How to stop Bettas from stealing snail food

Not sure if anyone else has had this issue, or if I just have weird Bettas. I have a mystery snail, a zebra nerite, and a rabbit (Sulawesi) who I feed algae pellets and bottom feeder pellets. Maybe I got weird Bettas, but they love to take the pellets as they sink to the bottom and eat them— even the algae pellets! It’s kinda cute because they swim around holding the pellets in their mouths which are the size of their heads or bigger. Anyway, I was concerned my snails weren’t getting enough food, so I gave them blanched zucchini. They love it, especially the Mysterio, my mystery snail, and better yet, my Bettas couldn’t care less about the zucchini. Finally, my snails can eat without getting their food stolen.

 

Not sure if anyone else has had this issue, or if I just have weird Bettas. I have a mystery snail, a zebra nerite, and a rabbit (Sulawesi) who I feed algae pellets and bottom feeder pellets. Maybe I got weird Bettas, but they love to take the pellets as they sink to the bottom and eat them— even the algae pellets! It’s kinda cute because they swim around holding the pellets in their mouths which are the size of their heads or bigger. Anyway, I was concerned my snails weren’t getting enough food, so I gave them blanched zucchini. They love it, especially the Mysterio, my mystery snail, and better yet, my Bettas couldn’t care less about the zucchini. Finally, my snails can eat without getting their food stolen.

Feed the snails an hour or more after lights out. Works for me!

 

Feed the snails an hour or more after lights out. Works for me!

Tried that. My Bettas are a little food obsessed. Dropping anything into their tank woke them up which they ate. I just fed extra because the Bettas can’t fit two pellets in their mouths. But the fresh zucchinI is working very well.

 

Feed the snails an hour or more after lights out. Works for me!

Yup! That and I use the big old algae tabs from omega one. Too big for a betta to swim away with.

 

Yup! That and I use the big old algae tabs from omega one. Too big for a betta to swim away with.

Are those the ones that are penny sized? My Bettas stole those too. I think mine are just crazy.

 

Are those the ones that are penny sized? My Bettas stole those too. I think mine are just crazy.

That's awesome. Yea those ones. When I had a female betta in my livebearer tank for population control she could barely flip it over never mind steal it. Yours is a champion lol.

 

I don't feed my snails...maybe that's why they die?
I was told they eat the fish waste

btw MayaBetta, your fish in the profile pic has really bad bloat....
if that is your fish, I don't know a whole lot about bloat, but you should start a thread

 

I don't feed my snails...maybe that's why they die?
I was told they eat the fish waste

btw MayaBetta, your fish in the profile pic has really bad bloat....
if that is your fish, I don't know a whole lot about bloat, but you should start a thread

I know. That’s from the day after I got her from the store so she ate a little too much. I just fasted her for a day and it went away. Not uncommon in Bettas because they have a tendency to overeat and/or get constipated.

 

Ok. Glad he’s better!

 

Ok. Glad he’s better!

She died of unrelated reasons. Also being a female they naturally look a little bloated.

 

What were the unrelated reasons?
Do females always look a little bloated?
I have never heard that.

 

What were the unrelated reasons?
Do females always look a little bloated?
I have never heard that.

Yeah all females look a little bloated. Female crown tails are the most extreme.
She had a bacterial infection of some sort that killed her this week.

 

Oh.
You don’t seem concerned

 

Oh.
You don’t seem concerned

She got sick and passed too quickly for anything to be done or to identify what it was. I’m guessing bacterial. Hence why I have a “lack of concern”

 

Ok.
Sorry if I sounded rude
Just make sure to clean the tank before any fish go back in!!!