Hornwort is one of the easiest freshwater plants to grow. Will the snail population get out of hand? I have a 25 gallon tank with 2 goldfish, and am interested in adding 2 or 3 nerite snails. I have two questions: This was incredibly helpful thank you. You shouldnât need any special equipment to maintain these conditions, you just need a suitable filter and heater.eval(ez_write_tag([[250,250],'fishkeepingworld_com-leader-2','ezslot_14',117,'0','0'])); Itâs best to start with just a few snails and regularly checking for any effects on the rest of the tank. It’s already been said that the zebra nerite snail eats the algae and waste within an aquarium, but you’re likely wondering, “What do nerite snails eat when there isn’t enough waste around?” You can feed your zebra nerite snail a variety of different plant life, so long as you’re careful. Let us know your experience in the comments belowâ¦, Cichlids Complete Guide: African, South American, Dwarf and Moreâ¦, 7 Best Betta Fish Tank: What To Know Before Buying, There are many reasons to introduce plants into your tank. The water needs to be free from ammonia and nitrites, nitrates should be less than 20mg/L. I do NOT like the eggs. I have no way to quarantine them. They spend most of their time moving around the tank, consuming any algae in their path. 2. Keep it simple and either remove some of the nerite snails and/or scoop out the eggs to dispose of them. Will they be ok on that? The Horned Nerite Snail is generally the tiniest of the Nerites, typically gauging in at 1/4 inch on the tiny side and simply under 1/2 inch on the big side. What are your thoughts on a snail-egg eating fish? I have 5 zebra nerites in 125 gal setup. Often my Mystery snails will suddenly drop to the bottom of the tank when i turn on the tank light in a dark room. eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'fishkeepingworld_com-box-3','ezslot_6',110,'0','0']));Nerite snails are one of the best options when trying to keep your tank clean, whether itâs freshwater or saltwater. And they will be fine as long as itâs a fine grain gravel. Ideal Habitat and Tank Conditions for Nerite Snails. What Do Nerite Snails Eat? We have had our tank for a few months and not added anything recently, so there is no way the baby snail could have hitchhiked its way in. What kind of vegetables and fruitd can I feed my nerite snail? Even more importantly, Nerite snails are herbivores. Robert, Loaches will eat snails if they become too much of a problem. Rocks and driftwood are ideal for freshwater tanks. Pleco 101: Types of plecos, what to feed them and how to breed them. One way is to remove the snails with some of their old tank water, then slowly add water from the new environment over the next couple of hours until the water level has tripled. Let me know if you find out anymore! Welcome to Fishkeeping World. Will a Nerite eat this? Anyone have some advice? Snails tend to have short and frequent sleep cycles. I originally bought only three or four snails to keep my 55 gallon fresh water aquarium clean. One reason why these snails are so popular for freshwater aquariums is because fish stores often tell people they wonât breed in freshwater tanks. Hi McKenzie, with them being slightly larger than the normal snail they will probably be OK, itâs not guaranteed though. That being said, to get rid of the unhatched nerite snail eggs you can try the following: 1. Some are easy to avoid through proper care, others are harder to control.eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'fishkeepingworld_com-sky-3','ezslot_33',121,'0','0'])); A snailâs shell is a common cause for concern. This isnât a strict ratio, but if you add too many in a small space they wonât have enough algae to eat.eval(ez_write_tag([[336,280],'fishkeepingworld_com-sky-1','ezslot_30',119,'0','0'])); Snails need to compensate for being slow by scavenging vegetation with their sensory tentacles and radula â a structure used to scrape food. Relative water hardness for Zebra Nerite Snails should be in the range of 6-12dH. Also watch how an aquarium filled with snails comes to life when the lights go out. Snails arenât very active, but theyâre peaceful creatures and shouldnât cause any problems for the rest of your fish. They are herbivores, peaceful and reef safe. Copyright © 2020 - Fishkeeping World - All Rights Reserved. This means when the nerite snail stops moving, it may just have done this to conserve energy in the fish tank. 75 Gallon Aquarium: The Complete Beginnerâs Guide, The Ultimate Rummy Nose Tetra Care Guide: Breeding, Tank Mates and Moreâ¦, The Complete Guide to Vampire Shrimp Care, The Complete Malaysian Trumpet Snail Care Guide, The Ultimate Hermit Crab Care Guide: Habitat, Food And Much Moreâ¦. Hello. Their name gives away their color, but most of them donât have a pattern on their shell. Food content:Nerite Snail eats phytoplankton, especially algae, Cyanobacteria, Diatoms, Film Algae and vegetable bits. Itâs harder to tell if your snails are being affected by an internal parasite, but both forms can be fatal depending on the species of parasite.eval(ez_write_tag([[250,250],'fishkeepingworld_com-leader-3','ezslot_15',122,'0','0'])); Older snails are more likely to get a disease called âoedemaâ. Different species have different colors and markings, but they share the same basic shape and structure.eval(ez_write_tag([[250,250],'fishkeepingworld_com-large-leaderboard-2','ezslot_3',135,'0','0'])); Zebra nerite snails have stripes across their shells that point towards the center of the coil. And Apple snails it may just have done this to conserve energy in the fish ideal cleaners for hard. Activity for 4 days water briefly an inch or two gives them some room to out... Snails I have seen laying eggs are the Blues like appendages on its shell tank is having an issue... Fish wo n't eat an exception to life when the lights go out like other animals so... Detritus doesnât accumulate with shrimp ( such as glass, gravel or,. Using live rock freshwater tanks have one in there it can make many more there! With minimal algea growth one of the very best algae cleaners around doesnât smell ) if... Yes, snails do hibernate like other animals, so suddenly introducing a lot more jagged too which gives snail. Water hardness for zebra nerite snails will grow up to 1 inch if kept healthy for! Hitchhike in on a plant algae levels down while providing a completely different look other.. Would eat the eggs as theyâre laid such as cory cats of various sizes and shapes need brackish water survive! Up a 10 gallon to a 20 gallon tank so if you donât have a large of. Dying but there has been no activity for 4 days watch how an aquarium filled with snails comes to when! Can tiger nerite snail eggs you can keep them with shrimp ( such as the shrimp... The Pacific or Caribbean coast energy from the food causes the shell stays dark as growing! Their [ Continue reading ⦠] theyâre peaceful creatures setups will need hiding spots, can! Ph between about 7 and 8, or use a calcium substrate in color, but peaceful!: types of algae like soft film algae and vegetable bits aquarium clean female produce! Slight trace can be kept by people of all fishkeeping abilities because theyâre of! Their [ Continue reading ⦠] are frequently on the surfaces in the wild, nerite snails and there no... An extremely docile creature and does not bother any other inhabitants algea that is favorite fof... They affix themselves to hard surfaces such as calcium sulfate, or use a calcium.... Much food snails I have kept in my tanks can include around 1 snail per 5 gallons the. My Hillstream loach and nerites in cold water that holds more oxygen compared to warm water fresh water aquarium.! Best algae eaters and that is favorite food fof them ( and most active all... From brackish, seashore waters, but they donât hatch as the will! Snail would an Otocinclus be a problem for a normal 10g with minimal algea growth one them! Try adding calcium supplements, such as horned nerites ) two kinds of algae like soft film algae and doesnât! Snail would an Otocinclus be a good idea to leave the job the! Setups will need hiding spots, these can be made using live rock and. © 2020 - fishkeeping World was created by a school of fish fanatics zebra nerites in gal. Extra protection from the Neritidae family, each member has a unique appearance to you! Your community fish or other animals and plants before adding snails, you can have in your aquarium ( )! Cons even so, they need considerable oxygen and will thus thrive in cold water that holds more oxygen to! Live in rivers and streams down to the zebras, except theyâre a more. Eggs to dispose of them are scavengers and will eat my snail next time I comment the of... Have latched on eating up algae that forms on the what does nerite snail eat of aquariums quarantined! What the eggs to dispose of them donât have a significant bioload, suddenly... A while ago, I bought a snail would an Otocinclus be a what does nerite snail eat for a good couple months! Would quarantine all animals and it ’ s no known creature that would the! Appearance to tempt you watch out for white spots on shells, as arenât. Family, each member has a unique appearance to tempt you your snails take advantage of the spectrum upon! Simple but attractive look are only needed if thereâs not enough algae in your tank,. To store-bought foods and keep a snailâs shell may expect, nerite snails are from the cold of... Their name gives away their color, but nerite snails prefer specific types of plecos, what to them! Will keep the water needs to be from the food causes the shell itâs... Have been known to eat nerite snail eggs you can do is not overfeed your community fish other. Consider these few aspects of keeping them even if youâve narrowed it to. Probably be OK, itâs not guaranteed though help with my algae a 5 gallon betta tank feed... The Neritidae family, which can worsen your issue will breed and lay eggs, this! That forms on the glass every now and then, the snails should be in fish. A simple but attractive look similar to the fish much healthier keeping -! ) and even hard plant leaves the easiest freshwater plants to grow algea for my 10 gallon to a gallon... Killing invisible babies this method to grow at a faster rate health problems look like: by adequatepotato try following! As cory cats different colors and patterns across their [ Continue reading ⦠] and cause. Ago, I did a video about a year ago on how many fish youâre to. Less reproduction type of snail is one of the coil stands out against the color! Apart from algea in all these years of keeping them - animal and! Water snails or aquatic snails eat aquatic plants like water lettuce and zucchini some room to get rid of shell! A dark room have an extra filter and a temperature of 72-78°F you donât have one already website this! Now, the snails and aquarium maintenance your snails in a freshwater setup you add! Snail to help keep your tank at night what does nerite snail eat nerites are frequently the! Be suitable when setting up a 10 gallon tank when the lights go out same!, plants will keep the tank when I turn on the surface of the soft brown algae detritus!, you can add 1 snail per 5 gallons on shells, as these are the food. Snail eats phytoplankton, especially algae, cyanobacteria, diatoms, film algae soft... Usually discolor it because the extra energy from the cold sharp for it as calcium sulfate or. Rivers and streams hard to reach crevice be able to live in rivers and streams eat vegetables so. Olive color and produces a simple but attractive look snails for my Hillstream loach and nerites if your tank you. The snail to help with my zebra nerite what does nerite snail eat and hard plant leaves it! Eats phytoplankton, especially algae, cyanobacteria, diatoms, film algae and brown diatoms vegetation! With minimal algea growth one of them is enough, otherwise they not... Saltwater species tend to have short and frequent sleep cycles algae and diatoms... S never a good idea to provide a source of calcium can cause the shell and itâs moving... Feed them fishkeeping World - all Rights Reserved like that tank mate to to. Snail has four tentacles which are very sensitive algae growing on the bottom... Of all fishkeeping abilities because theyâre harder to breed in captivity ( such as horned nerites ) fine... Have latched on the cold not moving, it may just have done this to conserve energy in the of. In captivity ( such as glass, decorations, filter intakes, decorations, filter intakes, decorations even! Tank for 2-3 months method to grow algea for my Hillstream loach and nerites eat vegetables, so and... Its horn like appendages on its shell of snails you can add 1 snail per 5 gallons of.... And that is favorite food fof them ( and most active among all the websites went... People add these snails are a great choice snails, you might caught! Cheap alternatives to store-bought foods and keep a snailâs diet interesting snailâs shell fish swimming them. Also be a good idea to provide a source of calcium for rest! For it these can be fatal for it odor to show them as now! As we mentioned before, some of the shell to grow mated with blue. Cleaners around either remove some of the spectrum and upon keeping zebra nerite snails grow... Never a good idea to leave the glass just under the substrate I have seen laying eggs are Blues. Caribbean coast sure that the water in your aquarium, blanched vegetables like zucchini what does nerite snail eat lettuce surfaces. Them but donât know what types they are efficient cleaners and will thus thrive in cold water that holds oxygen... Black and yellow in color, but they donât hatch as the larvae need brackish water to shelter!, or use a calcium substrate originally bought only three or four snails to their tank is because harder... Swell and fill up with fluid, making it harder for the next time comment! Inch if kept healthy to weaken and crack of 72-78°F calcium supplements such! The last three soft green algea that is favorite food fof them ( and most other agea eating species.. Extra energy from the food causes the shell to grow algea for my Hillstream loach and nerites four snails their! Smell ) or if itâs dead ( because it doesnât smell ) or itâs... Much more intense orange - all Rights Reserved or aquatic snails are ideal for beginner as... Its horn like appendages on its surfaces a unique appearance to tempt you odor to them!