Nerite Snails

[mmckinniss]

I'm looking into picking up some Nerite Snails to do a little algae work, add variety to my tank, and to look pretty. I'm not seeing any recommendations anywhere as to how many work well in different tank sizes. Any ideas?

I'm running a 55g with 3 Swordtails, 3 Platys, and 8 Corys.

 

[Bettafanatic]

Depends on how much algae you have. The more algae, the more you can sustain.

 

[mmckinniss]

Depends on how much algae you have. The more algae, the more you can sustain.

Understandable. Any rules of thumb here, or is it just trial and error?

 

[Rivercats]

I once read from a place that sells that that you can do up to 1 olive nerite per gallon for a spotless tank but I think that is a bit much. I stocked my 220g with about 40 Olive and Tigers. Horned are the smallest, olives mid sized, and tigers get the biggest, but also comes in a couple different colors and patterns. In a 55g I'd do maybe 15 but no more than 20. Also don't clean your tank glass sides very often as nerites also like bio-film. They eat bio-film, green dust algae, diatoms, and green spot algae.

 

[librarygirl]

I have 3 in my 40 and they do a good job. I also have some ramshorns that came in on plants though (I don't like these as much lol). I like the fact that nerites can't multiply but I find their eggs on everything....it can get annoying lol I still like them though.

 

[Rivercats]

I have 3 in my 40 and they do a good job. I also have some ramshorns that came in on plants though (I don't like these as much lol). I like the fact that nerites can't multiply but I find their eggs on everything....it can get annoying lol I still like them though.

When I first got them they went on a laying spree but after that I only get a few here and there and not very often. Do you get alot of them all the time?

 

[librarygirl]

When I first got them they went on a laying spree but after that I only get a few here and there and not very often. Do you get alot of them all the time?

Yep, constantly. I've had them for a while now, got them from Severum Mama on here, probably a year ago maybe. I'll easily have 100 eggs and scrape them off. A few days later, the tank is full again.

 

[Rivercats]

Yep, constantly. I've had them for a while now, got them from Severum Mama on here, probably a year ago maybe. I'll easily have 100 eggs and scrape them off. A few days later, the tank is full again.

I must have lucked out and only got a couple of girls, I might have 20 eggs in the tank every few weeks Or maybe there is something in my tank like using high dosage of glutaraldehyde liquid carbon or the amount of dry ferts I use. It makes me wonder.