My Nerites are having babies...

[Alice T.]

Hello! So a few months ago I bought three nerite snails. They’ve been doing really good, and about a month ago I noticed a baby! I was excited, but confused because I read that their babies only hatch in brackish water. So I just assumed that one of them was pregnant and laid eggs whenever I bought them. Well a few months later and last night I found three new babies! I don’t know too much about nerite snails, nor do I know too much about brackish water. What do you guys think?
I have a 27 gal planted tank with a bunch of platysAttachment 1Attachment 1

[Alice T.]

Originally Posted by Alice T.

Hello! So a few months ago I bought three nerite snails. They’ve been doing really good, and about a month ago I noticed a baby! I was excited, but confused because I read that their babies only hatch in brackish water. So I just assumed that one of them was pregnant and laid eggs whenever I bought them. Well a few months later and last night I found three new babies! I don’t know too much about nerite snails, nor do I know too much about brackish water. What do you guys think?
I have a 27 gal planted tank with a bunch of platysAttachment 320139Attachment 1Attachment 1

For some reason the other two pictures didn’t work

[Aiken Drum]

Are you sure they arent snails that might have hitchhiked in on a plant?

Nerite snails will still lay eggs in freshwater, they look like small white spots and get laid all over the aquarium glass, driftwood etc. You cant miss them. You never mentioned eggs, did you see that?

As you mention, its commonly said that nerite snail eggs will only hatch in brackish water, so if they have hatched in your freshwater set up that's unusual.

[Alice T.]

Originally Posted by Aiken Drum

Are you sure they arent snails that might have hitchhiked in on a plant?

Nerite snails will still lay eggs in freshwater, they look like small white spots and get laid all over the aquarium glass, driftwood etc. You cant miss them. You never mentioned eggs, did you see that?

As you mention, its commonly said that nerite snail eggs will only hatch in brackish water, so if they have hatched in your freshwater set up that's unusual.

I wondered if they hitchhiked, I got some plants the same day I got my snails but I can’t remember what type of snails were in the tank with the plants. I know for a fact that they aren’t Apple snails because they are illegal to sell in my area. Also yes, there are little white eggs all over my tank. AND I just looked in my tank and there are more babies than I last saw. From what I see there are about 8 now... I’m getting a little worried haha... if you need more pictures I can post more!

[Alice T.]

Originally Posted by Alice T.

I wondered if they hitchhiked, I got some plants the same day I got my snails but I can’t remember what type of snails were in the tank with the plants. I know for a fact that they aren’t Apple snails because they are illegal to sell in my area. Also yes, there are little white eggs all over my tank. AND I just looked in my tank and there are more babies than I last saw. From what I see there are about 8 now... I’m getting a little worried haha... if you need more pictures I can post more!

Oh also from what I’m seeing they look just like my adult nerite snails, and from what I’ve read it takes about 20 days for nerite eggs to hatch, and I got my snails I’m December. So I kind of feel like they didn’t hitchhike. I might be wrong though!

[libertybelle]

They hitchhiked. Or their eggs did. If you brought in plants from tanks with snails it would be almost impossible NOT to get hitchhiker snails unless you do something to prevent it (snail killing dip of some kind before adding.)

Unless you are running a brackish or saltwater tank they are definitely not nerites. Many species of nerite can be adapted to various salt levels but they only breed in salt.

[libertybelle]

Also if you look up pond snail online you will see that they look exactly like the picture you posted.