Hard water. Do I need to supplement calcium?

[Mottoman216]

Planning on getting some nerite snails for my freshwater tank. I know they need calcium for their shell to be healthy.

Question: My tap water is hard being from Ohio. Around 130ppm TDS. Will that be good enough for them without supplementing calcium?

 

[Autumnsky]

What is your tank pH? Usually providing foods with calcium and adding a Cuttlebone are what is normally done. Nerites often spend the most of their time just on glass and rocks and often do not eat much fish food.

Are you able to check KH - it is more useful to have a calcium content in water. TDS measures all the solids which can include water treatment chemicals as well.

 

[Mottoman216]

My pH stays around 7.2. my test kit doesn't have anything to test KH unfortunately. Ive blanched and froze some slices of zucchini to supplement. Clerk at LFS told me to buy some wonder shells for the snails. I bought a few to test. Have you any exp with them?

 

[Mottoman216]

What is your tank pH? Usually providing foods with calcium and adding a Cuttlebone are what is normally done. Nerites often spend the most of their time just on glass and rocks and often do not eat much fish food.

Are you able to check KH - it is more useful to have a calcium content in water. TDS measures all the solids which can include water treatment chemicals as well.

This video helped, thank you! I'll have to get some new testing equipment for the future. I'll be supplementing their calcium with veggies and cuddle bone or wonder shells.

 

[Autumnsky]

The video was good to help me understand it better too. This all wouldn't have occurred to me without the mention!

Not any specific experience in Wondershells.

They have people who swear by them. Probably good minerals will dissolve into the water and inhabitants can nibble on it. I have used something similar in my SW nano tanks.