# Olive Nerite Spawn In Freshwater



## Round Head (Feb 28, 2006)

I thought the Olive Nerite snails do not spawn in fresh water; however the last couple of days I saw small white eggs on the glass. Can anyone shed some light on this? I'll try to get some pics and post it later.

Thanks.


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## MrSanders (Mar 5, 2006)

You will get lots of eggs from them, mine always put eggs all over but they will not hatch in fresh water, I believe they either need brackish or full strength salt to hatch


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## Round Head (Feb 28, 2006)

OK, thanks.
They look too white to be good eggs.
So is it possible to aclimate them to brackish/salt water to get some more going? I think these snails are excellent algae eaters but my batch seem to have bad shells.


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## Bert H (Mar 2, 2004)

There have been some reports of nerites hatching in tanks. I think a couple of folks on the board here have claimed that. Perhaps they can chime in on this.


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## plantbrain (Jan 23, 2004)

How far do you live from the salt water Bert?

Cause there are plenty of Olive nerites in the Santa Fe River at High Springs.

I highly doubt they swim down that riverm then to Suwanee out to the coast in their life times, then crawl back upstream............

Common sense will tell you they obviously bred there in pure freshwater.

Regards, 
Tom Barr


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## milalic (Aug 26, 2005)

they do breed in freshwater


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## Round Head (Feb 28, 2006)

milalic said:


> they do breed in freshwater


Have you breed any in fresh water before?
Are their eggs scattered about or in clusters because what I see in my aquarium are scattered pure white eggs. I actually saw on being born in front of my eyes. Looking at them again a few minutes ago I can see that a few have hatched or perhaps being eaten by the adults. I don't know, just saw teh eggs ruptured. That would be cool if they indeed can repopulate in fresh.

Thanks


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## RTR (Oct 28, 2005)

I have been told by folks more experienced with them than I am that the offspring require green water to survive/grow in FW. I have not yet tested this myself.

Wilma Duncan also reportedly is bteeding them, but has not published the technique SFAIK.


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## milalic (Aug 26, 2005)

No green water required as far as I have observed.
They will grow in FW.

Cheers,
Pedro


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## JLudwig (Feb 16, 2004)

MrSanders said:


> You will get lots of eggs from them, mine always put eggs all over but they will not hatch in fresh water, I believe they either need brackish or full strength salt to hatch


We have the things in everything from fresh to pure salt (and in between). My wife may throw a few in the reef, see what happens. So far, nothing macroscopic - I'm getting the feeling they may reproduce via a microscopic pelagic stage. I can't seem to keep a green water culture around when I want one, go figure.

Jeff


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## JanS (Apr 14, 2004)

I've heard the olives are one of the few Nerites that will grow successfully in FW.


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## Round Head (Feb 28, 2006)

They do indeed grow in FW because mine is in FW and laying eggs.
But the question remains, "will the eggs hatch in FW?"


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## theteh (Jan 19, 2006)

Mine have laid hundreds of eggs but none of them ever hatched. This is like more than one year now and I can definately say that they don't hatch in FW from my experience, otherwise, I would have had hundreds of baby Nerites by now!


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## milalic (Aug 26, 2005)

I used to have them in a species only tank and the eggs do hatch in FW...at least mine did.

Pedro


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## RTR (Oct 28, 2005)

C'mon Jeff, don't you have any Jobe'd sticks? A piece in a bare 10 with 12 or 24 hr. lighting worked for me for Moina, should do for snail larvae as well. want me to send you some?


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## JLudwig (Feb 16, 2004)

RTR said:


> C'mon Jeff, don't you have any Jobe'd sticks? A piece in a bare 10 with 12 or 24 hr. lighting worked for me for Moina, should do for snail larvae as well. want me to send you some?


A little too late now. The fish room is now a guest room for the summer months, the FW acclimated snails are now all in my planted tank, the SW acclimated ones are in the reef. Kinda strange see the same creature living in both. Perhaps we'll try again next winter.

Jeff


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## Round Head (Feb 28, 2006)

milalic said:


> I used to have them in a species only tank and the eggs do hatch in FW...at least mine did.
> 
> Pedro


Pedro,
How big are the babies when they start crawling around?
I have tons of eggs and the majority of the older ones are now busted open like they were hatched. But I have not seen any tiny guys crawling around yet. The eggs may have died and finally broke open due to decomposition.


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