feeding zebra/tiger nerites

[merlin777]

I've had a couple of these for about 4 days. One is still dormant (assume its dead) but the other is halfway through eating all the algae in my tank. It's a baby biorb so I don't think it'll be long before it runs out of algae.

What do I feed it when the algae runs out? I've heard they are not too keen on veggies and i've seen the suggestion of feeding algae wafers but also concern that the fish will eat it first and become over fed.

So:
what can I feed them
will it be safe to supplement their diet with algae wafers will that be safe for the cloud minnows and danios in the tank
and
can anyone suggest a suitable brand of algae wafer?

 

[merlin777]

should have said, I have some tetra pleco wafers - would they be okay?

 

[shellyx]

My nerites love blanched cucumber and spinach. I haven't seen mine eat algae wafers, they actually eat the natural bio film in your tank as well

 

[merlin777]

well, I've popped a slice of cucumber in to my freshly water changed (50/50) tank but the nerite isn't interested. It doesn't eat pleco wafers either.

What on earth is it existing on? It travels well enough. Do I assume it's eating a bio film I can't see?

 

[shellyx]

Nerites eat natural bio film like you said so don't worry it's finding food. Out of the five i have only two eat what food i put out

 

[merlin777]

I though i'd report back. The surviving zebra nerite is fine. Much more mobile after I cleaned the tank up. Still not eating wafers or cucumbers etc, though.

Today I put some pea-sized golden apple snails in and they seem very happy but, bizarrely, another type of snail has appeared from nowhere. About 9 months ago, i put a couple of small malasian trumpet snails in but they disappeared and I never saw them again (I'm told they burrow so I wasn't sirprised). Since then the tank has been cleaned and the filter media completely changed. Nothing has been introduced apart from food and small snails (too small to hide the trumpet snails) and I put all my snails in by hand, not tipped in with their water.

So, I have no idea where it came from. I can only assume it is one of the originals which has been hidden for 9 months, much of it in water that killed my other new snails, surived a tank clean and water change and completely avoided being ditched with my old filter media.

Amazing.