Nerite Snails

“We do not fear the unknown. We fear what we think we know about the unknown.” – Teal Swan

This article is enriched with multiple sources that are compounded together to come up with a guide to an aspiring tank starter. Although given the ability of different media options that can be checked online, the article will be a one-stop-shop that is the main reason it is longer than the other articles online. Nerite snail in tanks is not much common knowledge to everyone.

There are a lot of interesting articles that talk about maintaining a tank full of sea creatures to an owner that is just starting in this endeavor. As the literature suggests, a lot of references could give a handful of ideas in starting freshwater tank aquascape, however, these kinds of literature do not talk much about Nerite snails, in particular, it only includes snails as a subtopic and talks about snails in bits.

Articles normally include snails on the header but just confuse the topic and focus more on other creatures like fishes or shrimp that do not necessarily answer questions about snails.

The topic about snail can be broad if traced more biologically and will put a lot to talk about just focusing on snails alone, however, that is not the goal today as this article will simply give insights about Nerite snails in particular so it will not confuse the reader what to expect when dealing with Nerite snails.

These basic questions are expected when we talk of something that is pretty usual, but uncommonly identified beneficial especially in terms of usability.

For starters, knowing what to do is just part of the whole challenge as in the long run, the experience will be the best guide to this venture.

If the venture succeeds, then this will turn out to be a good source of entertainment or business depending on what the owner wants to accomplish. This article does not serve as a tool in the aid of those that already have advanced knowledge of the said venture.

Many enthusiasts already have a lot of insights towards snails in a tank setup or aqua-scaping and not only literature, published on a hard copy or published on an article online.

Others used interactive media like videos online to get a much better handle in giving out information across different audiences that may want to start this kind of setup.

There are a few questions added to this article not limited to just adding Nerite snails to tanks as hubby or aquascaping like breeding and production to owners that would like to turn this venture into something lucrative.

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What is a Nerite Snail?

Snails are part of the Gastropod family that refers to slugs that are enclosed to a shell which bodies can be retracted for protection.

With that said, we can infer that the creature is not as interesting; however, there is more to snails than meet the eye that we need to know.

Basic information about Nerite snails

Neritina Natalensis or what is called Nerite Snail contains a few other species in its family-like Zebra Nerite Snail, Tiger Nerite Snail, Olive Nerite Snail, Black Racer Nerite Snail, Horned Nerite Snail and 200 more species in its family. These snails have a minimum to very low maintenance and can be found in wet areas like lakes, rivers, and seashores.

Pet stores carry snails as well and will not cost a fortune to buy as one snail will only cost a few dollars apiece.

These types of snails go roam the tank which about where the snail starts and where it gets to, the parts will show clean surface as the snail do not leave any algae behind and cover the surfaces at a slow pace taking the time to eat the algae on pieces of rocks, tank walls and small crevices that are difficult to reach for other tank creatures like fishes or shrimp to clean.

Snails are not the most attractive but the purpose of adding it to a tank is to eat algae that cause unhealthy water to maintain a liveable space to the aquascape. The snails will just freely move around-consuming algae and will not care about the other creatures that coexist with it.

Make no mistake, the same as other creatures, the owner still needs to clean the tank as required, as adding snails do not eliminate the need to flush the water inside tank now and then, hence, tank water cannot be overstocked.

How to take care of Nerite snails? 

These snails are not picky eaters so the owners will not have a difficult time where the snail’s diet.

You can think of the snails as a vacuum cleaner to the tank that works tirelessly with a large appetite for algae.

If there is one thing at all that is necessary, it would be the follow of water to be constant to get the snails the feel of natural its habitat, which can be achieved by adding a water recycler pump and not only that the snails will like it, it will also benefit other marine life in the tank.

Point to remember, never drop the snail to the water and let it land on different positions especially on its back where it will be almost impossible for the snail to be at the right position because the will more likely kill the snail.

Also, if the snail no longer attaches itself to any surface, may it be the rocks at the bottom, sand or gravel, glass surface, remove the snail right away as it could be dead. Snails usually attach to surfaces when it is still alive and otherwise if it is already dead.

Also Read: Best Freshwater Shrimps for Aquarium

Dead snails will cause high ammonia content in the tank water which will harm all other marine creatures in the tank.

Not only that it is unhealthy for other snails but as ammonia increases, water will be saturated causing high PH levels for fishes, shrimp or just the plants underwater to survive.

What are the ideal habitat and tank conditions for Nerite Snails?

If the owner intends to just add Nerite snails to clean the tank, the basic requirements above will be enough to follow as it is the most ideal for Nerite snails to have closest to its natural habitat.

If the owner intends to breed Nerite snails, this type of snail will best reproduce when in a brackish water setup.

What to consider in getting a Nerite snail for your tank?

There are just a few reminders to think about when getting a snail a good snail that will be part of the collection in the tank.

Not to be very obvious, the perfect candidate to pick should have good aesthetics like good looking and healthy shell, no cracks (visible or non-visible) and it should be bright in color.  The snail’s bright shell color indicates that it is healthy and the shell with no cracks also indicates that the snail’s calcium intake is at a healthy level.

Mobility should be next on the list healthy snails should move around (although slow) the tank without any problems. The snail’s mobility is also one of the good indicators that the snail is in a good state because snails are almost comparable to busy bees or worker ants that tirelessly that if supervised, normally just roam the tank constantly.

Misconceptions of Nerite snails

As a tank owner, the unclean aquarium cannot be solved by snails or any other marine creatures that you add to the tank. If there is an algae problem that the owner should address, the key is to find where that problem started. It could usually be attributed to lighting conditions or unclean filters etc. Adding snails or any marine creature to resolve that issue is not going to work.

You see, the addition of marine animals is just to get away from constantly flushing the tank as it requires time, a lot of effort and hassle.

Tank plants that shed leaves are also not part of the snail’s diet that it will not consume those leaves as it is not part of most marine animals.

Tanks that are way too clean on the other hand is also not healthy for those marine animals like Nerite snails that rely on the algae for diet as it will defeat the reason of adding such creatures to the tank. If the tank has algae infestation, cleaning the tank should be necessary.

How long do Nerite snails live?

Given that the tank has liveable space and the right basic needs required for the Nerite snails to live, the snails are expected to live 1-2 years.

What do Nerite snails eat?

These aquascape creatures primarily feed on algae where it is the reason why the snails are the best options when an owner opts to get away from the constant cleaning and draining of tank water.

Think of the snails as workers that roam the tank tirelessly without the need for electricity.

These types of snails are better when taking care of algae because the snails grow at a minimal pace and do not go territorial, unlike any other aquarium fishes that eat the same algae but grow rapidly and in turn get territorial through time. The snails are small and can only grow to an inch which can do the job equally as all other aquarium species do.

These types of snails go roam the tank which about where the snail starts and where it gets to, the parts will show clean surface as the snail do not leave any algae behind and cover the surfaces at a slow pace taking the time to eat the algae on pieces of rocks, tank walls and small crevices that are difficult to reach for other tank creatures like fishes or shrimp to clean.

What are the best tank-mates for Nerite Snails?

Snails are not the most attractive but the purpose of adding it to a tank is to eat algae that cause unhealthy water to maintain a liveable space to the aquascape. The snails will just freely move around-consuming algae and will not care about the other creatures that coexist with it.

Word of caution though, this snail cannot be kept together with bigger and aggressive fishes, or other marine animals that grow bigger as this type of snail does not grow big and could become a good feeding-frenzy for other creatures in the tank.

These kinds are a good addition to aquascape because most water creature easily gets along with Nerite snails, as naturally snails are peaceful creatures and could be a check-mark on the list of worries for owners to think about.

Nerite snail does not require any special consideration and can be added to freshwater or saltwater tanks. 

Can Nerite snails be kept together?

Yes, definitely.

Nerite snails can go in packs or can go alone and does not require a certain number to live in a tank with other marine animals in a tank. The only time that more number of Nerite snails are needed

You can also read more information about ramshorn snail here.