The Nerite snail is a hardy roundish snail with variable markings, that make it an attractive addition to the reef or saltwater tank. Other than that, there aren’t many things you can do to initiate the mating process. The minimum tank size for a nerite snail is a 10 gallon tank. The nerite snails laid their little eggs on my rocks and though I had planned to move the rocks to a small saltwater tank, I just ignored them. I think I caught it early so my black one should be ok. Keep working on getting it lower. At the moment the tank contains 3 ottos, an unknown number of … At least in my area, I have found dalmation mollies to be especially frail. They mind their business and don’t need much room to thrive, which saves you time planning out the perfect home. Will do. Finding the type of snail best suited to the particular ecosystem of your saltwater aquarium is crucial and these pros and cons can help guide you in your campaign to eliminate your algae issues. Assassin Snail. Nerite Snails. This aquarium snail is a bit interesting because it’s carnivorous. A lot of people will suggest salt when it is useless (it can be a great medication if targeted for specific problems) because they think it is 'natural'. If you’re looking for a colorful addition to your tank, the red racer nerite snail is a perfect choice. If you want them to help you out by eating algae, you should help them out too! I have never ever found it to be an issue. These aren’t an animal that you can throw into any condition and expect them to live! Last month in “Aquarium Snails—A Blessing And a Curse,” I talked about the apple snail and other pond snails – obviously, these should also be avoided in the home aquarium. These saltwater snails represent the best of the available algae eating and detritus feeding gastropods found within the Caribbean. Freshwater snails like the mystery snail, rabbit snails, turbo snails, nerite snails, and many more make the perfect addition for planted aquariums of all kinds. Horned Nerite Snails can also be used in outdoor ponds for similar purpose. It’s funny because other than breeding everything about this creature is very straightforward! It is quite likely that your issues are due to all the moving, and possible came in with the mollies when you got them. Nerite snails can grow up to 1" but adults are more commonly found between 1/2 and 3/4" in size. Most of the time you can find them slowly working their way around your aquarium snacking on algae. Same as with person antibiotcs. Pretty much anything that will actively seek out your snails as a source of food or aggressive fish that treat them as an easy target. Aquarium Salt. Not only will they naturally accumulate algae on their surface over time, but your snails will also be able to use them as a hiding place. The most common disease is something called oedema. Hi B, thank you for the reply. Call 1-877-367-4377 to order. They look like a dark piece of aged wood with repeating “grains” that work their way back across the shell. The color is spot on and the diminutive size of these animals makes it very similar at first glance. Learn more. Nerite snail breeding is a topic that is full of misinformation and confusion. Nerite snails are great algae eaters and highly suitable for people who’re scared that snails will reproduce quickly and take over their aquarium, but you’ve got to deal with unhatched eggs that are tough to remove. Their external shell is almost completely made of calcium carbonate (about 95-98%, the remaining 2% mass are compounds of Fe, Mg, Mn, Al, Na, K). Snails for saltwater aquariums shipped directly to your door at the lowest prices & highest quality online. This is the recommended size for one nerite snail and should be increased if you plan on adding more. While most of the species inhabit seashore brackish waters, some of them live in streams and rivers. Nerite snails are extremely popular for their unique patterns and colors, as well as their practical benefits. Ok thanks for the reassurance! Personally we’re huge fans of watching them inch their way around the aquarium and look for algae. They are all saltwater but has been acclimated to fresh so you should be safe. It’s also fun to see them climb onto the glass so you can observe their tiny mouths at work! It’s kind of funny writing a section about snail temperament because there really isn’t much to report. They come in a bunch of different color varieties as well so they’re a great way to add some variety to the look of your aquarium too. You need to keep all the parameters in check. Their size may vary depending on the kind, but is average size is about 2 cm. It's a 20 gal tall, ammonia, nitrite 0, nitrate 30ppm, ph … Clean water will help her far more than the stability of her water getting dirty. These little critters are a joy to keep and don’t require much extra effort on your part at all. Saltwater nerite snails … They don’t do much with the eggs after this process is done and after 12-16 days the larvae should be formed and ready to go! This stripe typically has a repeating series of “arrows” that make this snail live up to its name. They assume that you can simply add a handful to a tank of any size and be good to go. The safest way to handle nerite snail breeding is to slowly transition them to a tank with brackish water (sort of a hybrid between saltwater and freshwater) before breeding begins. Hi...I came home to a dead fish...and as I was checking my others I noticed that my black Molly has whitish areas on her body... Like a fungus and her lips are puffy and a bit white too. Snails are very soft and delicate on their underside, so hard substrate that could scratch them isn’t a good idea. I want to know if they can handle the salt in the water of the big tank. In it, we’ll cover the essentials of nerite snail care and everything you can do to ensure that they live happy and comfortable lives. If it says to use it for 7 days, then do what the bottle says. Susan, I'm trying to help someone on another forum with this same issue, seems they live in Maine and there state does not allow the sale of freshwater snails so they would like to get saltwater nerites and acclimate them to there freshwater tank. Like a fungus and her lips are puffy and a bit white too. Below is a list of the most popular saltwater aquarium snails. In fact, nerite snails are widely believed to be the single best snail in the aquarium hobby for obliterating algae off of glass, rocks, live plants, driftwood, and other types of decoration… The following water parameters should suffice for your Nerite snails to stay happy and healthy: Freshwater Nerite Snails. They’re found in tanks…, Vampire Crabs are one of the most stunning creatures you can keep in captivity. This means you’ll want to make sure your nerite snails have plenty of places to hide and get some privacy from the rest of the tank. The zebra nerite snail is one of the most popular variations you can get. Once this happens you have a problem. Sorry about your molly. Hello I was wondering if someone can answer my question. Some aquarists express confusion when hearing about the required tank size for nerite snails. Mostly because snails’ shells can have several calcified layers (generally two to five). They won’t bother or even interact with the other life in your tank, so you never have to worry about them causing trouble. Author Note: As always, make sure you’re not overfeeding your nerite snails. This random resting period will usually end after a couple of days, but keep an eye on them to play it safe. This means that nerite snails can be added to both salt and freshwater aquariums. Not only that, but freshwater snails can be found on the Indian Ocean side of Africa. Thoughts? You’ll notice that the coil of their shell has a couple of dark swirling lines, but that’s about the only difference! Despite their small size, nerite snails still create waste which will eventually impact the bio-load of their small tank. The olive nerite snail looks exactly like its name implies, like a little olive! With that being said, poor living conditions will definitely shorten the lifespan of your nerite snails. This will help keep your tank clean without any extra effort on your part! While nerite snails can absolutely function and be productive algae eaters in a cramped environment, it’s the bio-load that you have to worry about. Nerite snails (Neritina natalensis) are quickly becoming one of the favorite snails in the aquarium community. Mass-produced livebearers tend to be poorly bred. My plan was to put something like a terracotta pot into the aquarium, let the snails lay eggs on the pot, and move the pot to brackish water as soon as I notice new eggs. Nerites actually live in salty water and won't even lay viable eggs in freshwater. She is showing nearly no more signs of the fungus, should I keep dosing the Melafix for the complete 7 days or can I stop at day 4? These snails are gentle and spend most of their time looking for algae to eat (both in the wild and in captivity). It took scientists a while to properly identify these types of snails in certain areas because some of them look very similar to different species. They love it! When you have enough algae in your aquarium, your nerite snails will roam the tank and glass munching on it endlessly. I'm thinking that I need to complete the dosing for the 7 days. Relative water hardness for Zebra Nerite Snails should be in the range of 6-12dH. Nerite snails are not one of these snails. It’s important to do the best you can when it comes to mimicking their natural habitat. The safest way to handle nerite snail breeding is to slowly transition them to a tank with brackish water (sort of a hybrid between saltwater and freshwater) before breeding begins. Alison has been interested in fish and aquariums for over five years. My black Molly already looks better. The pattern on the shells of tiger nerite snails is hypnotizing to look at. It’s cute to see these little things methodically work their way around the tank looking for algae to eat (we like the patterns on their shells too). Calcium Supplements for Shrimp and Snail Tanks Some of our favorite fish to keep with nerite snails are: You’ll want to avoid fish like goldfish, cichlids (of course) and snail eaters like crayfish. In snails, the demand for calcium is even higher than for shrimp. This is our favorite method because it’s cheap, easy, and effective. They typically have a couple of yellow and black rows on their shells with a few horns protruding along a color line. The largest are zebra and tiger snails – their size is about 2.5 cm. You’ll want to keep an eye on them since some of the water parameters don’t match up perfectly, but you should be fine! Zebra Nerite Snail: Nerite Snails are a great addition to an unheated aquarium. Instead, go with a sandy substrate if you want to maximize their comfort. They’re also very flexible when it comes to the kind of tank setup you use them in. This article will help navigate you through the pros and cons of each snail species. Fortunately, betta fish are a suitable tank mate for nerite snails. Nerite Snails and Saltwater There are some snails that won’t tolerate salt at all. The severity of the parasite will obviously impact how effective treatment is, but here’s what you should do: As you’ve probably guessed by now, the main nerite snail food source is algae. So now that we’ve sold you on the benefits of owning these critters, let’s get into the meat of the guide. Sometimes their shells have stripes, spots, stains and the shells themselves may have kind of horns. Snails . We recommend rocks for this since they will accumulate algae over time and give your snails a close, convenient snack. Nerite snail care is about as easy as it gets when it comes to dealing with their behavior. Nerite snails look pretty much like a regular aquatic snail. Let’s take a closer look at each of the main types of nerite snails and what they look like. In fact, the main … Bubblers and such are usually just for aesthetics. Nerite Snails are the best snails in the aquarium hobby for eating algae! HI guys, I set up a freshwater planted aquarium about two months ago with some mts and three zebra nerite snails to help keep the algae down while the plants established themselves. There isn’t anything that stands out and makes you go “whoa” unlike some other gastropods when it comes to their anatomy. Nerite snail care is about as easy as it gets. My sister came to visit with two small snails, I have them in a ten gallon tank for now. As we’ve established, nerite snails can be found on the coast. I have had a somewhat difficult time in the past with certain strains of molly because they are rather fragile. These tend to vary based on the different types of nerite snails that are out there, so it’s worth exploring that a bit before we move on to the care section of this guide. My two nerite snails have been laying a lot of eggs and I was wondering if moving the eggs to brackish water would be enough for them to grow into snails. Nerite snails are pretty tough animals, but there are a couple of diseases/illnesses you should keep an eye out for. Saltwater varieties are more commonly found on the coast of the Pacific Ocean and sometimes drift into the Caribbean as well. No matter how long your animals live or how much they cost, you should do everything you can to help them live happy and healthy lives. This means it’s important to try and facilitate some algae growth in your tank so they can move and eat how they would naturally. I had no idea how involved fish keeping was when "Santa" brought my 4 year old a 5. Can an assassin snail eat a full grown nerite snail? Aquarium salt safe for nerite snail? This will not only help encourage the mating process but it will make things habitable for the larvae as well. If you use that as a starting point, you can quickly figure out what should be included in their tank. Nerite snails are part of the Neritidae family that comprises over 200 snail species. It’s our feeling that if you want to become a truly experienced aquarist you should have a deep understanding of all the inhabitants that live in your aquarium, and how they interact with each other. They are totally safe with any fish, shrimp, or plants, and are completely peaceful. Unlike a lot of other snails, female nerites lay eggs that the males then fertilize. As prolific algae eaters, the zebra snail needs adequate food source. 7 is at the lower end of the spectrum and upon keeping Zebra Nerite Snails the pH should not drop below this value. The Nerite is a species of small freshwater snail that grows to just over an inch in diameter as an adult, making the Nerite snail with betta fish a perfect space companion. It's a 20. Nerites will be fine during a salt treatment. We ship these snails already acclimated to freshwater, so you don’t need to worry about a new acclimation process unless you want them BACK in Saltwater. Ok. Great. Nerites are commonly sold in the reef trade and will consume diatoms, film algae, finer hair algae species, and many species of cyanobacteria . Clown Loaches are one of the most popular freshwater fish in the aquarium scene. Some of the best tank mate options are other nerite snails, shrimp (ghost, cherry shrimp, and Amano being three common choices), and mellow fish. Having the ideal water parameters are just as important for nerite snails as any other aquatic life form. They can live in full salt water. I had ich so I added aquarium salt to my 55 gallon tank. Nerite Snails require salt water to reproduce, so they will never overpopulate your aquarium (as some freshwater snails are known to do). Nerite snails can be a beginner’s best friends – they are very good for people who … It’s impossible to describe their coloring clearly since there quite a lot of species. Like B said, mollies can be rather sensitive. This is a condition that typically plagues older snails though, so if yours are fairly young then this likely won’t be an issue. Upgrading my filtration! At Reeftopia, we offer a variety of reef snails for sale including Astrea Snails (turbo) Snails, Cerith, Nerite, Star (ninja) Snails, Fighting Conch, and Nassarius Snails—all make great options for your marine aquarium. Each of the popular varieties has its own patterns and colors, which can make for a very pretty tank if you mix and match enough of them. In my experience, they are fine and fine in specific for mollies. Check out our selection and snails and know that when you buy our snails online, they will be shipped and packed to arrive alive and healthy for your freshwater aquarium! The nerite snail comes from the large Neritidae family. One thing that’s worth noting about their behavior is that they’ll sometimes hunker down out of the blue. Author Note: Coastlines are full of many rocks, nooks, and crannies. A couple of days ago a friend ask about adding Nerite Snails to a new tank.. Quickly adding Nerite Snails to a new setup is probably not a good idea. Nerite snail care is pretty hard to mess up. Nerite snails are one of our favorite aquarium critters out there. I bought tank vegetation online and put it in a spare tank for quarantine. This number can be smaller if they’re living in suboptimal living conditions, but if you’re taking good care of them it’s what you can expect. First, nerite snail care is a piece of cake. Sure, they’re hardy and easy to care for but that’s assuming they’re in the optimal conditions. For aquarium snails, this usually means that there’s a parasite problem that needs to be addressed. Nerite snails (neritina natalensis) can be found in a mixture of locations both in freshwater and saltwater. You all are great!! Live rocks are a great way to provide a food source for your snails. Nerite snails are very mellow and peaceful creatures. This will not only help encourage the mating process but it will make things habitable for the larvae as well. I am wanting to switch to brine shrimp for my fish and I dont want to lose any shrimp or snails. You can see how this caused a lot of confusion! The reason is that the eggs need brackish or even salt water to hatch, but the full grown snails are able to live in freshwater. When it comes to tank mates, you’re mostly looking for animals that won’t pick on your snails or try to eat them. The source of the confusion comes from the fact that many people say nerite snail eggs can be bred in a freshwater aquarium, but the larvae need saltwater to survive. Also known as the spotted Nerite, tiger snail or zebra snail, these are foliage eaters, and are extremely hardy fish. They’re cute and busy little guys that bring a handful of benefits to your freshwater tank. Thank you for helping me @Cory If you are worried because you have heard horror stories of people introducing snails to their tank and ending up with hundreds of snails, the nerite snail if perfect for you. The optimum aquarium temperature for Horned Nerite Snails is around 70°F - 80°F Horned Nerite Snails … Live rock provides algae, cyanobacteria, and diatoms for food, but it also is an effective film algae eater, grazing on other surfaces, such as the sides of the aquarium. Love all the help on this forum! This is a condition where the snail’s fluid balance becomes disturbed and results in extreme swelling. By the way I have done a 50% water change since the salt was added and have not added anymore salt. 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Will consume diatoms, film algae, you should be ok are pretty tough animals, but freshwater snails the...