Zebra Nerite questions

[BkkprGal]

Hey everyone!

I decided to add one snail to my tank 4 days ago and I was pretty confident that I'd done enough research beforehand. But, I realize now that while there are plenty of website telling you about required water parameters, feeding, breeding, troubleshooting - none (that I read) said anything about substrate. I just thought they'd booty-scoot all over and never gave it any more consideration. *deepsigh* Here's a pic of what she's dealing with:

Here's the history:

• Had LFS put two potentials in a side-mounted plastic thingy so I could observe them. After doing other shopping and coming back several times, I picked this beauty because she was active and shell looked healthy.
• Acclimated the transport bag to temp & added tank water over the span of an hour
• Put her the bottom glass by hand
• She was fine the first day, moving around on the glass
• By the next day I realized that she hadn't gone up on the gravel, so I put her on the gravel with her opening against the glass. Eventually, she opened up and slithered slightly up the glass. Then she just stayed in one place, attached, for about 24 hours. I read that it was normal, so I left her alone.
• Next morning I noticed that she'd moved just a little on the glass and when I came home from work she was on her back in the gravel. I turned her upright on the gravel. After a little bit, she opened up and I watched her slowly move over one lil gravel piece but then it looked like she gave up and closed her operculum.
• The next morning (yesterday), after seeing that she hadn't moved, I put her back on the bottom glass because that seemed to be her most active spot. Then she came out and started moving around again. But by last night, she'd closed her operculum on the bottom and it just sitting there.
• This morning, she's still on the bottom with the operculum closed.

note - I've not seen her fully extend her foot and munch glass in awhile. There's definitely algae on the glass for her, but it seems like every time I check on her, if I see her foot, it's just a dark circle (like when she was just attached to the side "sleeping") instead of oval with an open mouth.

So, what do you think is going on here? I don't know why I keep having issues with the silliest things. Not that this is silly, but I really expected a snail to be easy care and now I'm back to troubleshooting something else and feeling like an idiot for having to come ask for help again. WTH!


(I have a small 1.5gal that I was going to use as a quarantine tank, but after learning it's too small for that purpose, I decided to take it to my office and put in a beta. But, I think that's also too small for one snail (aside from the fact that it has no algae yet), so taking her to the office won't be an option either. Do you agree?)

 

[Slaphppy7]

Give it time, they take a while to adjust to new environments/water params/etc...and as you know, they can't "right" themselves if they get turned upside down, so keep an eye out for that...gravel substrate is fine

My question is, how do you know it's a female?

 

[BrianK]

I have nerites and mystery snails. The mystery snails are way more active. The nerites will sometimes just sit for long periods of time. They both seem to be more active at night.

 

[LT74]

Hello! Give it time. They’re pretty hardy but the shock of different water sometimes makes them hide for up to a few days. Not a good sign if continues beyond that. Just keep an eye out for staying still and hanging out of the shell. Remove immediately at that point, do a water change, and don’t be tempted to smell it up close!

 

[StevenF]

aebased on your pictures there isn't much growing on your gravel. In general they go to were the food is most plentiful and easiest to eat. So IN general they like moving across the glass. However if there is algae growing on the gravel but not the glass thy will move across the grave. Also if a snail gets enough to eat they often stop and rest for a while.

In general leave the snail alone moving him around is more stressful to him then helpful. If you are concerned that they are not getting enough food drop a slice of a cucumber in. Don't worry. if the snail is hungry he will find it.

 

[BkkprGal]

Give it time, they take a while to adjust to new environments/water params/etc...and as you know, they can't "right" themselves if they get turned upside down, so keep an eye out for that...gravel substrate is fine

My question is, how do you know it's a female?

Thank you for this @Slaphppy7
That's a relief!

I needed to pick a pronoun, so it became a SHE. I was reminded this evening that we had named it Gary (SpongeBob's snail, we also have a dog named Patrick).

 

[BkkprGal]

Hello! Give it time. They’re pretty hardy but the shock of different water sometimes makes them hide for up to a few days. Not a good sign if continues beyond that. Just keep an eye out for staying still and hanging out of the shell. Remove immediately at that point, do a water change, and don’t be tempted to smell it up close!

Thanks for confirming that I just need to relax lol.
Yeah, I've read plenty about the stench. I guess that's one benefit of not having a sense of smell. That happened to me before it was covid-chic

 

[BkkprGal]

aebased on your pictures there isn't much growing on your gravel. In general they go to were the food is most plentiful and easiest to eat. So IN general they like moving across the glass. However if there is algae growing on the gravel but not the glass thy will move across the grave. Also if a snail gets enough to eat they often stop and rest for a while.

In general leave the snail alone moving him around is more stressful to him then helpful. If you are concerned that they are not getting enough food drop a slice of a cucumber in. Don't worry. if the snail is hungry he will find it.

Good to know. I feel like napping after a good meal too. There's definitely more algae on the glass because I've intentionally not been cleaning it.
This open area of bottom glass is where the corys eat, so I drop shrimp pellets and algae wafers down there. There's usually some food dust laying around for awhile afterwards.