# Nerite eggs in freshwater



## Red_Rose (Mar 18, 2007)

Either this week or next week, I'm finally getting some olive nerites for my tank and I've read that they will lay eggs. What I would like to know is if these eggs will hatch in freshwater and if they don't, is it bad to just leave the eggs in the tank? I've heard they are difficult to get off of surfaces.

Thank you.


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## cs_gardener (Apr 28, 2006)

If the snails you get are small (young) it will be a while before they start laying eggs. The eggs won't hatch in fresh water and there is no problem with leaving them in the tank except they are rather noticeable. Fresh eggs are darn near fused to the tank. Eventually the eggs degrade or fall off the glass or other snails/fish pick them off and then the residue is easier to clean off. I don't bother trying to get the eggs off my plants, just not worth the hassle.


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## spypet (Jul 27, 2007)

Rose, everything you have _heard_ is true.
in addition, Nerites are heavy snails that
will not be able to clean fine leaf plants.
they are clearly the best algae eaters,
if you don't mind all these minor issues.


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## Red_Rose (Mar 18, 2007)

cs_gardener said:


> If the snails you get are small (young) it will be a while before they start laying eggs. The eggs won't hatch in fresh water and there is no problem with leaving them in the tank except they are rather noticeable. Fresh eggs are darn near fused to the tank. Eventually the eggs degrade or fall off the glass or other snails/fish pick them off and then the residue is easier to clean off. I don't bother trying to get the eggs off my plants, just not worth the hassle.


Thank you. 

I don't think the eggs in the tank will bother me. I just didn't know if leaving them in there would be a bad thing because I'm sure they would eventually start decomposing.



spypet said:


> Rose, everything you have _heard_ is true.
> in addition, Nerites are heavy snails that
> will not be able to clean fine leaf plants.
> they are clearly the best algae eaters,
> if you don't mind all these minor issues.


Is that so? From sites that I've been looking through about them when I was first told about them a few months ago, many people have said they've done a good job at cleaning off algae from all different types of plants from Crypts to plants from the Hygrophila family.


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## spypet (Jul 27, 2007)

Red_Rose said:


> many people have said they've done a good job at cleaning off algae from
> all different types of plants from Crypts to plants from the Hygrophila family.


when they are young and small, perhaps.
but once they are adult >1cm size, they
are unable to moderate their buoyancy as
Ramshorn snails seem to do so easily, thus
they become too heavy for feathery leaves,
thus Nerites are best for low to mid light tanks.
any high light tanks hosting delicate leaf plants
are better cleaned by Amano shrimp, not Nerites.


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