Nerite Snail Reqs
- Thread starter Dwohlge1
- Start date
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If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
"Hard Water" refers to the General Hardness (gH) or Carbonate Hardness (kH) of the water.
You can buy tests for both gH and kH - but chances are if you are filling your tank with tap water - and your house doesn't have a water softener system - you're water will be hard.
You can buy tests for both gH and kH - but chances are if you are filling your tank with tap water - and your house doesn't have a water softener system - you're water will be hard.
The reason snails like Hard Water is because the water contains more carbon and calcium which combined with the food they eat - allows them to build strong shells.
Soft water can tend to cause their shells to grow weaker or get holes in them.
Soft water can tend to cause their shells to grow weaker or get holes in them.
Not that I know of - but there are two easy alternatives:
1. Cuttlebone - These are the bones of cuttlefish, and are normally sold in the "Bird" section of pet stores because people give them to their birds to wear down their beaks. If you wash it and then half-bury it in the gravel, the snails can come over and enjoy.
2. Those "weekend feeder" / "aqua-vitamin" pyramids. Those pyramids are made out of silicates and carbonates that slowly dissolve in the water, which can help the snails.
Either way - unless you're putting a Nerite snail in extremely soft water with a PH near 6 - they shouldn't have a problem. Just make sure that a little extra fish food gets their way (or hook them up with a bottom-feeder wafer every so often)
1. Cuttlebone - These are the bones of cuttlefish, and are normally sold in the "Bird" section of pet stores because people give them to their birds to wear down their beaks. If you wash it and then half-bury it in the gravel, the snails can come over and enjoy.
2. Those "weekend feeder" / "aqua-vitamin" pyramids. Those pyramids are made out of silicates and carbonates that slowly dissolve in the water, which can help the snails.
Either way - unless you're putting a Nerite snail in extremely soft water with a PH near 6 - they shouldn't have a problem. Just make sure that a little extra fish food gets their way (or hook them up with a bottom-feeder wafer every so often)
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