Hawaiian Pipipi snails in freshwater aquarium?

[RamonM]

Aloha,

I live in Hawaii and we cannot import Nerite snails. However, we have several native species. The one I see at the beach all the time is the pipipi. See Hawaii News Archive - Starbulletin.com.

Now, I want to try to introduce some into my freshwater tank. So my question are:

What precautions can I take to make sure I don’t introduce a pathogen with them?

Any other considerations?

Thank you!

[earhtmother]

My first concern would be can they survive in a freshwater aquarium when they are a saltwater snail? Might have to do a

[earhtmother]

According to the article they are strictly a marine snail

[Autumnsky]

Maybe you can find some locally bred freshwater snails from a hobbyist.

[RamonM]

Nerite snails, bred in salt water, are sold for freshwater aquariums in the US mainland. They are voracious algae eaters and don’t reproduce in freshwater, which is a plus for me.

The pipipi is not endangered, it’s plentiful in our beaches. So I have no problem in picking a couple and putting them in aquarium freshwater to see how they do. My worry is if I should worry about pathogens that may come with them.

[Autumnsky]

Can you find a stock or actual pic from online for us to see?

[RamonM]

Some pictures

[Autumnsky]

https://www.google.com/search?q=oliv...jPHxAMM:&vet=1


It seems to look more like these...
https://www.saltwaterfish.com/produc...il-group-of-10

As for pathogens... Many people keep the snails in QT for a sort of long time before using them in a tank. Changing all tank water a few times. I have heard 3 months. and others more like a month. This is a specific issue I have no direct experience in, so I would default it to others with actual knowledge.

Though most pathogens which live in SW environment do not cross over to freshwater. Again specifics would need to be verified.

My main concern is that these are not the same snails as FW nerites.

More FW nerites pics online of course, Zebra, Tiger, Tire track, Horned, Olive (pic above) Black, Sun, Crown of thorn, Bumblebee, red or black racers.

If these Pipipi snails can transition to FW, then you might need to change their salinity gradually. Good luck with your project.