Is putting a male betta in with baby snails a bad idea?

That would be a yes.. A lot of fish love baby snails for treats.

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Tank: 29g:guppies, balloon mollies, swordtail, 2 mollies
Hex: opaline gourami
10g 1F. betta

It depends on the betta's personality and whether he's hungry or not.
Bettas are carnivorous and like to eat tiny critters like insects, shrimp and snails. I'd keep them separated in the tank until you know for sure how your betta feels about them.

Bettas don't harass snails. Snails make a good cleanup crew for you Betta. A Male Betta won't bother anyone else except another Betta.

They do bother things they eat and any fish that looks similar to another betta though. It's possible that the betta was only fed flakes/pellets its entire life and might not see tiny invertebrates as food, but then again...maybe not.
A lot of people have problems with bettas and snails. My male betta gets along fine with my adult black mystery snail. It's ultimately up to the individual fish. I'd keep them in the plastic bag for a while where the betta can see them to judge his reaction to them.

That is not true.Bettas are fed BBS and other live foods after hatching,as they will not touch anything that does not move.I have been breeding for five years and not one of my batches of fry have i been able to get to eat any powdered,flaked or crushed pellets until they get to three weeks old.Then they are such pigs they will eat about anything.Out of all my bettas i have had no issues with them and snails,only shrimp.Any good betta breeder will not even attempt to feed flakes to newly hatched fry.

I dont think the issue will lie with the betta trying to eat the snail,as much as him trying to figure out what it is.The snails have the shell and when Mr.betta tries to bite,they close up in it.Plus many breedes will raise the betta fry with snails in the tank as they help keep the bottom of the tank clean leading to less missing ventrals in the fry.

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http://bountifulbettas.blogspot.com/

"Come to the dark side....we have cookies...and filters/heaters/and water changes!"

Then it's just that much more likely that baby snails would be seen as a possible food source.
Have you mixed baby snails and bettas, majerah1?

Yes i have actually.I have pond snails in all my tanks and even place them in my growout tanks.I keep them in with my Mahachais,Macrostomas,Albimarginatas,and the halfmoon and plakats.They dont move fast enough for the fish to want to eat them.

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http://bountifulbettas.blogspot.com/

"Come to the dark side....we have cookies...and filters/heaters/and water changes!"

Well then, case closed!

What he said