Nerite Snails

[SNAIL]

Nerite snails do reproduce profusely. If you get more than one, they multiply like crazy. If you get a fertilized female by chance, same problem. Can't really tell which is male and female amoung them. For myself, I solved my problem by getting only one nerite snail, one malaysian trumpet snail and the rest of the cleaning crew are Amano shrimps and Oto (Otocinclus affinis).

 

[14gtr14]

nerites won't reproduce in a freshwater aquarium, they need to be in brackish.

 

[n3ont3tra]

Also, for calcium, doesn't cuttlebone (used mainly for birds) have calcium in it? I know many turtle owners use it in their tanks, they just break off a piece and put ti in there, and the turtles will occasisionally bite it, and I THINK it gives them calcium. It might be something else though, I'm not sure if it's calicum or Vitamin D?

 

[SNAIL]

To 14gtr14,

You may be right but my Nerite snails did reproduce in my FW tank. Saw it with my own eyes.
They could be able to reproduce under both conditions...who knows? It's a possibility.
My LFS breeds Nerite snails in freshwater tanks. I am in Japan and I see things that are just
unbelievable. I'll ask them next time I visit them. Then again, these may be another form of nerite snails that they
have here and can reproduce in FW. 14gtr14, now you got me thinking and am very curious about it now.Hmmm....

 

[shaz3271]

Nerite snails do reproduce profusely. If you get more than one, they multiply like crazy. If you get a fertilized female by chance, same problem. Can't really tell which is male and female amoung them. For myself, I solved my problem by getting only one nerite snail, one malaysian trumpet snail and the rest of the cleaning crew are Amano shrimps and Oto (Otocinclus affinis).

nerite snails only reproduce in brackish/salt water, they can and will lay eggs in fresh but there not fertile.

as for malasyian trumpert snails these reprodude by Parthenogenesis , meaning the growth and development of an embryo or seed without fertilization by a male.

you may have hundreds now

sharon

 

[14gtr14]

To 14gtr14,

You may be right but my Nerite snails did reproduce in my FW tank. Saw it with my own eyes.
They could be able to reproduce under both conditions...who knows? It's a possibility.
My LFS breeds Nerite snails in freshwater tanks. I am in Japan and I see things that are just
unbelievable. I'll ask them next time I visit them. Then again, these may be another form of nerite snails that they
have here and can reproduce in FW. 14gtr14, now you got me thinking and am very curious about it now.Hmmm....

If you and your lfs managed to breed normal nerites in FW then hats off to you....and send me some !! Are you 100% sure they are nerites?

cheers greg

 

[SNAIL]

Hello everyone. Here is the answer. We are all correct and incorrect in our understandings so the following links will make things clear as to what is really happening with these snails.

this is from page 10 of the link bellow:

The neritids are herbivores, feeding exclusively on algae and diatoms found growing on
rocks and other solid substrates. Neritids have an amphidromous life history, similar to
that of the fish. Eggs are deposited in freshwater, the young hatch, and are swept to the
ocean. After a marine larval stage, they return to freshwater to mature. Nerites deposit
their egg cases on solid substrates, including other nerites.

http/www.guamdawr.org/Conservation/gcwcs...%20Chapter3.pdf


here is a link to another site with photos of various Neritidae:

http/members.aol.com/Mkohl2/Neritidae.html

and here is another where it explains migration of freshwater snails.

Simply put, Nerites is a family name and there are many species. They do mate in freshwater, lay eggs in fresh water, eggs hatch in freshwater, babies are swept to the ocean where they develop from larvae to adults and migrate upstream again. Very much like the Salmon, and some shrimp species.

I believe that not all Nerites do this as some of you say that they can only mate in brackish water.

And Yes, I am 100% sure my snail is a Nerite and to be specific, it is Clypeolum latissimus (Orbigny, 1840) Rivers, Pacific side, Equador from the link ( http/members.aol.com/Mkohl2/Neritidae.html ) based on the photo provided.
This also explains why they never matured and I found most of them in my filter dead.
The Malaysian Trumpet snail that I have hasn't multipled. I may not be meeting its required conditions to reproduce.
I am aware of its ability to multiply fast but haven't seen that happen and it's been in my tank for almost a year. Still have one only.

Well everyone, we all learned something new. I certainly have and now I can say that I have more respect for the snail than ever before. There are certainly many types of snails out there and it shows we all have a lot to learn still. Learning is never ending. I drove my wife nuts with this research. I hope I haven't come across too strong on any of you. My apologies if I have.

 

[afroturf]

I've decided to buy just won nerite and see how he goes if i see any sign of he/she/it laying any eggs i'll try it it the french way , I also took Daves advice and i've ordered some Amano shrimps as they are far more gready than the cherry shrimps i have at the moment and i'll add some ottos when the water is a bit more settled.