Nerite snails

[Critterlvrok]

Really would like to get a snail. I'm leaning towards a Nerite snail. Is it true they don't reproduce in FW? I don't want one that will reproduce as I am careful when feeding to make sure I do not over feed however the husband often breaks his "grounding" and feeds the fish because "they look hungry!". I've recently been threatening to start breaking fingers if I catch him just dumping food straight into the tank from the food container. Sorry I digress, do Nerite snails reproduce rapidly? Are they designated sexes? Or asexual? And most importantly what is their bioload? I love shrimp but in my 20g tank I have 2 killi so shrimp are out. I need some guidance as my lfs keeps talking me out of snails. Can you believe that?

 

[picture_117]

I'm not sure about their bio-load, but! They need saltwater to reproduce, they need a mate, and they go great in your tank! I have one in my tank with shrimp and guppies. So even if it was male+female they couldn't reproduce, they can't reproduce alone, and even if they were to lay eggs they don't hatch it FW so you wouldn't have extra snails.

 

[CatmanDru]

A Nerite snail won't reproduce in FW because their offspring won't survive in freshwater. They have male and female (they are NOT hermaphrodites).

I can't make an authoritative statement about the level of their bio-load. However, I've read that other people feel they have a low bio-load. Also, it seems they would have a lower bio-load since they are small, don't seem to move quickly even for snails whcih maybe indicates a lower metabolism, and prefer eating algae which is low in protein/nitrogen.