Nerite Snail for 55 Gallon tank

[subramn]

I am trying to add few nerite snails to my 55 gallon tank. how many is recommended size.

i have few guppies and tetras.

2 or 3?

please recommend.

[Hobbit]

Are you going for a heavily planted tank? Or are you planning on having driftwood? Trying to figure out what your algae eating needs might be 🙂

[subramn]

@Hobbit

medium planted tank no drift wood , plant based substrate.

[Phirefase]

I have a couple nerites in my 20g and they are great algae eaters, but they will leave eggs everywhere. It is especially annoying on the glass. Personally, because of that I would go with a different snail like mystery snails. On how many, my 2 nerites couldn't keep up with the algae in my tank (slightly planted, lots of driftwood, and it does get direct sunlight as well as a nicrew light, so I might have an outlier tank). Currently I have 4 mystery snails in addition to the 2 nerites and they seem to keep all the algae at bay. You could try adding 4-6 snails at a time, see how they are doing and reevaluate every couple weeks to see if you want more.

[Jim O]

I've often seen a recommendation of one snail per each five gallons. I wouldn't treat it as a hard and fast rule, but it's probably a reasonable guideline. I have nerites in three tanks, and I'm just a bit below that ratio. I've started at about half that level and just added a few until they seemed to have any algae or diatoms under control. And I move them around from tank to tank as needed.

I agree with the other poster, Phirefase, who is annoyed by the eggs. I also find them quite annoying but I'm willing to accept them as the tradeoff for the algae eating.

I also have some mystery snails and I really like them--they're bigger, prettier, and more fun to watch than nerites. But they just don't do the algae-eating job that the nerites do.

[subramn]

thanks, which one is less annoying, on reading forums it seems like nerites  doesn't leave eggs on fresh water and mystery snails lay eggs. isn't not true then?

I am confused. better then i go with mystery snails

@Phirefase @Jim O please advice

[Dandy Pearl]

@subramn If you are getting snails just to get snails, then I'd start with only a few. If you are getting them to help with an algae problem, then get some more!

I have heard about nerite snails leaving eggs, but I have not seen them. I think the fish and/or other snails in the tank are likely eating them. You won't need to worry about nerites getting out of control as they breed in salt/brackish water.

I actually keep both nerite and mystery snails. Like people, snails have an appetite for different algae. That's why I keep both. I had some green algae and the mystery fixed that, then got BHA. The nerites helped with that.

I like the contrast and variety of species in the tank as well. You have the small slow nerites and the big mystery 'cruisers'.

Good luck in your snail search!

 

[subramn]

@Dandy Pearl Thank you for your response

[Phirefase]

3 hours ago, subramn said:

thanks, which one is less annoying, on reading forums it seems like nerites  doesn't leave eggs on fresh water and mystery snails lay eggs. isn't not true then?

I am confused. better then i go with mystery snails

@Phirefase @Jim O please advice

The eggs are still laid, but they don't hatch. Mystery snails lay eggs above the water and you can look up how to hatch them or just remove them fairly easily.