Nerites climbing out suddenly?

[jessibell]

I have 2 nerites that usually live in my fry tank, but the tank is dismantles for the time being. I am keeping them in a one gallon container with some live java moss and feed them a bit of fish food and pleco blocks (which really gum u8p the water) I keep the water changed weekly and they have been fine in here for quite some time - but now both of them are leaving the water and resting sometimes several inches above the water line. Nothing as changed, and even when I give them fresh water they still stay up there. I kn0pw nerites come out sometimes but is there something wrong or here, or is this normal? Do they need aeration or heat? I am fond of them and want to make sure their needs are met.

 

[Vircomore]

The first two things that come to mind:

1. Not enough oxygen. Without some sort of circulation, a jar of water is going to lose more oxygen than you're replacing with weekly water changes.

2. The jar may actually be cycling. Even though it's not an aquarium, any isolated body of water that is gettin ammonia from snail waste or unearth food, may start to cycle - and the snails may be running from the ammonia or nitrites.

 

[jessibell]

Thanks, I figured it was something along those lines. I put them in a new container and washed out the old one, and added an airstone and submersable heater and they are scooting around in it just like their old selves. I'll have to change the water more often to keep it up. It's just a temporary home till I fire up the fry tank again.