Best Water For Nerite Snails?

[three-fingers]

Well my planted nano has quite a lot of algae and my amano shrimp aren't dealing with most of it so far (they would rather eat the fish food).

So I'd like to get a nerite snail, since they are supposed to obliterate algae.

I'm thinking about a ruby nerite snail from snailshop. The pH in my nano is 6.0, so the snail wont be in there permanently, he'll just be taking holidays in there whenever I have algae and if I notice anything wrong with him or any corrosion on his shell, he'll be put straight into his very own special 2 gal with a sponge filter.

So I need to know, whats the best water for a nerite snail? (for the 2gal)
I've heard lots of people say they are brackish, but snailshop says:

The nerite snails we sell at Snail Shop are true freshwater nerites. Although they may be able to withstand short periods of time in brackish water, this is not recommended.

.........I'm not too sure any more .
But I have a couple questions :
1.If they are brackish, what SG do they prefer?
2.Anyone know the scientific name for ruby nerite snails?

Thanks!

 

[vancouver]

I know they wont live long in freshwater.. I don't know about how much salt to add.. I just add a tablespoon or 2 everytime I change water.. I add liquid calcium also, and keep the ph around 7.6..

My nerites are very very slow.. might have better luck with an apple snail.

 

[~T~]

IMO and IME they need hard alkaline water, I got a load for my girlfriend and the ones living in her clawed frog tank that had slightly soft acidic water died after a few weeks and were not very active.The ones in her hard alkaline snail tank are still going strong and are always on the go.The ones from snailshop dont need brackish I know that as she got a bumblebee one off them and its doing great in her snail tank.What kind of algae is it, you might be better getting a young bristlenose and using him whenever the tank needs a clear out.

 

[three-fingers]

Died after a few weeks? Well that sucks....
I thought they would be OK, since I'd seen them in a few planted tanks with acidic water before, and one of my lfs sells them from a tank with soft slightly acidic water...trust them...
I take it there's no chance it was just that particular species of nerite you had in the soft acidic water that's just extra sensitive to it? I've been reading up a little and it appears that most nerite snails In the US are marine species, and freshwater/brackish species are no where near as commonly traded over there, apparently the ruby red nerites aren't traded at all.
I would defiantly be adding liquid calcium to the water anyway (though not enough to allow the pH to climb up to 7, as I dont think my rams would appreciate that).
The algae that soft green and brown diatom stuff on the glass, in places I cant reach with the scraper without breaking the plants....

I was going to try a young bristlenose but I think they may grow to fast for a 5.5 gal, he would be in there for at least 2-5 months until I get my 50gal set up, and maybe longer so I can wait until that tank's stable enough for more fish.

And I would try ottocinclus, but I wouldn't be comfortable putting them in the 50gal with my feather fin syno (who has never eaten even the smallest of my tetras but I'd rather not risk it).

To top it off, my mum seems to have prohibited me from putting any more fish in that tank .

Do you think maybe an apple snail would fare better in my tank for a little while, since they don't come from brackish water? I can easily enough create the 2gal with hard alkaline water, but I've heard nerites are much better algae eaters (and I much prefer the looks of them anyway ).
Or a ramshorn maybe? I dont know how big these guys are when snail shop sells them.

 

[~T~]

Died after a few weeks? Well that sucks....
I thought they would be OK, since I'd seen them in a few planted tanks with acidic water before, and one of my lfs sells them from a tank with soft slightly acidic water...trust them...
I take it there's no chance it was just that particular species of nerite you had in the soft acidic water that's just extra sensitive to it? I've been reading up a little and it appears that most nerite snails In the US are marine species, and freshwater/brackish species are no where near as commonly traded over there, apparently the ruby red nerites aren't traded at all.
I would defiantly be adding liquid calcium to the water anyway (though not enough to allow the pH to climb up to 7, as I dont think my rams would appreciate that).
The algae that soft green and brown diatom stuff on the glass, in places I cant reach with the scraper without breaking the plants....

I was going to try a young bristlenose but I think they may grow to fast for a 5.5 gal, he would be in there for at least 2-5 months until I get my 50gal set up, and maybe longer so I can wait until that tank's stable enough for more fish.

And I would try ottocinclus, but I wouldn't be comfortable putting them in the 50gal with my feather fin syno (who has never eaten even the smallest of my tetras but I'd rather not risk it).

To top it off, my mum seems to have prohibited me from putting any more fish in that tank .

Do you think maybe an apple snail would fare better in my tank for a little while, since they don't come from brackish water? I can easily enough create the 2gal with hard alkaline water, but I've heard nerites are much better algae eaters (and I much prefer the looks of them anyway ).
Or a ramshorn maybe? I dont know how big these guys are when snail shop sells them.

Theres not really any snails that will do well in soft but I think the nerites are your best bet.Ask your lfs to get them in as they are quite common down here and im sure the Lfs in Edinburger would be the same.Failing that then snailshop.co.uk defo have freshwater ones.If they seem to be doing ok then I would let them clear the algae then move them.If they start looking ill then maybe move them.My girlfriends started ok then would lay on their backs for short periods of time then it go longer and longer until some died and we moved the others.

 

[three-fingers]

OK thanks, sounds like a plan, I work at an lfs so I could order them in (and get them much cheaper) but I think I'll just get one from aqua essentials (same type as snail shop) because snail shop are closed until the 23rd of March and itw ould be much fater than ordering them in.
The nerite wont be in there permanently and I'll be able to set up a dedicated brackish or at least very hard and alkaline 3gal tank for him so I'm not too worried .
Thanks again, i'm off to the brackish forum to see if anyone there keeps nerites.

 

[shaz3271]

Well my planted nano has quite a lot of algae and my amano shrimp aren't dealing with most of it so far (they would rather eat the fish food).

So I'd like to get a nerite snail, since they are supposed to obliterate algae.

I'm thinking about a ruby nerite snail from snailshop. The pH in my nano is 6.0, so the snail wont be in there permanently, he'll just be taking holidays in there whenever I have algae and if I notice anything wrong with him or any corrosion on his shell, he'll be put straight into his very own special 2 gal with a sponge filter.

So I need to know, whats the best water for a nerite snail? (for the 2gal)
I've heard lots of people say they are brackish, but snailshop says:

The nerite snails we sell at Snail Shop are true freshwater nerites. Although they may be able to withstand short periods of time in brackish water, this is not recommended.

.........I'm not too sure any more .
But I have a couple questions :
1.If they are brackish, what SG do they prefer?
2.Anyone know the scientific name for ruby nerite snails?

Thanks!

if you decide to go with nerite , there is 2 for sale on ebay right now for 2.99

sharon

 

[eschaton]

I have a host of olive nerites in my various planted tanks. Originally their shells corroded severely. I've since buffered my tanks a bit, but the PH can still drop down to 6.4. They have various stages of shell corrosion, some of which look truely awful, but only one of which has actually died.

If I were going to do things over, I wouldn't have gotten the nerites. I've "retired" a few to a bare-bottom in my closet for algae-related duties who've gotten a bit too corroded. The newer ones I have in my 5.5 have been in there for two months with no shell erosion. I think the shells hold up much better before they are breached in any way. Once a bit of the shell surface is etched away though, it's a quick slide downhill to a fugly shell.

I wish I could find somewehere for my Apple Snail though. His shell is looking awful now, but he doesn't seem to do as well in the closet tank as the nerites (he seems far more sensistive to residual copper in the tank from ich treatment).

 

[three-fingers]

if you decide to go with nerite , there is 2 for sale on ebay right now for 2.99

sharon

Lol, I ordered one off aquaessentials for £3.50+£2.95 p&p about an hour ago, trust me . Maybe I'll get one of another colour later from ebay though.

I have a host of olive nerites in my various planted tanks. Originally their shells corroded severely. I've since buffered my tanks a bit, but the PH can still drop down to 6.4. They have various stages of shell corrosion, some of which look truely awful, but only one of which has actually died.

If I were going to do things over, I wouldn't have gotten the nerites. I've "retired" a few to a bare-bottom in my closet for algae-related duties who've gotten a bit too corroded. The newer ones I have in my 5.5 have been in there for two months with no shell erosion. I think the shells hold up much better before they are breached in any way. Once a bit of the shell surface is etched away though, it's a quick slide downhill to a fugly shell.

I wish I could find somewehere for my Apple Snail though. His shell is looking awful now, but he doesn't seem to do as well in the closet tank as the nerites (he seems far more sensistive to residual copper in the tank from ich treatment).

That's good to know, my nerite will be in my planted tank for a temporarily until the algae's gone, then he will move to a brackish 2gal. In 2-5 months, the rams in my planted tank will be moved to a bigger tank, so I will raise the pH in my planted tank for the nerite to go back in. So I think he should be OK.....I'm prepared to quickly move him if not.

 

[Tommo]

Heres a link to my own profile (a little vain i know)

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=179369

They will prefer hard, alkaline water, and are far more effective at eating diatom algea than any apple snail

 

[Tommo]

Heres a link to my own profile (a little vain i know)

http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=179369

They will prefer hard, alkaline water, and are far more effective at eating diatom algea than any apple snail

 

[three-fingers]

IMO and IME they need hard alkaline water, I got a load for my girlfriend and the ones living in her clawed frog tank that had slightly soft acidic water died after a few weeks and were not very active.

Well, I think you were right ~T~. My nerite kept on coming just out of the water and ate minimal algae for about 4 days, so I moved him to a 2gal tank with pH 8 water, power filter and calcium supplement, doing much better and is very active.
For anyone wondering, my snail is species Vittina coromandeliana, so maybe there are other nerites out there less sensitive to soft acidic water.
But yeah, Vittina coromandeliana doesn't seem too tolerant.