John West says he posted on this video and it disappeared. I am able to see it John so not sure why you are not. We do not censor anyone regardless of the comment unless it is not in the standard of UA-cam. I sent your comment that came to my viewing to youtube and they are looking into it. Your comment has no valid address to respond. Not sure what that is about but try again. Thank you.
My zebra nerite is six years old. A couple years ago, after the last couple fish I had in my 10 gallons tank died off (a couple corys), I was going to keep feeding the nerite and do water changes until he died off too, and then put the tank in storage. But he just kept on living, in a freshwater planted tank that I typically did nothing more for than adding more dechlorinated water as it evaporated. I’ve never added calcium or anything (his shell always looks in great shape), but I do live in Phoenix and we have hard water here. The pH is about 8.2 when I check and from what I read online they like that. Perhaps it’s helped. I’ve recently cleaned the tank back up and moved it, re-landscaped the overgrown Java fern, etc, and just added a few fancy guppies. Everyone looks happy. I’ve named the snail Geezer cause he’s old as hell. 😂 Long live Geezer!
I live in Arizona I have two nerites I just removed from a tank with my betta fish. They are in a tank I use bottled water to fill . Didn’t know I could use faucet water
Hopefully, mine will live so long! It is past 3 years old, I didn't spend hours on the acclimation to the new tank, and it survived high temperatures and all the fish that were in the tank at one period or another. Tank's conditions: hard water, high pH, something like 8.5, and regular temperatures from 25°C to 28°C. Since I added a mangrove wood, it spends most of the time under it, and becomes active only at warm temperatures, from 25 °C minimum, otherwise, it stays under its wood. I also noticed it was interested in decaying plants from a pond.
I've had my three (two zebras, one red racer) for two years now and they're still going strong. I never feed them (on purpose), they share their tank with many potential competitors: Malaysian Trumpet snails, ramshorn snails, Amano and cherry shrimp, and of course, the fish. In spite of this, they've continued to thrive and grow. Here's what I do different than most people: 1. I monitor my GH, KH and PH, and if I don't like what I see, I add a little mesh bag of aragonite to my filter for a day or two until things are more in the range of my liking. My water is naturally very soft out of the tap (most tests can't even read it accurately), so much so that most plants don't like it. I leave the bag in until the PH is 7.2 or higher. I do this as needed. I don't let it drop lower than 6.8. 2. I rarely change water. I usually just top off, and control nutrients by not overfeeding and removing excess plant growth regularly. Actively growing plants consume the most nitrate. I also don't vacuum my substrate, and when the other species of snails pass away ("Pest" snails seem to go through boom and bust cycles.) I don't remove their shells. They eventually break down on their own, leaving behind the calcium their brethren need. 3. I give my nerites access to wood (cholla and mopani fragments) and botanicals such as Indian almond leaves and alder cones. Nerites do like to eat wood and I've seen a few articles recommending keeping some for them. 4. I don't heat my tank. It ranges from 72 in the summer to 65 in the winter. Most tropical fish species are not as delicate as they're made out to be. They're exposed to those temperatures both in the wild and on fish farms. The species I keep tolerate that range, snails included. 5. My tank has been in operation since 2002. It's been moved three times. The only original parts are the glass tank itself and big pieces of granite I use for my hardscape. One of the fish descends from individuals I bought 20 years ago, as do the purple crypts and lucky bamboo (I grow it and pothos emersed for added nutrient control.) I haven't had to medicate it in at least a decade; well before I got the nerites. I do add liquid fertilizer once or twice a month if the plants look like they need it. It doesn't seem to bother the nerites. It currently has a mixture of aquasoil and blasting sand with a bit of gravel mixed in for color as a substrate. Substrate is nearly two inches deep at its shallowest point. I'm not sure if any of this makes a difference, just putting it out there. Meanwhile otocinclus are the algae eater I can't keep alive. They do very well until the consume all the kinds of algae they like to eat, then they starve. I only ever got one to eat something besides naturally occurring algae. That one lived for over a year reluctantly picking at algae wafers and other prepared foods. It completely ignored things like cucumber slices and other vegetables. However it died from the stress of the last move.
I just would like to say that I bought 2 black nertile snails at petsmart over 4 years ago , lucky me both are still cleaning my aquariums and only eating algi from the glass.
@@tivo3720 I’m in the same boat never fed them anything crazy other then algae wafers but I do have some rocks I found in the river they always hang out on so believe that’s providing them their supplemental calcium but the best thing wound just be keep them with fish that don’t mind semi brackish water and the salt will give them more then enough or look into some calcium tabs they apparently love them and it helps plants and keeps water from leeching calcium from snails
Freshwater aquarium and I haven't ad aquarium salt in couple of years. Fyi they still alive and not laying eggs for a long time witch is good cos did not like that.
I recently added 3 nerite snails to a 29g freshwater tank where algae got out of control while new plants took months to transform. I'm still learning. I knew the snails wouldn't reproduce, but didn't know there would still be eggs!😊 Thank you so much for the info. I've grown fond of the little guys!
Wow! What a mixed bag of information. I think the answer is clear that most do not do well because of conditions in the tanks. You need a food source. If you are buying them to eat algae you don't want that may be why people lose them. They are keeping them in soft water conditions and no-good long-term source of food. Great video as always. Man, this place is a buzz.
I have 2 of these guys in hard water no sault with nothing but algae to eat and with 12 corys, 1 otocinclus, 3 hill stream loaches, and 40 50 guppies in a 60-gallon low tec planted tank. Both of my snails are over 2 years old bought from Petco. I think the key is the hard water which brackish water is very hard due to the sault and other minerals. My water is well water with lots of minerals so very hard and full of calcium. So, conclusion soft water is bad for long term health of your snails.
Mystery snails and nerite snails are two different types of snails. The mystery will die in brackish water while merits snails are fine. mystery snails are master breeders. Much like the guppy, they will make millions of mini-mes. Nerites. I'm interested in testing different ways on breeding them because they are known to breed in freshwater. But I don't know for myself.
I acclimated a group of 6 horned nerite’s (a Clithon species I believe) to my reef tank and they turned out to be the best clean up crew I’ve ever owned they eat all diatoms, cyano and micro algae’s, have tripled in size and a lot more active. They def a species which prefer salt in the water. This is a brilliant video!
I have had mixed luck on these snails and find Mystery snails are more hardy. However I have friends that have had these a very long time and they seem to do well.?
I just made the same mistake of medicating my fish tank without removing my snail, how do I resolve this before it dies? Will frequent water changes do anything or is it too late
I have seen them Irvine! Do you have another temp. Tank? If not do the water changes and hope for the best. Also add some Algae tabs to keep them eating.
Great topic! I just want to share that I have 2 nerites. One I’ve had for 2 1/2 yrs now and the other for 1 1/2 yrs. They are still going strong. I think the key is making sure they do not have competition for algae since it’s mainly all they eat. They have never had any competition in the tanks I have kept them in. In my 29 right now is the first time they have. One of their tank mates is a school of 5 corydoras. And since corydoras mainly hangout in the lower levels, I think my nerites will continue to do just fine.
I have had a few that have lived a year or more but most I talk to with a balanced algae free tank tell me they have not done well! I think you are right on! Brackish water tank seem to do great! They are from the Neritidae family of snails which contains over 200 species. Few of that family are found in Freshwater rivers and streams so it is getting the right one!
@@aquaticconceptsbringingwaterto I never clean the back panel. If I feel I need to I’ll leave one or both sides alone also in a small tank. I dose a tiny bit of Bacter AE when I feel needed. It’s good for all inhabitant that are algae/biofilm grazers.I never touch the rock or driftwood. If someone has no algae in their tank, that will not support any algae eater that relies on that. I feed my Corys algae wafers among other things. I don’t know if my nerites would actually eat anything other than pure algae as I never see them in the area where I put food.they may eat decaying plant matter I can’t say for sure on that. I try to leave a bit of that on there as a food source. I like my tank to look nice which it does, but if you keep it perfect/pristine, you won’t be able to keep nerites for very long. This is my experiences and what I do. I hope this helps someone.
@@aquaticconceptsbringingwaterto I have 3 that are 4 years of age right now, they might be older because when I got them they weren't babies. I don't know if it's my water, I'm in Texas so we have high kh, gh, really high! When I did the gh,kh, test it was the highest on the chart.
Thanks for the video. Sounds like you have tried and failed one time to many that feeling is what I get from the video. In your summary: 1. Brackish water 2. Best requirements is to have algae (food) can supplement is required, if not. 3. Copper Your aquariums are so nice looking and so clean especially when looking at Anubis that is slow growing and attract green spot algae. They are spotless and looking great! But there is probably not so much food (algae) for the snails? (As those nerit is herbivore.) But again I am just guessing here but they are really spotless tanks you got there! Congratulations.
Great advice... Too late for ME unfortunately, keep telling the truth to people that like you said the fish shops DON'T! I added 3 last week to a very healthy, deep substrate, heavily planted tank, full of thriving fish.. 3 day's later they're dead, I feel sorry for the snails, NOT ME... It's just so wrong the way they treat the animals in these places. God bless you & keep up great work 🤝🤝🤝
I am so sorry to hear That. I try never to ask for advice or suggest products for mediation from people who likely know nothing about the fish hobby and get paid Minimum wage to give that advice. I am always here to give you advice as best I can. You can pay me what you feel that advice was worth. I won't kill your fish... what is that worth. Good luck
I have put small amounts of therapeutic salt in with Snails, but not the best for them unless it is sea salt for aquariums. They can survive and even breed in brackish water.
Ty very much. Thought it was just me. Can’t seem to keep nerite snails for much more than 6 months at a time. Gonna stick with rams horn, mts’s and pond snails….. maybe. Have always had goodluck with all three. No massive takeovers as of yet. Just thought the nerite snails were really pretty.
I would never ad chemicals to a planted tank, turn up heater to 82 degrees, ick are cold water parasites , warm 82 degrees water will kill it, or remove temp sensitive fish or all fish to a seperate quarentine tank, then run tank at 82 for a week or so, chemically treat the quarentine to cure fish. Weekly additons of a garlic tea help boost the fish and tank in general too.
86 degrees is the threshold for killing Ich. Ich X does not harm the tank or plants. I have 40 tanks and never lost a fish to ich but a few times in 30 years. Nerites will have to be removed with some fish that can't handle the temp. This works for me every time. Do what works for you my friend.
I just bought a Nerite from the shop and it isn't moving, but the trapdoor seems to be almost closed (not entirely). Do you think that it's most likely dead Sir?
Give it a few days. If It has not moved it is likely dead but I have been surprised at how long they can sit in one place! Good Luck! Mystery Snails are coming in at great color these days you may want to try them!
@@aquaticconceptsbringingwaterto Thank you very much for your speedy response. I bought the Nerites to combat an algae issue 🙁. I wish you all the very best with your UA-cam channel. Have a great day. Cheers!
@@mydiscusobsession3560 There was plenty of food, he was the only one who did that, always. One time I couldn't find him for about 6 days,after I found him, foot super dried out, luckily I put him in a cup of tank water and he slowly came out. He just did it one too many times and I guess with age he couldn't bounce back
@@aquaticconceptsbringingwaterto Seems the Maple stone I find when searching is a brown type rock. Looking for the one in your video that is more of a grayish with streaks running through it. Also where to buy from?
@@gavinpowell8538 Some people are just lucky to have the perfect conditions from what I am reading here. Many lose their snails, and few find the right balance. No real answer mate!
Mine has been living for over a year. Still going strong. Will not touch any other food. Never touches cucumbers or squash or algae tabs. He only eats the algae on the walls and rocks in my tank.
one of my neterite snails was upside down for an hour, i didnt know but i saw then i lifted him. hes upright and i dont see him in the shell. the other snail was upside down next to him when i came back from school, i lifted him up then he got ontop of the other snail. whats happening and how can i fix this?
Thank you. We really need to stop taking animals out of their natural environment just for our own selfish purposes. I feel like no on in this hobby gets animals with the needs and happiness of the animal in mind.
I have met some amazing conservationist on my travels to South America. They use sustainable methods for collecting fish that go back generations. When the Tropical Fish trade fell off in the 90’s they went to deforestation by clearing the rainforest for personal Crops and rare wood trade. The fish collecting is coming back with both the fish and the rainforest in mind. I hope it works out. That would be a good thing.
You can as they use very little space and hardly any impact on you overall system. However they will leaves that hard to remove white eggs everywhere,. Have you thought about Mystery Snails?
I bought what they called a nitrite snail and had made the mistake of treating the water about a week ago. It's supposed to clear the water on my 75 gallon tank. I wonder how long the copper stays in the tank if I have charcoal in my filter system.
Copper is really hard on any invertebrates! It takes a long time to remove. There are products out there that speeds up the process. Do your homework! I use no Charcoal in any of my tanks anymore!
My zebra hasn’t moved for three days, still got colour on its underside!? Idk if it’s dead or alive? I have two in my freshwater tank with a black moor, one of them is fine and the fish is fine
I do have a question i was wondering if my snail is doing ok the underside of him is black but it is moving around my tank we also have guppys and one of them are hanging out at the top of the tank but the other four are swimming everywhere.. Not sure what im doing wrong
Is it a Nerite or Mystery snail? Are the Guppies gulping for air. You may have low oxygen levels in your tank! Do a 50% water change and the same again in a few days. Also if you can add an air Stone to your tank for a while. If your temperature in your tank is above 79 gradually lower it to 76-78 degrees to bring oxygen levels up! This can be so many things but a good place to start. Let me know how things go? Good luck!🍀
I bought 2 horned nerites 3 years ago and one died recently and the other one is still going strong! I've never supplemented their diet. On the flipside I bought a Zebra nerite about 6 weeks ago and it has died already.
@@aquaticconceptsbringingwaterto I am here because of a very sluggish Zebra I just bought, along with a Tiger. The tiger has perked up and roams the tank now, but the Zebra is too weak to move much. Twice now I was convinced he was dead, then at the last minute before being removed he showed signs of life. I have to move him around to find food. Maybe I will try some aquarium salt. (My tank is anything but sterile!)
I had three nerites for over a year in my freshwater tropical tank. I moved house upgraded the tank. Got 14 neons and after inspections after aclimitising I saw that neons had fin rot. My bad should have seen it before. So I treated with welovefish antifungal and antibacterial. Now 2 of my nerites are dead and the last is on his way out. So sad.
@@aquaticconceptsbringingwaterto I can't see any warnings on the medication 😔. Thank you for replying so fast. I removed my asassins thinking they were dead but they are all good so Ive put them back. Do you think it's best to remove them? They seem quite happy. My shrimp are also totally fine it seems.... Also do you think there's any hope in saving my last nerite? Ive got him in a tub with half aquarium water half water change water (ofc treated with aquasafe)... He isn't looking good at all but is still alive, barely.
@@toni5543 I will answer that. Likely it won't if it was in with medications that contain copper? Try another tank if you have one or just hope for the best.
I'm a bit late, but I like this very complete video about this snail, it is rare to find so much information on it. It's true that my tank is adapted without knowing it: I never medicated the animals, and there was carbon filtration, but I only for a few months, no competition with fish or invertebrates, until more recently with Trumpet snails though I don't know if it is really a problem, 10% water changes maximum, and a lot of biofilm and mulm on the hardscape and plants, as well as algae. Somebody else had nerite snails in an acid tank for discus, and a low GH, they all died very quickly.
@@urielpatricklipata8356 yeah, I used a black diamond gravel which was exposed to have copper inside of it so now it’s all been recalled. But the copper was leaching into my tank
i bought 8 horned nerites for my 300L tank a while ago, only 2 of them were big and one of them passed today. I really like them but im afraid the rest might start having complications. Going to keep the shell somewhere next to the tank as a keepsake
@@aquaticconceptsbringingwaterto Hey, thanks for the reply sadly my go-to webshop doesnt have mystery snails and there no pet shop nearby but the situation has changed, none of them died since and no longer fear they will, they seem to be pretty good, trying to find them a piece of cuttlefish bone
Attached is a new article a friend sent me regarding Nerite and Mystery snails. I hope this is more informative. I will be doing a new Video on this subject soon. In the mean time adding a small amount of salt to your aquarium water not only helps the snails but your aquarium overall. "Make sure it is aquarium salt and not from your table and a very small therapeutic amount Please read this and take what you can from it: animals.mom.com/freshwater-nerite-snails-dying-11050.html
This is an older video. I have spent the last year investigating this subject, and found that about 75% of Nerite’s don’t survive more than 6 months. I have found that water conditions and food sources are the main culprit for Nerite deaths. If you are keeping these snails in Freshwater tanks that are prestige because of the use of other algae eating cleanup fish, they will not survive and will starve to death. Also water Temp and Salt content can contribute as well. If you are putting a small amount of Aquarium salt (rock salt) into your tanks as a steady remedy for parasites this can also cause Nerites to die. Brackish water is a good environment only if the right salt and proper salinity is applied. My new findings contradict some of the content in my video. These snails must be kept in tanks with a constant food source, water Temps. That are below 80 degrees, copper free tanks that have not been medicated and A ph around 7.0 or higher. Because many of them come from brackish water environments, they prefer freshwater setups with higher pH above 7.0 and lots of minerals. As scavengers, they dine on anything they can find, including algae, leftover fish food, and decaying leaves. (They are completely safe for aquarium plants and only eat unhealthy or dead vegetation.) However, nerite snails can starve to death if there is not enough algae in the tank or other fish are outcompeting them for food. To make sure they are well-fed, offer them algae wafers, blanched zucchini slices, and canned green beans to graze on. Our favorite snail food is Zoo Med Nano Banquet Food Blocks because they not only provide calcium, plankton, and spirulina in their diet, but they also slowly dissolve to add more calcium to the water.
Your tanks are beautiful but I can tell just by looking your snails won’t live a full life. They are way too clean! Nerites will eat brown algae which is easy to come by. Leave your lights on longer, preferably on full spectrum, and they will have a continued food source. Brown algae doesn’t look pretty on your glass and decorations but that’s the cost of keeping them alive. I keep cuttlefish bone and wonder shells in their tank for calcium. I’m sorry yours are only living for a few months but that’s not everyone’s experience. You may have better luck keeping a snail only tank.
I have several tank where they are almost two years old and I have been using algae tabs with protein in those tanks! I will give that a try thank You!
@@carvedwood1953 This guy is an exception from what I am reading. Most experience exactly what this guy says. They just die. I can't seem to keep them either and I do know that if the tank is to clean, they get no food source. Also, minerals are needed so most won't survive. Trust me this guy has awesome videos, and his tanks are insane. Again, maybe just to clean for snail life.
Lots of negativity and pseudo-science in this video, lots of people have kept these snails for long periods in freshwater and there are quite a few accounts of them even breeding.....
Most people want them because they are pretty. They are effective at cleaning up algae and they may lay eggs but the eggs will not hatch unless the water is brackish; so no worries about overpopulation. Sorry I answered for someone else but this is the combination of reasons others in the hobby have recommended them to me.
@@angiebear8727 Yes, thanks. The thing is, he says it's not OK to have these snails in fresh water aquariums because they belong to brackish water. But he has the snail in his fresh water aquariums.
From what I have been told about these snails I believe the babies are born and live for a period of time in brackish water but the adults can come and go (as they like) from the brackish water to freshwater and visa versa
Thanks so so much for this video. I have 6 really pretty nerites that I now expect to lose. The small amount of salt I put in the tank or the algae tabs doesn't make a difference. Just purchased my last 2 a couple of days past. Thinking about trying to return them to Petco.
If you go online and look at the origin of the Nerite Snail it tells you they originated in brackish water. That does not mean we should try to take them from Freshwater and put them directly back into Brackish. Nerite seem to do well for a period of time in many cases in Freshwater, but their life is short lived in my experience.
"NEW SERVICES" I will be offering a new One-On-One Phone service for those new to the hobby or anyone struggling to solve a problem that may have you frustrated. "Aquatic Concepts" Is an official channel on "The Planted Aquarium and Aquascaping Ideas" Our Videos will teach you how to build your Aquarium easily and show you how to Maintain and service both your Bio Filter and maintain good water Parameters. We will show you how to grow aquatic plants successfully with proper lighting and Substrate. I will help you address algae issues with advanced filtration care and Maintenance. Solve some of the many Medical problems that are often Misdiagnosed and save you both time and money. We will also help to make it both simple and enjoyable to keep you in the hobby for many years to come. There is nothing more beautiful than a successfully planted aquarium that you can both relax and enjoy for many years to come. Won't you join us on our quest to make you a more successful Aquarium owner? I will take calls between the Hours of 9am-5pm daily and have a special 800 Line for just that purpose. I will charge a flat fee for those problems that are reasonable to solve and nothing extra unless it is beyond my knowledge base. At that point, I will suggest more advanced counseling that will get you the help you need. 99.9% of the time I am able to help. My fee will be reasonable and worth the charge to get you back on track and will be paid through the ($ Thanks Button at the top of my Videos). This Hobby can be stressful for even the most seasoned Hobbyist. My # is 800-566-1647 please ask for George or leave a message and I will get back to you. Thank you for your support. I hope this Hotline will help those of you who are struggling to get the right answers and bring the joy of Fish Keeping back into your life. I am not a not Medical or Veterinarian Professional and cannot be held liable for any adverse problems that could occur if my instructions are not followed or I am unable to help you to your satisfaction. I will always be honest about my abilities and give you my best advice. Thank you. George
But I can’t understand something , if this snail is from salt water why Petco and other store sell them ? , is obviously this snail can’t live in our aquariums 😮
It is only able to breed in Brackish water which contains salt but at a lower salinity. The reason many don’t have luck with them is because big box stores have tanks with almost no algae or salinity and the combination of these two factors shortens the life of the snail. If the snail is well fed with algae and your tank has a good supply, it may live in your tank a bit longer. I think the mystery snail although not as colorful, is a better choice.
John West says he posted on this video and it disappeared. I am able to see it John so not sure why you are not. We do not censor anyone regardless of the comment unless it is not in the standard of UA-cam. I sent your comment that came to my viewing to youtube and they are looking into it. Your comment has no valid address to respond. Not sure what that is about but try again. Thank you.
My zebra nerite is six years old. A couple years ago, after the last couple fish I had in my 10 gallons tank died off (a couple corys), I was going to keep feeding the nerite and do water changes until he died off too, and then put the tank in storage. But he just kept on living, in a freshwater planted tank that I typically did nothing more for than adding more dechlorinated water as it evaporated. I’ve never added calcium or anything (his shell always looks in great shape), but I do live in Phoenix and we have hard water here. The pH is about 8.2 when I check and from what I read online they like that. Perhaps it’s helped. I’ve recently cleaned the tank back up and moved it, re-landscaped the overgrown Java fern, etc, and just added a few fancy guppies. Everyone looks happy.
I’ve named the snail Geezer cause he’s old as hell. 😂 Long live Geezer!
That is great! Not the story I usually hear but it could be the perfect water. I have no answers? Good luck and thank you.
I live in Arizona I have two nerites I just removed from a tank with my betta fish. They are in a tank I use bottled water to fill . Didn’t know I could use faucet water
@@keishavanae Just need to put dechlorinator in it. Our hard water is actually good for the snails.
Hopefully, mine will live so long! It is past 3 years old, I didn't spend hours on the acclimation to the new tank, and it survived high temperatures and all the fish that were in the tank at one period or another.
Tank's conditions: hard water, high pH, something like 8.5, and regular temperatures from 25°C to 28°C.
Since I added a mangrove wood, it spends most of the time under it, and becomes active only at warm temperatures, from 25 °C minimum, otherwise, it stays under its wood. I also noticed it was interested in decaying plants from a pond.
Thank you for explaining this in detail! Subbed.
You are very welcome!
I've had my three (two zebras, one red racer) for two years now and they're still going strong. I never feed them (on purpose), they share their tank with many potential competitors: Malaysian Trumpet snails, ramshorn snails, Amano and cherry shrimp, and of course, the fish. In spite of this, they've continued to thrive and grow. Here's what I do different than most people:
1. I monitor my GH, KH and PH, and if I don't like what I see, I add a little mesh bag of aragonite to my filter for a day or two until things are more in the range of my liking. My water is naturally very soft out of the tap (most tests can't even read it accurately), so much so that most plants don't like it. I leave the bag in until the PH is 7.2 or higher. I do this as needed. I don't let it drop lower than 6.8.
2. I rarely change water. I usually just top off, and control nutrients by not overfeeding and removing excess plant growth regularly. Actively growing plants consume the most nitrate. I also don't vacuum my substrate, and when the other species of snails pass away ("Pest" snails seem to go through boom and bust cycles.) I don't remove their shells. They eventually break down on their own, leaving behind the calcium their brethren need.
3. I give my nerites access to wood (cholla and mopani fragments) and botanicals such as Indian almond leaves and alder cones. Nerites do like to eat wood and I've seen a few articles recommending keeping some for them.
4. I don't heat my tank. It ranges from 72 in the summer to 65 in the winter. Most tropical fish species are not as delicate as they're made out to be. They're exposed to those temperatures both in the wild and on fish farms. The species I keep tolerate that range, snails included.
5. My tank has been in operation since 2002. It's been moved three times. The only original parts are the glass tank itself and big pieces of granite I use for my hardscape. One of the fish descends from individuals I bought 20 years ago, as do the purple crypts and lucky bamboo (I grow it and pothos emersed for added nutrient control.) I haven't had to medicate it in at least a decade; well before I got the nerites. I do add liquid fertilizer once or twice a month if the plants look like they need it. It doesn't seem to bother the nerites. It currently has a mixture of aquasoil and blasting sand with a bit of gravel mixed in for color as a substrate. Substrate is nearly two inches deep at its shallowest point.
I'm not sure if any of this makes a difference, just putting it out there. Meanwhile otocinclus are the algae eater I can't keep alive. They do very well until the consume all the kinds of algae they like to eat, then they starve. I only ever got one to eat something besides naturally occurring algae. That one lived for over a year reluctantly picking at algae wafers and other prepared foods. It completely ignored things like cucumber slices and other vegetables. However it died from the stress of the last move.
Thank you! Loved all the tips.
Beautiful tank. Would you mind sharing which filter you are using and how many gallons of the tank? Thanks.
This is a 20 gallon tank with an Oase 200 filter
I just would like to say that I bought 2 black nertile snails at petsmart over 4 years ago , lucky me both are still cleaning my aquariums and only eating algi from the glass.
Algae*
How do you take care of their shell.. Do you feed them any other thing.. Veggies?!
@@tivo3720 I’m in the same boat never fed them anything crazy other then algae wafers but I do have some rocks I found in the river they always hang out on so believe that’s providing them their supplemental calcium but the best thing wound just be keep them with fish that don’t mind semi brackish water and the salt will give them more then enough or look into some calcium tabs they apparently love them and it helps plants and keeps water from leeching calcium from snails
Freshwater aquarium and I haven't ad aquarium salt in couple of years. Fyi they still alive and not laying eggs for a long time witch is good cos did not like that.
@@tivo3720 As I said in the video Cucumbers
I recently added 3 nerite snails to a 29g freshwater tank where algae got out of control while new plants took months to transform. I'm still learning. I knew the snails wouldn't reproduce, but didn't know there would still be eggs!😊
Thank you so much for the info. I've grown fond of the little guys!
Very informative! Really nice music!!!
Thank you. Glad you liked it! I hope you will both like and subscribe. Again thank you.
Wow! What a mixed bag of information. I think the answer is clear that most do not do well because of conditions in the tanks. You need a food source. If you are buying them to eat algae you don't want that may be why people lose them. They are keeping them in soft water conditions and no-good long-term source of food. Great video as always. Man, this place is a buzz.
I have 2 of these guys in hard water no sault with nothing but algae to eat and with 12 corys, 1 otocinclus, 3 hill stream loaches, and 40 50 guppies in a 60-gallon low tec planted tank. Both of my snails are over 2 years old bought from Petco. I think the key is the hard water which brackish water is very hard due to the sault and other minerals. My water is well water with lots of minerals so very hard and full of calcium. So, conclusion soft water is bad for long term health of your snails.
Thank you!
Interesting and informative! Thank you.👍
Your tanks are IMMACULATE.
He has awesome tanks. Probably not a good snail environment.
clean tank = dying snails...
Mystery snails and nerite snails are two different types of snails. The mystery will die in brackish water while merits snails are fine. mystery snails are master breeders. Much like the guppy, they will make millions of mini-mes. Nerites. I'm interested in testing different ways on breeding them because they are known to breed in freshwater. But I don't know for myself.
Your Nerite snails eggs cant hatch in freshwater. That's why they die off overtime.
Have u managed to breed them yet?
What kind of plant (moss?) is at 13:50 in the rock groves? How do you grow it and do fish/snails eat it?
I acclimated a group of 6 horned nerite’s (a Clithon species I believe) to my reef tank and they turned out to be the best clean up crew I’ve ever owned they eat all diatoms, cyano and micro algae’s, have tripled in size and a lot more active. They def a species which prefer salt in the water. This is a brilliant video!
I have had mixed luck on these snails and find Mystery snails are more hardy. However I have friends that have had these a very long time and they seem to do well.?
Thanks!
I just made the same mistake of medicating my fish tank without removing my snail, how do I resolve this before it dies? Will frequent water changes do anything or is it too late
I have seen them Irvine! Do you have another temp. Tank? If not do the water changes and hope for the best. Also add some Algae tabs to keep them eating.
Great topic! I just want to share that I have 2 nerites. One I’ve had for 2 1/2 yrs now and the other for 1 1/2 yrs.
They are still going strong. I think the key is making sure they do not have competition for algae since it’s mainly all they eat. They have never had any competition in the tanks I have kept them in. In my 29 right now is the first time they have. One of their tank mates is a school of 5 corydoras. And since corydoras mainly hangout in the lower levels, I think my nerites will continue to do just fine.
I have had a few that have lived a year or more but most I talk to with a balanced algae free tank tell me they have not done well! I think you are right on! Brackish water tank seem to do great! They are from the Neritidae family of snails which contains over 200 species. Few of that family are found in Freshwater rivers and streams so it is getting the right one!
@@aquaticconceptsbringingwaterto I never clean the back panel. If I feel I need to I’ll leave one or both sides alone also in a small tank. I dose a tiny bit of Bacter AE when I feel needed. It’s good for all inhabitant that are algae/biofilm grazers.I never touch the rock or driftwood. If someone has no algae in their tank, that will not support any algae eater that relies on that. I feed my Corys algae wafers among other things. I don’t know if my nerites would actually eat anything other than pure algae as I never see them in the area where I put food.they may eat decaying plant matter I can’t say for sure on that. I try to leave a bit of that on there as a food source. I like my tank to look nice which it does, but if you keep it perfect/pristine, you won’t be able to keep nerites for very long. This is my experiences and what I do. I hope this helps someone.
Feed them vegetables they would be more fine
I have 10 gallon planted tank with 100 templet snail, 40 apple snail and 10 assaisn snails to control snail population
@@aquaticconceptsbringingwaterto I have 3 that are 4 years of age right now, they might be older because when I got them they weren't babies. I don't know if it's my water, I'm in Texas so we have high kh, gh, really high! When I did the gh,kh, test it was the highest on the chart.
Thanks for the video.
Sounds like you have tried and failed one time to many that feeling is what I get from the video.
In your summary:
1. Brackish water
2. Best requirements is to have algae (food) can supplement is required, if not.
3. Copper
Your aquariums are so nice looking and so clean especially when looking at Anubis that is slow growing and attract green spot algae.
They are spotless and looking great!
But there is probably not so much food (algae) for the snails? (As those nerit is herbivore.)
But again I am just guessing here but they are really spotless tanks you got there! Congratulations.
Great advice... Too late for ME unfortunately, keep telling the truth to people that like you said the fish shops DON'T! I added 3 last week to a very healthy, deep substrate, heavily planted tank, full of thriving fish.. 3 day's later they're dead, I feel sorry for the snails, NOT ME... It's just so wrong the way they treat the animals in these places.
God bless you & keep up great work 🤝🤝🤝
I am so sorry to hear That. I try never to ask for advice or suggest products for mediation from people who likely know nothing about the fish hobby and get paid Minimum wage to give that advice. I am always here to give you advice as best I can. You can pay me what you feel that advice was worth. I won't kill your fish... what is that worth. Good luck
Good video. For future videos, please get closer to the microphone. Quite quiet.
We have already fixed that! Thank you.
Can add aquarium salt?
I have put small amounts of therapeutic salt in with Snails, but not the best for them unless it is sea salt for aquariums. They can survive and even breed in brackish water.
Ty very much. Thought it was just me. Can’t seem to keep nerite snails for much more than 6 months at a time. Gonna stick with rams horn, mts’s and pond snails….. maybe. Have always had goodluck with all three. No massive takeovers as of yet. Just thought the nerite snails were really pretty.
They are and it is sad.
animals.mom.com/freshwater-nerite-snails-dying-11050.html
I would never ad chemicals to a planted tank, turn up heater to 82 degrees, ick are cold water parasites , warm 82 degrees water will kill it, or remove temp sensitive fish or all fish to a seperate quarentine tank, then run tank at 82 for a week or so, chemically treat the quarentine to cure fish. Weekly additons of a garlic tea help boost the fish and tank in general too.
86 degrees is the threshold for killing Ich. Ich X does not harm the tank or plants. I have 40 tanks and never lost a fish to ich but a few times in 30 years. Nerites will have to be removed with some fish that can't handle the temp. This works for me every time. Do what works for you my friend.
I just bought a Nerite from the shop and it isn't moving, but the trapdoor seems to be almost closed (not entirely). Do you think that it's most likely dead Sir?
Give it a few days. If It has not moved it is likely dead but I have been surprised at how long they can sit in one place! Good Luck! Mystery Snails are coming in at great color these days you may want to try them!
@@aquaticconceptsbringingwaterto Thank you very much for your speedy response. I bought the Nerites to combat an algae issue 🙁.
I wish you all the very best with your UA-cam channel. Have a great day. Cheers!
i bought 5 nerite snails about 3 years ago and only one died a few days ago because he left the tank and I found him dried up
They do climb out looking for a food source and that is the end of the road.
@@mydiscusobsession3560 There was plenty of food, he was the only one who did that, always. One time I couldn't find him for about 6 days,after I found him, foot super dried out, luckily I put him in a cup of tank water and he slowly came out. He just did it one too many times and I guess with age he couldn't bounce back
What type and source are those rocks in your tanks if you don't mind me asking?
That is Maple Stone if it is the tank I think you are asking about. It is one of my favorite stones because good bacteria will also stick to it.
@@aquaticconceptsbringingwaterto Seems the Maple stone I find when searching is a brown type rock. Looking for the one in your video that is more of a grayish with streaks running through it. Also where to buy from?
Seryiu stone
I've had two nerites in my African cichlid tank for years, maybe I've just been lucky
Brackish water?
@@aquaticconceptsbringingwaterto no.
@@gavinpowell8538 Some people are just lucky to have the perfect conditions from what I am reading here. Many lose their snails, and few find the right balance. No real answer mate!
I have like 20 nerite snails (possibly more) and the only way they die is when i found them outside the tank dry
@@harukishiga6066 I am learning that water Temp. Has more to do with it than I thought. A new video coming soon.
Thank You very informative
Thank You!
Mine has been living for over a year. Still going strong. Will not touch any other food. Never touches cucumbers or squash or algae tabs. He only eats the algae on the walls and rocks in my tank.
You got something right!
what if they are kept in a saltwater aquarium ?
will they survive in there or they'll die ??
My understanding is that they do best in brackish water but I am not certain of that!
one of my neterite snails was upside down for an hour, i didnt know but i saw then i lifted him. hes upright and i dont see him in the shell. the other snail was upside down next to him when i came back from school, i lifted him up then he got ontop of the other snail. whats happening and how can i fix this?
I really don’t have an answer for you on that one. If you can’t see anything in the one shell my guess is it died and your fish consumed it?
@@aquaticconceptsbringingwaterto i have 2 plattys and 2 zebra danios, is that possible?
What if the snail dies and you don’t see it? Does it foul the tank?
Anything that dies in a tank can foul it. It would help if you tried to get it out of there, but it will likely become food before you notice.
Thank you. We really need to stop taking animals out of their natural environment just for our own selfish purposes. I feel like no on in this hobby gets animals with the needs and happiness of the animal in mind.
I have met some amazing conservationist on my travels to South America. They use sustainable methods for collecting fish that go back generations. When the Tropical Fish trade fell off in the 90’s they went to deforestation by clearing the rainforest for personal Crops and rare wood trade. The fish collecting is coming back with both the fish and the rainforest in mind. I hope it works out. That would be a good thing.
They leave eggs all over my tanks before they die...sucks!
Can I keep 5 spotted Nerlite in a 20 gal Neon aquarium?
You can as they use very little space and hardly any impact on you overall system. However they will leaves that hard to remove white eggs everywhere,. Have you thought about Mystery Snails?
I bought what they called a nitrite snail and had made the mistake of treating the water about a week ago. It's supposed to clear the water on my 75 gallon tank. I wonder how long the copper stays in the tank if I have charcoal in my filter system.
Copper is really hard on any invertebrates! It takes a long time to remove. There are products out there that speeds up the process. Do your homework! I use no Charcoal in any of my tanks anymore!
My zebra hasn’t moved for three days, still got colour on its underside!? Idk if it’s dead or alive? I have two in my freshwater tank with a black moor, one of them is fine and the fish is fine
Give it a few more days but it is likely dead sorry to say! How established is your tank?
Mine did that for weeks but after putting some fresh water in the tank it was okay
@@Livrockz103 WATER CHANGES!!!!!
@@mydiscusobsession3560 yes I'm aware
I do have a question i was wondering if my snail is doing ok the underside of him is black but it is moving around my tank we also have guppys and one of them are hanging out at the top of the tank but the other four are swimming everywhere.. Not sure what im doing wrong
Is it a Nerite or Mystery snail? Are the Guppies gulping for air. You may have low oxygen levels in your tank! Do a 50% water change and the same again in a few days. Also if you can add an air Stone to your tank for a while. If your temperature in your tank is above 79 gradually lower it to 76-78 degrees to bring oxygen levels up! This can be so many things but a good place to start. Let me know how things go? Good luck!🍀
@@aquaticconceptsbringingwaterto the snail we have looks like the one you have thats brown with darker brown/black spots
Great video, thank you.
I bought 2 horned nerites 3 years ago and one died recently and the other one is still going strong! I've never supplemented their diet. On the flipside I bought a Zebra nerite about 6 weeks ago and it has died already.
The more I talk with people about this the more I get the impression that certain Nerite snails are the issue and it is the most common ones sold!
@@aquaticconceptsbringingwaterto I am here because of a very sluggish Zebra I just bought, along with a Tiger. The tiger has perked up and roams the tank now, but the Zebra is too weak to move much. Twice now I was convinced he was dead, then at the last minute before being removed he showed signs of life. I have to move him around to find food. Maybe I will try some aquarium salt. (My tank is anything but sterile!)
Now I feel sorry for my nerlite
Well if you can keep it alive that’s great! 😎🥲
12:00
What's the plant on the bottom right?
Anubias. Not sure which variety though.
I had three nerites for over a year in my freshwater tropical tank. I moved house upgraded the tank. Got 14 neons and after inspections after aclimitising I saw that neons had fin rot. My bad should have seen it before. So I treated with welovefish antifungal and antibacterial. Now 2 of my nerites are dead and the last is on his way out. So sad.
The medication should have warned you about your invertebrates being removed before medications were given! A common mistake.
@@aquaticconceptsbringingwaterto I can't see any warnings on the medication 😔. Thank you for replying so fast. I removed my asassins thinking they were dead but they are all good so Ive put them back. Do you think it's best to remove them? They seem quite happy. My shrimp are also totally fine it seems.... Also do you think there's any hope in saving my last nerite? Ive got him in a tub with half aquarium water half water change water (ofc treated with aquasafe)... He isn't looking good at all but is still alive, barely.
Oh also I'm doing a 30% water change as we speak.
@@toni5543 I will answer that. Likely it won't if it was in with medications that contain copper? Try another tank if you have one or just hope for the best.
I'm a bit late, but I like this very complete video about this snail, it is rare to find so much information on it.
It's true that my tank is adapted without knowing it: I never medicated the animals, and there was carbon filtration, but I only for a few months, no competition with fish or invertebrates, until more recently with Trumpet snails though I don't know if it is really a problem, 10% water changes maximum, and a lot of biofilm and mulm on the hardscape and plants, as well as algae.
Somebody else had nerite snails in an acid tank for discus, and a low GH, they all died very quickly.
if i put a snail in my tank it will die straight away, whats happening. about like 20 mins of survival time
I have no idea. Check your water parameters?
@@aquaticconceptsbringingwaterto my parameters are okay, although I have never been able to get a gh or kh kit
@@Firerat2000 they are easy to find/inexpensive on Amazon. Best wishes.
@@Firerat2000 do you have an update/solution? we have the same problem, thanks...
@@urielpatricklipata8356 yeah, I used a black diamond gravel which was exposed to have copper inside of it so now it’s all been recalled. But the copper was leaching into my tank
Your smaller one looks like a Tiger Nerite.
I got zebra nerit i putted in saltwater they wont get out of theire shells
Brackish water not full salt!
i bought 8 horned nerites for my 300L tank a while ago, only 2 of them were big and one of them passed today. I really like them but im afraid the rest might start having complications. Going to keep the shell somewhere next to the tank as a keepsake
Try mystery snails as a second choice. Not as pretty but will get the job done.
@@aquaticconceptsbringingwaterto Hey, thanks for the reply sadly my go-to webshop doesnt have mystery snails and there no pet shop nearby but the situation has changed, none of them died since and no longer fear they will, they seem to be pretty good, trying to find them a piece of cuttlefish bone
Attached is a new article a friend sent me regarding Nerite and Mystery snails. I hope this is more informative. I will be doing a new Video on this subject soon. In the mean time adding a small amount of salt to your aquarium water not only helps the snails but your aquarium overall. "Make sure it is aquarium salt and not from your table and a very small therapeutic amount Please read this and take what you can from it: animals.mom.com/freshwater-nerite-snails-dying-11050.html
I buy siamese algae eater. My snail died month later and my algae eater like 3 inch big already.
They grow fast!
@@aquaticconceptsbringingwaterto They also stop doing their job as they get bigger and lazy with food availability that you feed your fish.
Actually the ich x bottle says it's safe for snails and scaleless fish. Not sure what he read.
I am sorry if I miss read that but glad you took the time to check me. I am always learning as well. Thank you!
My outside water reaches 90 degrees, I think that is the cost for my loss.
That is pretty high for Nerite Snails.
I have a 2 and yr mystery snail in my fresh water tank. I also have 2 others over a yr. I have no issues. 😂
This is an older video. I have spent the last year investigating this subject, and found that about 75% of Nerite’s don’t survive more than 6 months. I have found that water conditions and food sources are the main culprit for Nerite deaths. If you are keeping these snails in Freshwater tanks that are prestige because of the use of other algae eating cleanup fish, they will not survive and will starve to death. Also water Temp and Salt content can contribute as well. If you are putting a small amount of Aquarium salt (rock salt) into your tanks as a steady remedy for parasites this can also cause Nerites to die. Brackish water is a good environment only if the right salt and proper salinity is applied. My new findings contradict some of the content in my video. These snails must be kept in tanks with a constant food source, water Temps. That are below 80 degrees, copper free tanks that have not been medicated and A ph around 7.0 or higher. Because many of them come from brackish water environments, they prefer freshwater setups with higher pH above 7.0 and lots of minerals. As scavengers, they dine on anything they can find, including algae, leftover fish food, and decaying leaves. (They are completely safe for aquarium plants and only eat unhealthy or dead vegetation.) However, nerite snails can starve to death if there is not enough algae in the tank or other fish are outcompeting them for food. To make sure they are well-fed, offer them algae wafers, blanched zucchini slices, and canned green beans to graze on. Our favorite snail food is Zoo Med Nano Banquet Food Blocks because they not only provide calcium, plankton, and spirulina in their diet, but they also slowly dissolve to add more calcium to the water.
Your tanks are beautiful but I can tell just by looking your snails won’t live a full life. They are way too clean! Nerites will eat brown algae which is easy to come by. Leave your lights on longer, preferably on full spectrum, and they will have a continued food source. Brown algae doesn’t look pretty on your glass and decorations but that’s the cost of keeping them alive. I keep cuttlefish bone and wonder shells in their tank for calcium. I’m sorry yours are only living for a few months but that’s not everyone’s experience. You may have better luck keeping a snail only tank.
I have several tank where they are almost two years old and I have been using algae tabs with protein in those tanks! I will give that a try thank You!
@@aquaticconceptsbringingwaterto two years old. interesting. far older than this video says they live. I
@@carvedwood1953 This guy is an exception from what I am reading. Most experience exactly what this guy says. They just die. I can't seem to keep them either and I do know that if the tank is to clean, they get no food source. Also, minerals are needed so most won't survive. Trust me this guy has awesome videos, and his tanks are insane. Again, maybe just to clean for snail life.
Lots of negativity and pseudo-science in this video, lots of people have kept these snails for long periods in freshwater and there are quite a few accounts of them even breeding.....
I don't want to be a troll, but then why do you have nerite snails in fresh water aquariums?
was going to ask the same thing.
Most people want them because they are pretty. They are effective at cleaning up algae and they may lay eggs but the eggs will not hatch unless the water is brackish; so no worries about overpopulation. Sorry I answered for someone else but this is the combination of reasons others in the hobby have recommended them to me.
@@angiebear8727 Yes, thanks. The thing is, he says it's not OK to have these snails in fresh water aquariums because they belong to brackish water. But he has the snail in his fresh water aquariums.
@@SalamanderFangskin good point
From what I have been told about these snails I believe the babies are born and live for a period of time in brackish water but the adults can come and go (as they like) from the brackish water to freshwater and visa versa
Thanks so so much for this video. I have 6 really pretty nerites that I now expect to lose. The small amount of salt I put in the tank or the algae tabs doesn't make a difference. Just purchased my last 2 a couple of days past. Thinking about trying to return them to Petco.
The Big box stores have no clue what they are selling!
Excuse me Sir, i dont see any CO2... do you use it??
No
@@aquaticconceptsbringingwaterto Awesome, how to they green strong...
@@cactus1739 Seachem Flourish and Excel!
sorry they breed in brackish water and then move back to freshwater that is why they don't breed in most tanks
Agreed but I find they lay eggs all over and impossible to get off. I like Mystery snails myself.
I put my mystery snail in my brackish water tank and it died
If you go online and look at the origin of the Nerite Snail it tells you they originated in brackish water. That does not mean we should try to take them from Freshwater and put them directly back into Brackish. Nerite seem to do well for a period of time in many cases in Freshwater, but their life is short lived in my experience.
Zebra nerite snail died in sltwater
Brackish not saltwater!
"NEW SERVICES" I will be offering a new One-On-One Phone service for those new to the hobby or anyone struggling to solve a problem that may have you frustrated. "Aquatic Concepts" Is an official channel on "The Planted Aquarium and Aquascaping Ideas" Our Videos will teach you how to build your Aquarium easily and show you how to Maintain and service both your Bio Filter and maintain good water Parameters. We will show you how to grow aquatic plants successfully with proper lighting and Substrate. I will help you address algae issues with advanced filtration care and Maintenance. Solve some of the many Medical problems that are often Misdiagnosed and save you both time and money. We will also help to make it both simple and enjoyable to keep you in the hobby for many years to come. There is nothing more beautiful than a successfully planted aquarium that you can both relax and enjoy for many years to come. Won't you join us on our quest to make you a more successful Aquarium owner? I will take calls between the Hours of 9am-5pm daily and have a special 800 Line for just that purpose. I will charge a flat fee for those problems that are reasonable to solve and nothing extra unless it is beyond my knowledge base. At that point, I will suggest more advanced counseling that will get you the help you need. 99.9% of the time I am able to help. My fee will be reasonable and worth the charge to get you back on track and will be paid through the ($ Thanks Button at the top of my Videos). This Hobby can be stressful for even the most seasoned Hobbyist. My # is 800-566-1647 please ask for George or leave a message and I will get back to you. Thank you for your support. I hope this Hotline will help those of you who are struggling to get the right answers and bring the joy of Fish Keeping back into your life. I am not a not Medical or Veterinarian Professional and cannot be held liable for any adverse problems that could occur if my instructions are not followed or I am unable to help you to your satisfaction. I will always be honest about my abilities and give you my best advice. Thank you. George
how stoned is this guy - hard to listen but good info thanks
He had COVID at the time. Glad you listened anyway. Try some of my other videos when I am feeling good. Thanks.
damn, man, don't you understand that standing far from the microphone and playing more music in the background-is-stupid?
But I can’t understand something , if this snail is from salt water why Petco and other store sell them ? , is obviously this snail can’t live in our aquariums 😮
It is only able to breed in Brackish water which contains salt but at a lower salinity. The reason many don’t have luck with them is because big box stores have tanks with almost no algae or salinity and the combination of these two factors shortens the life of the snail. If the snail is well fed with algae and your tank has a good supply, it may live in your tank a bit longer. I think the mystery snail although not as colorful, is a better choice.
Thanks!