Nerite snail eggs?? Help!

[Kelly Preussner]

I thought I had a pest snail problem but after speaking with a local fish “expert” she said I have nerite snail eggs. I have had nerite snails for 3 years (got them because I was told they would not reproduce) and have never seen an egg until recently. So why now?? I have these little white eggs on my glass, driftwood & the shells of my snails. Picture enclosed.
I have also unknowingly vacuumed up tiny snails. If they are nerite I wouldn’t mind a few more but just not sure why they are reproducing now. Any advice is greatly appreciated. I have been getting rid of the eggs at each cleaning but they keep coming. Apparently not as much as a pest snail would reproduce but seems like a lot. Right now I have about 20 eggs. I do have slightly brackish water.

 

[Sgooosh]

They wont hatch and will stay there forever
Even if you have brackish water you will need to constantly produce green water and have good salinity so most likely it will be fine

 

[Kelly Preussner]

They wont hatch and will stay there forever
Even if you have brackish water you will need to constantly produce green water and have good salinity so most likely it will be fine

But I have seen baby snails. Are those not nerite snails?

 

[Essjay]

No they won't be nerite snails. Nerites hatch to a planktonic larval form which need water of a particular salinity and microscopic algae to feed on ("green water"). They are very difficult to raise in aquariums, even when the water is at the correct salinity, because of feeding them.
The chances are you are seeing one of the species of pest snail. Would it be possible to take a photo of these snails?

 

[Kelly Preussner]

No they won't be nerite snails. Nerites hatch to a planktonic larval form which need water of a particular salinity and microscopic algae to feed on ("green water"). They are very difficult to raise in aquariums, even when the water is at the correct salinity, because of feeding them.
The chances are you are seeing one of the species of pest snail. Would it be possible to take a photo of these snails?

I finally found a snail to take a picture. It’s small so the picture is not the best but hopefully it helps. Thanks!

If it’s pest snails, what is the best way to get rid of them & stop the egg laying?

 

[Colin_T]

If it’s pest snails, what is the best way to get rid of them & stop the egg laying?

Lymnaea pond snail. best way to stop them breeding is to kill them.

 

[Essjay]

Or a Physid snail. The difference is the shells curve in opposite directions. I have physids in my tanks. This thread has diagrams to show how to tell them apart. Not that it mates much which they are.

Freshwater Snail Species In The Hobby

Basic Terminology for Identification Anatomy: Foot: the bottom, muscular portion of the animal used for locomotion. Siphon: a proboscis-like appendage appearing on the side of the shell in some species. Mantle: the soft tissue inside the opening of the shell. Spire: the conical part of a...

www.fishforums.net

 

[Kelly Preussner]

Lymnaea pond snail. best way to stop them breeding is to kill them.

What is the best way to kill them? I remove the snails when I see them & remove the eggs. I was considering a zebra or yoyo loach but don’t want them to hurt my nerite snails. I don’t have a huge infestation. Thanks

 

[Essjay]

Fish should never be bought just to solve a problem as they create further issues. For example buying one loach is a problem as loaches are shoaling fish which need to be in a group.

Snails are not a bad thing in a tank (though some people do hate them). They are a problem when their numbers get out of control. If you restrict their food, that controls their numbers. This means not overfeeding the fish and keeping the tank clean of uneaten food, fish poop etc. The ones there now can be removed by killing the ones you find and removing the eggs as you've been doing.
I have those tiny ramshorn snails and physid snails in both my tanks and I only ever see the odd one of two - and I don't over feed my fish.

 

[Colin_T]

What is the best way to kill them?

finger goes squish against the glass and fish eat them.

 

[Kelly Preussner]

Thanks for all the advice!!

 

[BrianK]

finger goes squish against the glass and fish eat them.

That's what I do too. The fish love a bit of squished snail.

 

[Kelly Preussner]

How do you do this? I have to scrape the eggs off with my nail. They are like Little Rock’s. Do you scrape them off the glass & then the fish will eat them?? Thanks

 

[Colin_T]

scrape them off and leave them on the substrate. the babies won't survive in a freshwater tank so don't worry too much about them.

 

[Essjay]

I scrape nerite eggs off the glass walls with a scraper just before a water change so I can suck them up with the siphon. The eggs on the decor stay there. After a few years they do eventually fall off, leaving a smear behind.

Pest snails are the ones that get crushed and the fish eat, not nerite eggs.