Breeding Nerites

[Circus]

So in my 20 gallon Brackish I keep my specific gravity around 1.08. Up until now I didn't have to be super on top of it because the only fish in there are female guppy, which are euryhaline. A couple of months ago I placed 4 zebra nerite snails in there. I was hoping they would breed (I know the guppy would probably eat any babies). This is mostly as an experiment and if any survived that would be awesome and I could populate my other tanks.

Now since it has been a couple of months, the snails are laying eggs all over my piece of driftwood, but I have not noticed any disappearing (I assume the egg spots would be gone if the baby snails hatch).

The real question is if anybody has information on how long it takes nerite snails to successfully breed and for the eggs to hatch? Does anybody have experience in breeding nerite snails?

 

[seangee]

Nerites are incredibly difficult to breed. The females produce a lot of eggs even in freshwater and even without males. You will need at least 2 tanks because once the eggs (which are actually capsules containing eggs) have been laid they need to be moved into a full marine environment. 3-4 weeks after hatching the babies need to be moved back into brackish or fresh water as the adults cannot actually survive in marine conditions.

 

[Circus]

Nerites are incredibly difficult to breed. The females produce a lot of eggs even in freshwater and even without males. You will need at least 2 tanks because once the eggs (which are actually capsules containing eggs) have been laid they need to be moved into a full marine environment. 3-4 weeks after hatching the babies need to be moved back into brackish or fresh water as the adults cannot actually survive in marine conditions.

That is incredibly frustrating. Everyone says "oh they breed in brackish water!" Maybe I will eventually do that, but at the mome t I do not have the time nor the ability to do that. Thank you for the prompt answer though! I will probably just redistribute two of the four in there to other tanks then.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Nerites are incredibly difficult to breed. The females produce a lot of eggs even in freshwater and even without males. You will need at least 2 tanks because once the eggs (which are actually capsules containing eggs) have been laid they need to be moved into a full marine environment. 3-4 weeks after hatching the babies need to be moved back into brackish or fresh water as the adults cannot actually survive in marine conditions.

With breeding conditions like that, it seems sort of amazing that they have survived as a species doesn't it? I should go research where they're found in the wild, sounds like maybe they live in rivers close to the ocean?

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

That is incredibly frustrating. Everyone says "oh they breed in brackish water!" Maybe I will eventually do that, but at the mome t I do not have the time nor the ability to do that. Thank you for the prompt answer though! I will probably just redistribute two of the four in there to other tanks then.

I'm sorry your project isn't working out, sounds like it might have been fun! I know nothing about how to keep a marine tank, but would it possible to just use like a plastic tub with marine water for those eggs for the 3-4 weeks? I don't know if low maintenance marine is even possible, just an idea.

 

[seangee]

I was just referring to salinity. No idea if you a actually need a marine tank. I just know when I looked into it out seemed like more effort than I was prepared to put in.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

That is incredibly frustrating. Everyone says "oh they breed in brackish water!" Maybe I will eventually do that, but at the mome t I do not have the time nor the ability to do that. Thank you for the prompt answer though! I will probably just redistribute two of the four in there to other tanks then.

Yes... that is not true. The reasons why I like nerve snails, is 1( because they are pretty and 2( because they don't breed in freshwater whatsoever.

As @seangee said, it is incredibly difficult to breed them - for what your time is worth, I would just buy more.

 

[CassCats]

as difficult as they can be to breed, it's amazing how relatively inexpensive they are!
Then again perhaps many are wild caught

Not just that but many are different species but all just called nerites.

If you still wanted to breed them, go for it!

 

[Salty&Onion]

as difficult as they can be to breed, it's amazing how relatively inexpensive they are!
Then again perhaps many are wild caught

Not just that but many are different species but all just called nerites.

If you still wanted to breed them, go for it!

I never thought that nerites are that hard to breed.
I heard they breed in, actually eggs hatch, in brackish.
But brackis to marine, from marine to brackish?

 

[Circus]

I might get a small set up (like a 5.5) and put it at full marine in the future just for the snails. I don't want to do a full on marine tank, as the equipment seems pretty expensive. For the purpose of breeding the snails it seems like all they need is the salt level to be full marine, right?

 

[seangee]

With breeding conditions like that, it seems sort of amazing that they have survived as a species doesn't it? I should go research where they're found in the wild, sounds like maybe they live in rivers close to the ocean?

as difficult as they can be to breed, it's amazing how relatively inexpensive they are!
Then again perhaps many are wild caught

I probably shoud have qualified that as incredibly difficult to breed in a home aquarium. If it really is just the salinity that would be easy to control in a commercial setup.
My guess (it is a guess I don't know) is that in the wild they are found in lagoons or river mouths which are primarily fresh water but turn salty at spring tides

 

[Circus]

I probably shoud have qualified that as incredibly difficult to breed in a home aquarium. If it really is just the salinity that would be easy to control in a commercial setup.
My guess (it is a guess I don't know) is that in the wild they are found in lagoons or river mouths which are primarily fresh water but turn salty at spring tides

That makes a lot of sense actually. I appreciate the answers. I will shelf the notion for now and perhaps come back to it when I have more time to really try it.

 

[Retired Viking]

Sorry it did not work out, it sounded like an interesting project to try.

 

[Essjay]

From things I have read, the main problem with breeding nerites, as with breeding amano shrimp, is that they hatch to a larval form which feeds on microscopic plankton. It's not so much getting the salinity right as being able to feed the larvae properly which makes breeding them at home difficult.
While there are some species of nerite which don't hatch to larvae, most hatch to a trocophore larva, then a veliger before metamorphosing into the adult form.

 

[Circus]

I totally need to do some reading. This is what I get for deciding things on a whim. Ah well, at least the snails I do have are pretty cute.