Snails for Tank

I have been researching snails and I think I would like to get one rabbit snail. Has anyone kept one with a betta before? He's not aggressive at least when I am observing him. I have some cory cats and soon some rasboras. Are rabbits hard to come by? I see one for sale at $10 but the shipping is $10 too. My LFS are Petco and Petsmart with one dedicated fish store that is maybe 20% freshwater. Can someone educate me on the best way to aquire one or would the nerite be my better option? Also could you give me a guide on what a fair price to pay for either one is?

 

That sounds about right if a little high though I am in Canada and we tend to have weird prices here.
Rabbit snails are perfectly okay with bettas. In general most snails will be. I keep 3 black devil snails (look very similar to rabbit snails) and a nerite with my own betta.
They are definitely not as common as other snails. You likely wont find them at pet stores unless they are a dedicated aquatic animal only type. They're generally more expensive because they don't breed like other snails do. They only breed in warm waters and lay only a few eggs at a time- majority of the time they only have 1 baby at a time.

A nerite will likely be significantly easier to find. You should be able to find one at petsmart. Care is the same, they eat the same food.

 

Salem thank you. Are the nerites as personable as the rabbit and is just one okay? I would like to be able to walk in and buy one if possible. Since I am only getting one. I want the right one.

 

Nerites are great for algae control. If you get a female be prepared for little white eggs being laid in your tank. They won't hatch. From all I've read about them the eggs are difficult to remove from tank decor.

Rabbit snails don't seem to do much about algae but if you end up with some like mine and happened to have crypts in your tank be prepared for them to disappear. I thought it was my mystery snail eating them but discovered it was my rabbit snails doing it. The crypts seem to be the only plant they had a taste for though. Rabbits don't lay eggs like most other snails. They expel one sometimes two fully formed baby snails. I have had my rabbits for over a year and finally saw a baby being born just a day or so ago.

If I was just going to get one snail it would be a mystery snail. They are out and about all the time unlike both rabbits and nerites. They grow fairly big. They come in a variety of colors. Mine is brown with black stripes and is about the size of a half dollar now. If you get a female she will eventually lay clutches of eggs. She will lay them above the water line so are easy to see. As long as you remove and dispose of the clutches of eggs you will never be overrun by snails.

 

Salem thank you. Are the nerites as personable as the rabbit and is just one okay? I would like to be able to walk in and buy one if possible. Since I am only getting one. I want the right one.

I have one nerite snail with my beta in a 5.5 gallon tank. Usually he's out munching when the light is off. Otherwise he's hanging out under the driftwood or in-between the rocks. My nerite has never gone for any of the food I've tossed in the tank. I tried feeding a bit of carrot and repashy super green.