Helan Posted October 4, 2021 Share Posted October 4, 2021 I saw this guy at a store near where I live , what is it , and is it compatible with a betta maybe? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xXInkedPhoenixX Posted October 4, 2021 Share Posted October 4, 2021 (edited) Hi @Helan, that is a yellow spiked Nerite snail (also called Tiger Eye). They are great little tank cleaners (females leave behind hard white eggs on plants, glass and other surfaces that are hard to clean off some people don't like that but they do not hatch in fresh water, some fish stores will take back females but inquire before you buy). They should be ok with a Betta, the only concern with snails and "aggressive" fish is they can sometimes harass them- some fish mistake snail antennae for worms- especially with Mystery snails. Thankfully Nerites have very small ones and aren't usually a problem. I've kept them with bettas and they did fine. It depends on the personality of the fish! 🙂 Edited October 4, 2021 by xXInkedPhoenixX 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helan Posted October 4, 2021 Author Share Posted October 4, 2021 On 10/4/2021 at 5:50 PM, xXInkedPhoenixX said: Hi @Helan, that is a yellow spiked Nerite snail. They are great little tank cleaners (females leave behind hard white eggs on plants, glass and other surfaces that are hard to clean off some people don't like that but they do not hatch in fresh water, some fish stores will take back females but inquire before you buy). They should be ok with a Betta, the only concern with snails and "aggressive" fish is they can sometimes harass them- some fish mistake snail antennae for worms- especially with Mystery snails. Thankfully Nerites have very small ones and aren't usually a problem. I've kept them with bettas and they did fine. It depends on the personality of the fish! 🙂 So I plan to get a betta in a 10 gallon so how many should I get? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ARMYVET Posted October 4, 2021 Share Posted October 4, 2021 Once you have a good algae source built up 2 in a 10 gallon Would be plenty 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xXInkedPhoenixX Posted October 4, 2021 Share Posted October 4, 2021 They usually say 1 Nerite per 3 gallons. Those are typically pretty small. Potentially you can have 3. Nerites don't generally eat a lot of commercially produced food- so you might want to wait until your new tank starts to develop algae before you put them in there. The concern is the snails need enough food and most tend to stick to eating algae, biofilm off the surfaces of your tank. I have 3 spiked Nerites in a 20 gallon and they keep that tank super clean. On a rare occasion I see one of them on the cucumber I leave for my Otocinclus. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helan Posted October 4, 2021 Author Share Posted October 4, 2021 Great thanks for the info guys Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xXInkedPhoenixX Posted October 4, 2021 Share Posted October 4, 2021 My nerites are less than the diameter of a dime. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ARMYVET Posted October 4, 2021 Share Posted October 4, 2021 On 10/4/2021 at 5:57 AM, xXInkedPhoenixX said: My nerites are less than the diameter of a dime. Wow those are small…mine are a tad bit bigger than a nickel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xXInkedPhoenixX Posted October 4, 2021 Share Posted October 4, 2021 @ARMYVET my "typical" Nerites- zebras are bigger. The horned ones look like they're characters from Jim Henson's Labyrinth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xXInkedPhoenixX Posted October 4, 2021 Share Posted October 4, 2021 Literally @ARMYVET these guys: 1 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ARMYVET Posted October 4, 2021 Share Posted October 4, 2021 On 10/4/2021 at 6:06 AM, xXInkedPhoenixX said: Literally @ARMYVET these guys: That is awesome...LOL If I get to do the 150 gal display in my living room like I want to....I want to get a bunch of different Nerites ….once I grow a poop ton of algae and biofilm that is...LOL Amazing how they don't take to supplemental feeding like other snails do! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helan Posted October 4, 2021 Author Share Posted October 4, 2021 So basically I don’t need to feed them , just let them do their thing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ARMYVET Posted October 4, 2021 Share Posted October 4, 2021 I feed my shrimp and mystery snails that are in the smae tank and they all come running for the food but my Nerrite never does. He just keeps on plugging away. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guppysnail Posted October 4, 2021 Share Posted October 4, 2021 On 10/4/2021 at 8:02 AM, Helan said: So basically I don’t need to feed them , just let them do their thing? I try to feed my guy but no go. If there is not enough algae they do poorly. Mine only traverses hard surfaces glass wood occasionally substrate. Have never seen him on a plant. This is why I keep him alone in a 29 because I’m not great at growing surface algae. But mine is a 🐷 and is bigger than a nickel almost the size of a quarter . 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colu Posted October 4, 2021 Share Posted October 4, 2021 On 10/4/2021 at 1:02 PM, Helan said: So basically I don’t need to feed them , just let them do their thing? You could add a mineral block to help with shell growth 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GameCzar Posted October 4, 2021 Share Posted October 4, 2021 On 10/4/2021 at 8:45 AM, Colu said: You could add a mineral block to help with shell growth Yeah I like to supplement my snails with wondershell. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helan Posted October 4, 2021 Author Share Posted October 4, 2021 I heard of people using eggshells does that work? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jawjagrrl Posted October 4, 2021 Share Posted October 4, 2021 (edited) I got something similar for mine, zebra nerites (no horns) and am really enjoying them as much as the fish and shrimp! They do get largish (mine are almost quarter sized) and enjoy being on my glass and wood, occasionally rocks. It's fun to watch their mouths as they move along 🙂 edit: I have one in each 5 gal betta tank, no issues. Their antennae are fine enough that they don't get bothered like you might have with a rabbit snail, etc. Even my mean shrimp killing betta leaves this guy alone 🙂 Edited October 4, 2021 by Jawjagrrl 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GameCzar Posted October 4, 2021 Share Posted October 4, 2021 On 10/4/2021 at 9:17 AM, Helan said: I heard of people using eggshells does that work? I've heard it works for calcium, but I've never tried it personally. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Odd Duck Posted October 5, 2021 Share Posted October 5, 2021 My horned nerites are the only ones I’ve ever seen on a plant and that only a few times. Usually they’re on wood, sometimes on glass or substrate. Limpet nerites (AKA marble limpets) really like the glass and will even work the glass down to about their body width below the substrate. Other nerites (zebras, red racers, yellow racers, olives) mostly work the wood and some on the glass or substrate. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torrey Posted October 5, 2021 Share Posted October 5, 2021 On 10/4/2021 at 3:57 AM, xXInkedPhoenixX said: My nerites are less than the diameter of a dime. 👀 Ummm.... I want pictures of the itty bitty nerites. They sound adorable! For size comparison Uggh, hit reply too soon. The picture is of Houdini, my nerite I was bequeathed (one of two) who absolutely will not eat anything besides algae and biofilm. The streak behind him is the instantaneous eradication of algae that *was* almost 3/4 of an inch high. Houdini is strong enough to open aquarium lids and go on walkabout, so he now resides in the 4' tank with a locking reptile lid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torrey Posted October 5, 2021 Share Posted October 5, 2021 On 10/4/2021 at 7:09 AM, Guppysnail said: I try to feed my guy but no go. If there is not enough algae they do poorly. Mine only traverses hard surfaces glass wood occasionally substrate. Have never seen him on a plant. This is why I keep him alone in a 29 because I’m not great at growing surface algae. But mine is a 🐷 and is bigger than a nickel almost the size of a quarter . @Guppysnail what kind of nerite is your guy? He looks like Watson, whose pseudopod is bigger around than a quarter. He ate all the hair algae I put in the 10 gallon, and is now happily cleaning the silicone anemones of biofilm. So yes, they will clean non hard surfaces. I'm wondering if this has anything to do with me finding him on his back🤔 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guppysnail Posted October 5, 2021 Share Posted October 5, 2021 (edited) On 10/5/2021 at 3:08 AM, Torrey said: @Guppysnail what kind of nerite is your guy? He looks like Watson, whose pseudopod is bigger around than a quarter. He ate all the hair algae I put in the 10 gallon, and is now happily cleaning the silicone anemones of biofilm. So yes, they will clean non hard surfaces. I'm wondering if this has anything to do with me finding him on his back🤔 Mine is an olive nerite. His foot is marbled. Light grey with dark marbling. I’ve only had him since May of this year. I found him at a big box and could not resist. He was so tiny when I got him about dime size. Algae either does not grow great in my tanks or my other kids pig it down before I see it. Only occasionally will i see some on plants. My source water has grown brown diatom on glass surfaces since I bought this house over 20 years ago. Nemo leaves the cutest zig zag trails through it and eats it voraciously. Edited October 5, 2021 by Guppysnail Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helan Posted October 5, 2021 Author Share Posted October 5, 2021 On 10/5/2021 at 2:59 PM, Torrey said: 👀 Ummm.... I want pictures of the itty bitty nerites. They sound adorable! For size comparison Uggh, hit reply too soon. The picture is of Houdini, my nerite I was bequeathed (one of two) who absolutely will not eat anything besides algae and biofilm. The streak behind him is the instantaneous eradication of algae that *was* almost 3/4 of an inch high. Houdini is strong enough to open aquarium lids and go on walkabout, so he now resides in the 4' tank with a locking reptile lid. Wait I need a lid?, I better quickly get one ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guppysnail Posted October 5, 2021 Share Posted October 5, 2021 No lid or forgetting to close the lid 🤦♀️Results in walk abouts leaving snail trails like these. On 10/5/2021 at 5:04 AM, Helan said: Wait I need a lid?, I better quickly get one ! I had to find my old post to retrieve the unsaved picture 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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