Tell me about Nerite and Mystery snails....

[dmurray407]

I've been looking at photos of Nerite and Mystery snails and they are beautiful. I want some. I know nothing about keeping snails happy so give me your best advice for these critters. I have a 60 gallon freshwater community tank, I'm slowly adding some plants and driftwood. If I can't find them locally, is it OK to buy them online? Any suggestions for reputable snail "dealers"? 

 

[CT_]

I think a good choice, and the official forum answer, for online is aqua huna.  the main co-op store page has a 5% off code too:

https://www.aquariumcoop.com/pages/live-fish

[eatyourpeas]

Things to keep in mind with Mystery snails is they are escape artists, so a tank cover is a must. Also, their tentacles can be quite enticing to critters that like to nip. They are very graceful and quite beautiful to watch, very enjoyable indeed.

Nerites are also fun, but different. A bit less flamboyant, and some people are bothered by their eggs, as they will stick to surfaces. I have had mine for over a year, and they are fun and great at eating algae. I purposely grow algae so they can have food in the tank. 

[dmurray407]

On 10/3/2021 at 1:33 PM, CT_ said:

I think a good choice, and the official forum answer, for online is aqua huna.  the main co-op store page has a 5% off code too:

https://www.aquariumcoop.com/pages/live-fish

I didn't know they had snails-looks like a good selection. Do snails need to be quarantined like fish?

[Guppysnail]

Mystery snails are easy and fun. They like ph above 7 and hard watervvif you are lower or not real hard no worries just watch the shell for signs of erosion. They need calcium and magnesium in their diet ehich can be obtained through fresh blanched veggies or no salt added canned ( mine’s favorite is steamed fresh green beans) algae wafers and repashy. They do need supplemental feeding and dont do well on leftover fish food and algae alone. 
i only have one nerite. He patrols hard surfaces glass and devor. I never see him eat anything but algae. I think occasionally he may nibble veggies but i cant confirm. He will not touch commercial foods ive tried most contain meat protein which he does not like. I often worry he doesn’t get enough but he is active. Same thing with ph and calcium for nerites. I have raised many mystery snail clutches so if i can answer any questions please ask. 

[StockEwe49]

As @eatyourpeasalready said the main difference is how they lay eggs. Mystery snails only lay eggs when there are 2 or more in the same tank. They lay them above the water line only, in one big mass. The nerite females lay eggs everywhere tiny white ones. Apparently, they can be hard to get off of plants but I've never kept Nerite only mystery snails(my pfp 🙂). Also I think the nerites don't have long antennae like mystery snails do.

[Cisa]

I walked downstairs this morning to find a surprise first clutch of mystery snail eggs! One bemused youtube search later and I've got them set up to incubate and we'll see what happens

Edited October 3, 2021 by Cisa

[Beccs410]

I've become a recent convert from the anti-snail camp, as @Guppysnailknows. I got my first Nerite (Zebra Nerite named Roomba) in July and fell in love with him. He's my only Nerite, so no "sesame seed eggs" to deal with as of the moment, which tells me he, indeed, is a he. He only eats algae and won't touch algae wafers, blanched veggies or anything of the like. He's a very picky critter. He has long, cute antennae that he curls up under his shell when he goes to sleep. It's quite adorable. They're very thin, so they're hard to see sometimes.

Roomba lives peacefully with a Golden Mystery Snail named Cuzco in my 14 gallon. He's my latest addition to the family. I absolutely love Cuzco, too. Mysteries have got to be one of the most adorable creatures on the planet. I love their little antennae and how they seemingly glide across anything they're traveling over. Their little faces are just too precious for words. I actually just ordered another one--this one is a Jade mystery. When I first brought Cuzco home, he was also very picky. But, now that he's settled in, he's eating almost anything I throw in the tank. He loves blanched zucchini, Hikari Crab Cuisine, Repashy Soilent Green, and Hikari Algae wafers. I've been using a Nano Banquet Block to add some extra hardness to my water, which stays at a pH of 7.5, gH of 14 now and kH of 5. The Mysteries like to have some good places to nap where they feel comfortable and hidden. Cuzco loves my ceramic pleco cave and a 3D printed cave I bought off Etsy that has a viewing window so I can still see him. He also loves to sleep among the plants in the shade. So, I'd for sure make sure you've got some hidey-holes for them!! I don't quarantine my snails, but I do acclimate them and rinse them off with tank water, just as an extra precaution. Some people quarantine them, it's really just up to you and what you're comfortable with!!

[H.K.Luterman]

Nerites are awesome little algae eaters, but yeah, their eggs can be annoying. Here's a pic.

I've found that if it's on wood, you can scrape them off easier than off rocks - on rocks they still leave little white dots. I've had my nerites for years and I like them, but I'm not a fan of the eggs, and will probably not replace them when they pass on. 

Definitely get some mystery snails! I think they are the cutest of all the snails, and they come in so many colors. They eat A LOT though, and hard water and calcium supplements are very, very important. 

Here's one of my favs.

[dmurray407]

On 10/3/2021 at 5:54 PM, H.K.Luterman said:

hard water and calcium supplements are very, very important. 

I got that covered!  My pH is around 8 and my gH is crazy high. 

 

I think I would find the Nerite eggs to be a little annoying-does anything eat them?

 

[Jeltz]

I have had mixed emotions with nerite snails. I have had 10 gallons with 1 that constantly dropped eggs everywhere that never hatched. I have a couple in a 100gal and hard water with zero eggs ever. The last was well water from the south sound.

[Guppysnail]

On 10/3/2021 at 7:03 PM, dmurray407 said:

 

I think I would find the Nerite eggs to be a little annoying-does anything eat them

Unfortunately not ☹️

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

As far as personality, hands down Mystery snails are THE BEST, such characters and easy to watch. Clean up crew? Meh they kinda suck at it if I'm frank about it. I forgive them for that though. Their shells IME are much more sensitive than those of my Nerite friends I've never seen erosion on my Nerites but sadly do see some deterioration on my Mysteries. 

Nerites only lay eggs if they're female of course. Some sources will take back females if you ask about it before purchasing. Of my 9 Nerites only ONE turned out to be female and I LOVE her (and all the rest of them). I actually have embraced the white dots she leaves everywhere. They will never hatch as they need brackish water. I've noticed they tend to fade over time. My tanks were never cleaner before my little hard working Nerites, check out my Angry Man tank- not a spot of algae, all thanks to the 3 spiked Nerites, Lock, Shock and Barrel.

 

Edited October 3, 2021 by xXInkedPhoenixX

[Ken]

Nerites do a good job of cleaning up. In my case I just played musical tanks until I figured out who was putting the white dots all over (I have not embraced them 😉) and when the culprit was identified they to the LFS to find a new home.

[dmurray407]

On 10/3/2021 at 6:14 PM, Jeltz said:

I have had mixed emotions with nerite snails. I have had 10 gallons with 1 that constantly dropped eggs everywhere that never hatched. I have a couple in a 100gal and hard water with zero eggs ever. The last was well water from the south sound.

Maybe I could be that lucky......

On 10/3/2021 at 6:49 PM, Ken said:

Nerites do a good job of cleaning up. In my case I just played musical tanks until I figured out who was putting the white dots all over (I have not embraced them 😉) and when the culprit was identified they to the LFS to find a new home.

 It's too bad they don't clean up after themselves 🙂 I'm lucky-I have a granddaughter who will take just about anything I offer her....

 

[Chad]

I started with Nerites, loved their shells and seemed like better algae eaters. But the eggs, they seemed super glued to whatever surface they were laid on and they covered my tank. Swapped out for some mystery snails and i love em! Lots of fun to watch, they move pretty fast and mine like to climb up the side of the tank and drop to the bottom. I’m sold, love those snails!

[Jawjagrrl]

I have a zebra nerite snail in each of my tanks and really enjoy them a lot! I also have quite a few bladder snails from plants too, all are welcome cleaners. They live about a year and are a nice addition and low bioload. I did get mine online and they are ok, but do have small holes in their shells 😞 I'd do aquahuna if I were to get more. They don't bother my plants and provide bemusement for my bettas.

[Tanked]

Here is what little I know about Nerites.  Doing a little Nerite research yesterday revealed that their many more types than what you find in the LFS, so do some research.  The internet says they live for a year or two.  I have two tigers and two zebras, that are 3 yrs. old.  @Torrey has a pair of 10yr. olds.  They are athletic, bridging the gaps between plants, and riding them down to the substrate, or riding the floating plants.

They are explorers, will rest for hours, and can live for days above the waterline.  Mine have never actually left the aquarium, but I have found them in and on the HOB.  At least one of mine has disappeared for a week or more only to be found climbing out of the UGF.  I have hard water and algae, and that seems to be enough.  For me, the only downside to the Nerites is the egg laying.

[sairving]

I have a nerite in my 10 gallon.  She leaves eggs all over the place but at least with nerites, one does not multiply into 500.  My understanding  they need brackish water to reproduce.

[Brandon p]

On 10/4/2021 at 11:12 AM, sairving said:

I have a nerite in my 10 gallon.  She leaves eggs all over the place but at least with nerites, one does not multiply into 500.  My understanding  they need brackish water to reproduce.

Yes the need brackish water for the eggs to hatch. There is a few simple ways to control mystery snail production. Keep the tanks filled as high as you can. If you have a problem with filling up you just take the egg cluster down.

this tank the mystery snails have no where to lay eggs

in the next the mystery snail have plenty of room to lay you can see some in the back left

in the last you can clearly see the egg clusters. There are 5 clusters. I let them hatch so I can sell them. If you didn’t want more snails the eggs clutch second from the right is new a day or two old. You can just break the off and toss them out and no moss extra snails. Before I sold them I would only let one hatch a year. I did it a special way to grey the biggest survival rate. A lot of fish will eat anything that fits in its mouth and a snail falling from the top   Will be eaten but they lay some many so some survive everytime.

[Guppysnail]

On 10/4/2021 at 12:54 PM, Brandon p said:

Yes the need brackish water for the eggs to hatch. There is a few simple ways to control mystery snail production. Keep the tanks filled as high as you can. If you have a problem with filling up you just take the egg cluster down.

this tank the mystery snails have no where to lay eggs

in the next the mystery snail have plenty of room to lay you can see some in the back left

in the last you can clearly see the egg clusters. There are 5 clusters. I let them hatch so I can sell them. If you didn’t want more snails the eggs clutch second from the right is new a day or two old. You can just break the off and toss them out and no moss extra snails. Before I sold them I would only let one hatch a year. I did it a special way to grey the biggest survival rate. A lot of fish will eat anything that fits in its mouth and a snail falling from the top   Will be eaten but they lay some many so some survive everytime.

I’m envious my snails ate all my frogbit repeatedly 

[Brandon p]

The same can’t keep up I give quite a bit to the African cichlids that I never see them eat it but it’s always out it’s always gone out of the tank

[dmurray407]

On 10/4/2021 at 10:12 AM, sairving said:

I have a nerite in my 10 gallon.  She leaves eggs all over the place but at least with nerites, one does not multiply into 500.  My understanding  they need brackish water to reproduce.

So you don't need a male and a female to get eggs?

[Brandon p]

On 10/4/2021 at 1:30 PM, dmurray407 said:

So you don't need a male and a female to get eggs?

You do need a male and female to reproduce nitrile snails. The females can lay eggs like a chicken with no rooster. She will leave al those eggs for the male to fertilize later in brackish water. As for the mystery snails

https://www.aquariumcoop.com/blogs/aquarium/mystery-snails

[dmurray407]

On 10/4/2021 at 12:39 PM, Brandon p said:

You do need a male and female to reproduce nitrile snails. The females can lay eggs like a chicken with no rooster. She will leave al those eggs for the male to fertilize later in brackish water. As for the mystery snails

https://www.aquariumcoop.com/blogs/aquarium/mystery-snails

Thanks!