 gallon cycling with the betta. I have biospira in there, but don't want to overload the tank with a snail yet.

I have this thread going on the topic:

http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/Invertebrates/55581.html?05740778

EDIT: We posted at the same time

Last edited by Cory_Di at 28-Feb-2005 18:51

Put in the mystery snail!!!!

Everything depends on the individual betta. Gofish ignores the MTS in his tank. And yes they do breed easily. I am thinking of picking some out for the 10g I have, since they are beneficial.

I don't see anything wrong with puttting a betta in a 2.5, especially with a fiter. Heck, it's much better than the bowl or cup he would have been in if you left him at the store.

As for snails, it all depends on the betta. My betta ate my apple snail. He's a tad bit agressive. But, then again, he didn't lay a fin on my ADF's.

An apple snail could fit, because they really don't move that much. However, they poop alot and they are very big. You would have to do alot of water changes.

I've seen the snails you have there. The fish store gave them to me for free because the tank was over run with them. I was going to feed them to my loach as a plesent snack, but my friend thought that was inhumane so he took them. Anyway, the snails I saw were very small, about the size of a piece of gravel.

dj - how did the betta eat the snail? Or, was it a smaller snail. I just bought a Golden Mystery Snail that is at least a half inch.

I'm not quite sure how he did it. If I had been around to see it then I would have saved the poor snail. Who know's the snail might have been dead already. I really can't blame the betta. Anyway, the snail was about 3/4 the size of an apple at the time. You should have see it when it came out of the shell, though. It looked like something from a sci-fi movie.

- I hope Ruby doesn't do that when I put Herman in there . I'll be watching closely for the first couple of days tho.

My son has kept a betta in a Mini-bow 2.5 for almost a year now. He has MTS in the tank...they don't seem to be multiplying as quickly as I've seen in my larger tanks. When he wants to be generous he picks out a few for his sisters' 10g. The betta never bothers the snails.

I like the Japanese trap door snail. I've had one for quite a while...not too large, doesn't bother plants. Apparently they're livebearers but I've never seen any babies (?) Funny thing too is that it lives in a tank with dwarf loaches which are great snail eaters but they never bother it.

Last edited by Theresa_M at 02-Mar-2005 10:41

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There is water at the bottom of the ocean

I know MTS have very hard shells and maybe that one does too. I also know that snails grow in proportion to their food source, with respect to population. Betta tanks, don't have a whole lot of rotting food laying around, and a 2.5 gallon tank, can't really have much algae.