# Nerite behavior question...



## Bert H (Mar 2, 2004)

For those of you with olive nerites... I find that my recently acquired nerites will occasionally be laying on the substrate 'upside down'. When I first noticed that, I thought it was dead. But then the next day it will not be where I last saw it, and it is actually somewhere in the tank moving around. Is this normal behavior? I have never noticed my pond snails doing this.


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## BryceM (Nov 6, 2005)

I'm curious about them too. I put four in my tank and they all disapeared within a week. I thought they had maybe gone 'over the wall' but they never turned up on the carpet anywhere. A couple of days ago two of them suddenly re-appeared. It's only a 46g - there aren't that many places to hide. I wonder if the other 2 are in there somewhere.


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## Jane in Upton (Aug 10, 2005)

I've seen this as well. It also happens with zebra nerites. My own theory (and ONLY a theory!) is that it is related to their energy levels. When well-fed, or first introduced to a tank with some algae for them to graze, this does not seem to happen very often. This behavior seems to present when the algae is pretty much gone. I've noticed this type of snail's activity level is closely correlated to how much it is eating, and I have come to think that the nerites, while excellent algae eaters, DO need to be fed. 

I keep a few of each type in a tank where I regularly toss in an algae wafer late in the evening before lights out. If a start-up tank (or any other, for that matter) has an algae outbreak, I'll transfer them into that tank, and they do a great job at cleaning it up, especially the green spot and brown "glass" algae (or diatoms?) that show up in new setups. Lots of activity (for nerites) and lots of egg production. When I see the egg production decrease, and activity levels decline, I'll move them back to the "keeper" tank. If I miss one, and it remains the lone nerite in that tank, that's OK. I just think that the food supply "runs out". I also think that the reason I see them on their backs is that they're too weak to right themselves without great effort. If low on energy, they have to rest a lot longer before they're up to the task. I lost several of the tiger nerites early on, and the ones that were on their backs frequently (I recognized the shell pattern, as I'd gotten very "different" ones) DID perish, until I wised up and started feeding them specifically. From my own observations, I've seen little to no getting "stuck" on their backs when I'm feeding enough. Also be aware that they do not seem to have a very tough operculum, so are quite vulnerable to even innocently-inquisitive fish when on their backs. 

I kind of think of nerites as the Pandas or Sloths of the snail world. They slowly graze, continually, consistently, but are not capable of large exertions, and so by nature are slow, and in a constant state of barely getting enough energy to carry on. 

Now, granted, I may be off base about this. I have not researched their physiological repiration specifially. But I do know that I have only lost one nerite (and I'd had that one quite awhile) since I started paying attention to feeding them, or making sure that the population density was able to be supported by the food available. (They are NOT good at competing with the ramshorn snails, either). 

While they are GREAT at eating algae, I think of them as the "start-up crew", and a pretty invertebrate to be fed blanched zuchinni or algae wafers when they're not "on the job". 

Hope this helps!
-Jane


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## Shrimp&Snails (Mar 27, 2006)

Some nerites are naturally brackish or saltwater and will escape freshwater whenever available.

Not sure if olives are brackish...I keep tigers.


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## Round Head (Feb 28, 2006)

I notice this too, but lucky for me I added them before I added the plants and found their secret. Two or more would stick together in a clump doing naughty things for a long time.


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## Shrimp&Snails (Mar 27, 2006)

I finally got to see a pair of mine doing it too.op2: [smilie=l:


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## baysideben (Jan 13, 2006)

they fall off the glass on mine when i turn on the lights....then they land however they will...


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## TexasRock (Feb 28, 2006)

My Tigers bury themselves in the substrate... so if you are missing some of yours just give them a bit to get hungry... they'll come back out.

Mine must do the naughty  A LOT [smilie=l: because I always have egg clusters in my tank.


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## will5 (Oct 26, 2005)

*Hi*

If they are on the gravel up side down then they fell off the glass. Now I have a ten gallon with 4 olive nerites in it and hey seem to disappear. These guys are for one small and fast and they can get into the smallest of spots. They are not gone just cleaning where you cant see. Olive snails are not brackish snail and they will breed in fresh water. Now if you see them out of the water which mine do quite often then its because they are looking for more food/algae. But no fears they never go to far away from the water. As they need it to live. so in short they are still in you tank and cleaning but they seem to blend in very well and it can be hard to see them at time in a planted tank.


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