Nerite Snails

rshew01

AC Members
Feb 18, 2022
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There is always a shortage of nerite snails where I live.
Is it easy to try and breed them, any special equipment needed?
Thanks
 
They breed in Saltwater. So generally only wild collected.

Generally it's too much work to breed them in captivity.
 
I would add in my 1 attempt to keep 1 nerite was not a success. It was very hard to find what it would eat other than diatoms (brown alga) & some soft green algae...& then I went on vacation. It didn't eat any prepared foods, algae wafers, veggies or anything else I tried. I still feel a bit guilty about it & it's been 12+ years. I keep its empty shell as a pretty reminder of my failure. My soft tap water likely didn't help either (sigh) but it didn't live long enough for that to be an issue.

If you are set on trying a nerite, buy just 1 & I hope you have better luck than I did. But dougall is right on the breeding thing, not an easy to do project...I'd pass.
 
I have a bunch of nerite snails in both my tanks, as long as you are keeping the lights on enough they will have plenty of algae to eat
 
Nerite snails reproduce sexually, requiring both male and female snails for successful breeding. However, some species can also reproduce asexually through parthenogenesis, where females can lay fertile eggs without mating.
It's important to note that nerite snail eggs will not hatch in freshwater aquariums. They require brackish water conditions for successful development. Additionally, the larval stage can be challenging to raise in captivity, as they require specific water parameters and food sources.
 
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