# nerite snail eggs



## evercl92 (Aug 14, 2006)

I got 8 of these guys about a week ago. The snails laid some eggs on the glass already, 2 clutches, about 15 eggs each.

1) I assume I can remove them with a razor blade? If I can get the eggs off of the glass without destroying them, I read they need a full salt tank to develop.

2) What salt brand is recommened and at what concentration? I plan on setting up a 2.5 gal tank for them, nothing fancy.

3) When / if they hatch what do they eat?

4) Do they have separate sexes or are they hermaphroditic?

TIA


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## redstrat (Apr 3, 2006)

I'm not to familure with nerites breeding... but I do have a little history with marine aquaria. 

you will need a tool called a hygrometer to measure the specific gravity of the water, this will help you determine the correct salt concentration. you could probably buy some of that instant ocean salt mix or really any of the normal salt mixes at the LFS. Since you wont be using any of the elaborate filter setups they have, you might be doing a lot of water changes. Also always remember that when you top off evaporated water you need to use clean fresh water, not salt water because the salt will not evaporate only the water so you need to replace just the water. I'm not sure how sensative the eggs are but you might also want to consider using distilled, RO/DI, or DI water to be sure there are no traces of copper or other things in the water. oh yeah you might also need a little bag of aragonite to buffer the PH of the water and add Calcium, not sure how imporant that is for nerites. 

I hope that helps at least a little to get you started.


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## sarahbobarah (Sep 5, 2005)

In addition to davis's post about saltwater, I would suggest using pre-made saltwater since your tank is so small. It will help with the maintenance.

If you really want to try and raise nerites, I would also suggest putting in something the snails can lay eggs on that's removable - a piece of slate, or rock. That way, you won't have to resort to scraping with a razor blade. 

Good luck.


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## evercl92 (Aug 14, 2006)

thanks for the info. Turns out they are corydora eggs....

See post here


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## Shrimp&Snails (Mar 27, 2006)

Nerites tend to lay their eggs one at a time with some space between each. The eggs look like white-ish sesame seeds.

In my experience the females are always larger than the male, mating takes place in the same way as apple snails mate...the male holds onto her side while she happily scoots around the tank.

The eggs are very difficult to remove and I like the idea of leaving a rock or something for her to lay on which can be tranferred into the brackish/saltwater tank. 

Good luck with them.


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## toddnbecka (Sep 20, 2006)

The eggs do need full salt to hatch, the larva are difficult to raise. Apparently they're free-swimming, and feed on "green water" (microscopic algae and other organisms). Most of the eggs laid will be eaten by the snails if left in the tank.


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## Shrimp&Snails (Mar 27, 2006)

toddnbecka said:


> Most of the eggs laid will be eaten by the snails if left in the tank.


I wish that was the case in my tanks.....I have a piece of bogwood that's practically polka dotted lol.


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## toddnbecka (Sep 20, 2006)

Add another type of snail to eat the eggs; MTS are great for cleaning up infertile fish eggs, but don't eat the healthy ones. I would expect them to do the same with nerite eggs.


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## Shrimp&Snails (Mar 27, 2006)

I keep mts, asolene spixi, a viviparus, an apple snail, a bn plec and various shrimp in the tanks.

I noticed a couple of eggs were half eaten in the tank with a. spixi so perhaps they chewed on them....or the bn plec.


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