# Zebra Nerites breeding?



## Yeaulman (Jun 23, 2005)

Ok so I am VERY baffled right now. I didnt think that these snails reproduced in captivity. I have had my shrimp tank and nerite snail tank up and running for about a year and a half. My shrimp are breeding like crazy and I have one Zebra Nerite in there. 

I was looking at the tank glass tonight and noticed 6 or 7 specs moving. I got out the magnafiying glass and they looked EXACTLY like the nerite, but just more transparent. I have not added any new plants nor have I used any equipment on the tank from other snail infested tanks for about a month. Do I actually have baby nerites or am I just dreaming?

BTW the tank is a 10g with eco complete and 6.5wpg. There is no CO2 and I dont fertilize. The PH is about 6.8. The temperature is 78F.


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## PlantsAndMe (Apr 3, 2005)

You might have it, you might not considering nerites are not known to reproduce in freshwater. Do you have algae in the tank with that 6.5wpg?


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## Yeaulman (Jun 23, 2005)

The tank is crystal clear with no algae what so ever. I do have a bristlenose pleco in there that is maybe an inch long right now. No hair algae also 

Anyone have anything else to offer in words of advise? Where can I get more info on this?


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## Afyounie (Aug 10, 2007)

Baby nerites don't start out looking like the parents. They are limpets and grow their shell eventually. Also nerites sexually reproduce, so only one nerite is not going to reproduce. I would add a few more and get rid of the bristlenose since when the nerites hatch they get eaten by pretty much everything. I've heard of shrimp even eating the limpets.


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## Yeaulman (Jun 23, 2005)

well right now they are about 2 or 3mm across


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## Melody (Apr 15, 2004)

I'm afraid they're not Nerites. As mentioned, they need a partner to breed and increased salinity for the larvae to survive. They'll lay eggs in freshwater but the eggs don't hatch. Physid babies would look similar so maybe that's what you're seeing.


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## Yeaulman (Jun 23, 2005)

And how would I get those physids in there? This tank has its own equipment (net, gravel vac, etc..) so there is no contamination from other tanks.


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## ombcat (Sep 23, 2004)

I have managed to breed the zebra nerite snails in freshwater- you need more than one as there must be a male and female. Also you will find small white eggs laid on the glass, plants,driftwood, rocks scatter over the tank . As they begin to hatch around 21 t0 28 days, the eggs turn an amber color and darken as they approach leaving the egg shell. When hatched they are through out the tank. Unfortunately mine either died or were eaten by my panda corys. It was a year before I managed to get them to lay their first eggs. 
wilma


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## milalic (Aug 26, 2005)

Nerite Snails do breed in FW. Some of them have been found isolated in FW lakes which have no access to the ocen. So they must reproduce.

They do need a male and female like wilma said and reproduce better in a tank with no predators.


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## Afyounie (Aug 10, 2007)

I have had my olive nerites breed, and the larvae have survived, but I never see the larvae again after the first time. I collected mine from a freshwater river here in Florida. Definitely, if you want to raise these you need a tank with no other animals but nerites, since shrimp will eat baby nerites if given the chance.


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## Melody (Apr 15, 2004)

It's a broad range of species so it doesn't surprise me that some manage to breed in freshwater. Perhaps it isn't salinity so much as a mineral presence or something similar, kind of like Mollies & the salt myth. I've never seen it documented in freshwater though so it would be great if some breeders could get pictures and post an article. The only documentation I've seen was with increased salinity on Applesnail.net. A partner is definitly required though.

As for Physids, they arrive on plants and get transferred with nets, etc. There are also bug larvae that spend their first stage in the water so that could be what you're seeing as well.


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