Just interested, who has nerites?

[StripySnailGirl04]

Hello,
If you have a/some nerite snails, could you tell which type, water parameters, tank size, and pictures. Thank you🙂 I am just interested in other people's setup to improve mine!

 

[StripySnailGirl04]

Me first!
I have 3 zebra nerite snails in a 40 litre tank.
Water parameters:
GH: approx 21d
KH: between 15 and 20 d
pH: 8.4
Temp: around 24 celcius
They feed on algae in the tank but since there is nearly none left, I might get them algae wafers. The female has laid eggs before!

 

[Essjay]

I have:
2 zebra nerites, 2 red onion, 1 black helmet and 1 waigiensis in my 180 litre and 1 red onion in the shrimp tank (though I may move it into the 180 litre as the shrimps seem to eat all the algae in there)

GH 7 dH
KH 3.3 dH
pH 7.2

One of the red onions in the 180 litre was bought in July 2011. I keep records of everything I buy including snails.
The other two and the zebras are more recent additions, August 2020. They were from eBay, so called mixed species of several varieties but they sent 3 zebra and 2 red onion. One of the zebras laid eggs everywhere. It only stopped when one of them died, presumably the egg layer.
The black helmet and waigiensis were bought October last year.

I bought a zebra nerite in July 2011 at the same time as the red onion. It died in July 2020, 9 years after I bought it.

 

[StripySnailGirl04]

It died in July 2020, 9 years after I bought it.

Wow! That's a long living snail! Is it safe to buy live animals online? I am scared that they will die due to stress.

 

[Essjay]

I have bough almost all my nerites on-line. Some of them have not lived very long but many others have lived for years. It can be hit and miss.

Unlike fish, nerites do seem to travel well. Most of them have been wrapped in damp paper towels or damp filter wool, though the last two were actually packed in water. I also never buy them when the weather is cold - late spring to early autumn only. Last year's in October were the latest I would risk the post. And they can come by Royal Mail, unlike fish which need an expensive courier.

 

[Essjay]

I don't have any photos of the recently bought snails but this is the red onion bought in 2011, taken in 2016.

 

[OliveFish05]

I have three lovely nerites! And @Essjay just taught me something! Apparently I have a red onion, an olive, and a waigiensis (aka red racer).

My GH is 5, PH 7.5.

 

[Essjay]

I just spotted my waigiensis on the substrate right at the front of the tank.

 

[StripySnailGirl04]

I have three lovely nerites! And @Essjay just taught me something! Apparently I have a red onion, an olive, and a waigiensis (aka red racer).

My GH is 5, PH 7.5.

I think the red onions are also called tiger nerites. I wish I could have a red racer and olive! I guess I know why you have an olive nerite...

 

[Essjay]

There are different opinions about the latin and common names of nerite snails. The snail in my photo in post #6 was sold as a red onion but is it a tiger nerite? And is it Nertinia natalensis or Vittina semiconica?

 

[OliveFish05]

I think the red onions are also called tiger nerites.

Ohhhh yes it could be! Red Onion is more fun though

I guess I know why you have an olive nerite...

That's partially where my username comes from! My olive nerite

 

[StripySnailGirl04]

There are different opinions about the latin and common names of nerite snails. The snail in my photo in post #6 was sold as a red onion but is it a tiger nerite? And is it Nertinia natalensis or Vittina semiconica?

Well, according to this source, it is called tiger nerite:

Nerite Snails – Detailed Guide: Care, Diet and Breeding - Shrimp and Snail Breeder

Nerite snails are a great addition to any planted aquarium and they will be really good friends the dwarf shrimp. They do not reproduce in freshwater.

aquariumbreeder.com

Everyone wants to give their own name. Truly gets confusing!

 

[StripySnailGirl04]

Ohhhh yes it could be! Red Onion is more fun though

That's partially where my username comes from! My olive nerite

Could we see a picture?

 

[Essjay]

There may also be variation in names by country. A quick look at eBay UK and the snails which look like mine are almost all called onion snails. Thee exception is the seller calling them spotty snails. The site in the link is a US site, so maybe they are called onion snails in the UK and tiger snails in the US. Anything is possible when it comes to common names.

 

[OliveFish05]

Could we see a picture?

Sure! As soon as I can find a good one...