Horned Nerite.... Gone?

[PrairieSunflower]

So, I've had my snail for a few months now... cute little horned nerite that I named Nelly.  I heard they can escape so I used that hard mesh and blocked up the holes at the back of the tank.... so nowhere to escape through...
 
But... I haven't seen Nelly in at least 2 weeks!!  During my water change yesterday I even looked through the gravel and plants and... I didn't spot her anywhere.... no sign of her alive or dead... anywhere.  Even looked along the rims and the hood... then opened the filter in the off chance she could get in there (slim to no chance as she'd have to go into the tube the water comes out of and I doubt she'd fit anyway!)... she wasn't there.
 
So seriously.... WHERE did she go?

 
I think it is unlikely that she died... there is enough algae, I bought her because she is so small and the right size to keep algae under control but not eat so fast it would be gone and she'd go hungry.  I've never used meds in that tank with my current fish (she is in with a betta, he did not eat her... tried to bite a horn on her shell once and gave himself such a fright he flung himself across the tank and stayed away from her since LOL).

 

[techen]

Sounds like she got out of the mesh and made a run for it. Snails are master escapists and It wouldn't shock me it's gone on a running spree.

 

[Ch4rlie]

Yeah, have heard Nerites are master escape artists.

Hence why I had to make a DIY lid for my nano tank for when we do get Nerites.

Chances are, she'll be under substrate or bottom of a leave or something, usually hiding in plain sight! Lol

Have a look around mesh and back of tank.

Hope you'll find Nelly alive and kicking soon.

 

[PrairieSunflower]

There is NO way she got out of the mesh... it is that hard plastic craft mesh... she'd have had to abandon her shell to have a chance.

 

[PJPJ]

It'll be hiding somewhere.
 
I don't know about anybody else but I have found Nerites to be very social with their own kind. onion-onion, tiger-tiger etc. But not so much tiger-onion etc.
 
If I have ever seperated them and placed them into other tanks then both sulk, hide and do not eat. Once re-united they are out and eating and all over each other. I've witnessed this with both onion and tiger varieties when I've tried it at various times. It quite fascinated me.

 

[PrairieSunflower]

I'd be fine with introducing another if that helped... only... I don't want to breed them and I have no idea how to tell male from female!

 

[PJPJ]

They will not breed in freshwater, they need brackish water.
 
The only thing about Nerites I don't like are the hundreds of white eggs they lay all over the place. No doubt you have seen them. They are very tough eggs too.
 
I'm not sure but they might be both male and female!? Snails are remarkable when it comes to reproduction. Both sexes, individual sexes, changeable sexes, allsorts of solutions. Differrent species different solutions.
 
You would want to find the one you have and make sure it is alive. I have revived a weak Nerite by sitting it on sunken flaked food in a floating container.

 

[Ch4rlie]

I believe that Nerites don't breed in FW really, lays eggs yes, rarely do the eggs hatch.
 
Brackish waters, I think, is needed for breeding Nerites.
 
EDIT - i post this at same time as PJPJ, so not copying him 

 

[PrairieSunflower]

My nerite has never laid eggs.  I am getting a new plant for that tank tomorrow so will do some more searching to see if I can locate her.

 

[Ninjouzata]

My nerite has never laid eggs.  I am getting a new plant for that tank tomorrow so will do some more searching to see if I can locate her.

I hope you can find her!

 

[PrairieSunflower]

My plants should arrive late this morning... will update later with whether or not I find her after changing the plants around.

 

[betta fish]

Your nerite is probably a male, females lay eggs everywhere! they look like sesame seeds, they don't need males around to do it too, I have 2 male nerites luckily but did have a female years ago that laid everywhere and the remnants of her egg cases are still stuck on the tank! I hope you find him, even if he died his shell should still be in the tank so fingers crossed he is alive somewhere.

 

[PrairieSunflower]

The plant didn't arrive yesterday as I expected, probably will arrive today... when it does I will have a poke around... still no sign though.  Been looking with a flashlight through the glass.

 

[PrairieSunflower]

Rearranged the entire tank and... I STILL don't know where my snail is!!  And now my betta is sulking because I changed his favorite plant... the new one needs a bit of time to grow but will be so much better... wish he knew that.

 

[Ch4rlie]

Thats annoying. 
 
Hmm, i'm sure you portably looked absolutely everywhere loads of times.
 
Wish I could help you find little Nelly but may well be under the substrate somewhere.
 
One of my larger assassin snails which i can recognise easily stays under the substrate sometimes for days on end before coming out again for a few days then back into substrate, shy or something