# Nerite snails work well



## andyh (29 Nov 2009)

Just thought i would share this with you all. I managed to source a Nerite snail locally last week and i have put in my Kitchen tank Setup, he has been in there about a week and all i can say is boy does he like to eat algae! You can see where he has been, and he eats all types of Algae. 

If you look at this picture below specifically at the lower third of the stone, you can see the path the snail has cleared, this section was like the top of the stone, covered in algae. There are entire rocks he has cleaned!


----------



## AdAndrews (30 Nov 2009)

lol, im not sure whether to replace my otto's with these, seem a better choice for smaller tanks, thanks for sharing!


----------



## Superman (30 Nov 2009)

Nerites are great for algae clean up, IMO they are the best clean up staff you can have.


----------



## John Starkey (30 Nov 2009)

I totally agree,but I got rid of mine because of the eggs they lay were everywhere,
regards john.


----------



## jonesy (30 Nov 2009)

dont no about anyones else but mine seem very inactive and stay in the same spot most of the time, are mine just lazy or is there something i should be checking.


----------



## Brenmuk (30 Nov 2009)

Will nerites be attacked by assassin snails?


----------



## Superman (30 Nov 2009)

jonesy said:
			
		

> dont no about anyones else but mine seem very inactive and stay in the same spot most of the time, are mine just lazy or is there something i should be checking.


They should move every few days, take them out, if they stink they're dead. If you touch their foot they should retract it if they're alive.



			
				Brenmuk said:
			
		

> Will nerites be attacked by assassin snails?


I believe all snails will be eaten by assassins.


----------



## Nick16 (30 Nov 2009)

i kept a huuge apple snail in with an assasain and it didnt touch that. it was a fully grown one, a bit smaller than tennis ball sized.


----------



## jonesy (30 Nov 2009)

Superman said:
			
		

> jonesy said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



there still alive stuck to the glass just dont seem to be as active as everyone elses, maybe i just have lazy snails


----------



## Nick16 (30 Nov 2009)

the question is, where can you get them now? the snail shop dont do them, and nor do AE


----------



## AdAndrews (30 Nov 2009)

Nick16 said:
			
		

> the question is, where can you get them now? the snail shop dont do them, and nor do AE



doesnt your lfs do them? they are common in one of my local shops


----------



## andyh (30 Nov 2009)

john starkey said:
			
		

> I totally agree,but I got rid of mine because of the eggs they lay were everywhere,
> regards john.



John

Do i need two for them to breed? or are those clever types that do it all themselves....


----------



## George Farmer (1 Dec 2009)

andyh said:
			
		

> Do i need two for them to breed? or are those clever types that do it all themselves....


Hi Andy

Nerites require brackish water to breed and their young are hard to raise, apparently.

Fancy a challenge?!


----------



## dw1305 (1 Dec 2009)

Hi all,
Some people keep Nerite snails for their egg production (usually the Olive Nerite, _Neritina reclivata_) you need a male and a female (and they aren't sexable), and they do best in brackish water, but this is possible in hard fresh water. After the eggs hatch and the veliger stage larvae swim upward and are  attracted towards light (bit like baby brine shrimp), and if you shine a small light you can concentrate them in one spot and pipette them out.  The larvae are excellent food for baby Gobies, pipe-fish, Killies etc and you can feed them in both fresh and salt water. I got this method from "Culturing Live Foods" by Michael Hellweg, well worth a read.
cheers Darrel


----------



## andyh (1 Dec 2009)

Whoa there people!! 

George - you misunderstood, i don't want snail eggs everywhere so just wanted to check that one would be ok?  

However useful info dw1305 & George as i do fancy a brackish water tank in the not so distant future (  secret)

Thanks

Andy


----------



## George Farmer (1 Dec 2009)

andyh said:
			
		

> George - you misunderstood, i don't want snail eggs everywhere so just wanted to check that one would be ok?


    A classic example of how the written word can be so easily misinterpreted!


----------



## Themuleous (16 Dec 2009)

Yep nerites (apart from the annoying eggs  ) are my algae eater of choice, here is their effect on a rock in one of my old tanks!





Sam


----------



## andyh (16 Dec 2009)

Thats a wicked photo to show how well they work.


----------



## Mr Louii (19 Jan 2010)

Hello,

what's the best temperature you can keep these Nerite snails in?

My tank is mostly 25-27C...

Thanks

Mr Louii


----------



## Themuleous (19 Jan 2010)

That would be fine for nerites 

Sam


----------



## Mr Louii (20 Jan 2010)

Ok, thx

I've been told in my local shop that over 25C is to hot for schrimps, or that it will be very difficult to keep them.
Is this correct?

grtz


----------



## andyh (20 Jan 2010)

Mr Louii said:
			
		

> Ok, thx
> 
> I've been told in my local shop that over 25C is to hot for schrimps, or that it will be very difficult to keep them.
> Is this correct?
> ...



not really, shrimps can tolerate a wide range of temps from 18c up.

I keep all of my different shrimps tanks at around 25-26. They breed happily, in the summer the temps got to 28c with no problems

However i had a recent mishap with a heater that stuck on in my shrimp breeding tank. Where the temp was circa 45degrees for at least a two days proved that they can withstand high temps too. I only found one body after that . Interetsingly they all grouped togther in the front corner of the tank the furthest point from the heater, and remained very still. 
It was a scary moment but i gently brought the temps back down and they were all fine!


----------



## Mr Louii (21 Jan 2010)

Nice to know!

One last question about the Nerite snails: do they also clean backgrounds and pieces of wood that are placed very vertically or do they stay on to the bottom?

grtz


----------



## andyh (22 Jan 2010)

Mr Louii said:
			
		

> Nice to know!
> 
> One last question about the Nerite snails: do they also clean backgrounds and pieces of wood that are placed very vertically or do they stay on to the bottom?
> 
> grtz



Mine cleans everything and anything  Travels all over the tank.


----------



## Mr Louii (22 Jan 2010)

Ok, that's what i wanted to read   

I'll try to pick up some this weekend.

Grtz and thx 4 the advice


----------



## flygja (23 Jan 2010)

I must have a lazy Nerite then. It does move all around the tank, even climbing above the waterline for a bit of "sunbathing" then dropping into the tank for a bit of "powerballing"  But it don't seem to eat much green spot algae. It leaves a trail when passing through GSA'd glass, but the trail isn't spotless either. I used to have a pair of them, a zebra and a strawberry, but they kept laying eggs everywhere which are quite difficult to remove. The zebra died though.


----------



## AdAndrews (23 Jan 2010)

Ive just woken up this morning to find my nerite on the OUTSIDE of the tank glass   ive popped him back in, but why would he do that to me, i thought we were friends


----------



## andyh (23 Jan 2010)

AdAndrews said:
			
		

> Ive just woken up this morning to find my nerite on the OUTSIDE of the tank glass   ive popped him back in, but why would he do that to me, i thought we were friends



Yes they can roam!


----------



## Mr Louii (25 Jan 2010)

maybe he thought the outside needed some cleening 2


----------



## mfcphil (3 Mar 2010)

Nick16 said:
			
		

> the question is, where can you get them now? the snail shop dont do them, and nor do AE




I found some zebra and onion on ebay....http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1-Live-water-...QQptZUK_Pet_Supplies_Fish?hash=item1e5ab319b7


----------

