Care Guide for Nerite Snails - Aquarium Co-Op

Nerite snails are excellent algae eaters that won't breed out of control on your aquarium.
🐟 Check out our main channel: / aquariumcoop
🌱 Buy plants, lights, food, chemicals and more from our online store: aquariumcoop.com/
📕 Want in-depth articles on freshwater aquariums? Visit our blog: aquariumcoop.com/blogs/aquarium
🦐 Searching for that respectful community to talk about fish? Join our forum: forum.aquariumcoop.com/
WHO WE ARE
------------------------------------------------
At Aquarium Co-Op, we focus on your aquariums. We specialize in freshwater tropical fish, aquatic plants, and the overall betterment of the freshwater fish keeping hobby. Our goal is to help you with your first pet fish and graduate you to an advanced aquarium hobbyist. If you'd like to take it to the next level, subscribe to us and check out our weekly videos.
Cory McElroy is employed by Aquarium Co-Op LLC. He also owns Aquarium Co-Op LLC. Therefore, all content is sponsored by Aquarium Co-Op.
0:00 - Intro
0:13 - What have I learned about Nerite Snails?
0:27 - Nano Banquet Food Blocks
1:05 - How to prevent cracked shells
1:49 - Nerite snails are scavengers
2:51 - Nerite snail tank mates
3:01 - How to know if there is enough Calcium in the water
3:24 - Nerite snail predators
4:05 - Have a lid on your aquarium
4:32 - Severe shell damage
5:05 - Different types of nerite snails
5:30 - Nerite snail care tips
6:15 - Outro
#Aquarium #FishTank #NeriteSnail

[@AquariumCoop2]

*🔔 Don't forget to subscribe for more awesome fish keeping videos: **kzbin.info*

[@DaniBibiana]

I have a question - I recently purchased mine and it keeps burying itself into the gravel. I saw him doing that and he disappears. I haven't seen him all day today. I am getting worried. It is normal behavior? Please help.

[@cloud9lktra]

Hi Cory , i have a nerite snail but she hasn't moved ,and her shell looks like the one you pointed out it's she'll is damaged . What should I do ,?? I've had her 4 days .

[@DAdam-fo1md]

Done! 🐌

[@stephanieguyot]

I love my red racer nerite snails. They make me so happy when they make an appearance in the tank. The fact that their shell looks like a tire ran over them is just so cool. Nature makes the coolest stuff. My little boys get a kick out of them too. Cars, boys, and 🐌 ....perfect combo.

[@Nicole-tt3xu]

This comment & your boys are so adorable! Congrats on a happy beautiful family. I just have my rainbow baby in October, Elijah James ♥️🥰 so happy I had a baby boy, and a healthy happy one at that! Have a beautiful thanksgiving Stephanie

[@dbloskidelros]

You should do an internet search for nudibranchs (salt water slugs that come in a myriad of vibrant colors)

[@jaxa5719]

I have had one in a ten gallon for over five years, pH 8.2. Shell is great, have never supplemented calcium because my water is rock hard. Long may he continue, love the little guy.

[@MorphedWombat]

I’ve never had any luck with snails.. so here I am lol

[@lacrosseguy108]

@@MorphedWombat im on and off with snails lol. i bought 7 and 3 died but the ones that all look the same are doing amazing. the ones that died all looked like differnt shell types like all black and lightning bolts. even found a malaysian trumpet snail i think i got from a plant but hes just been cleaning since ive noticed him and not breeding so hes alright lol

[@MorphedWombat]

@@lacrosseguy108 I might try some trumpet snails in my betta tank to clear up some dead plants I have in there so.. I still have zero luck with snails (I just haven’t gotten one since) so I may give it another shot

[@lacrosseguy108]

@@MorphedWombat hopefully if you get some youll have better luck, i got 2 nerites the other day and got a free bladder snail with it , just noticed it today

[@kasieleow9608]

I rescued a nerite snail that needed me. I let the pet store person pick it out. The pet store is horrible with it's animals. It's a fish pet store and I saw how they treat them. It breaks my heart. I rescued him. And want to help him get back in shape. Thank you for letting me know everything about them. I needed your video. I have him with my Betta fish. And I hope he will be ok with him. Because of how he never was cared for properly. Neither were both my Betta fish from that place.

[@Sunset.in.the.desert]

I've had my 3 nerites for 5 years so far

[@gailcousins9609]

That is Awesome!

[@JC-ps2zy]

How big are they mate

[@Sunset.in.the.desert]

@@JC-ps2zy only the size of a quarter

[@JC-ps2zy]

@@Sunset.in.the.desert I just got 8 of these for my tank they are little worker bees aren't they ive been in hobby for years and never kept snails but always liked the patterns of the zebra nerites n the deep oranges and browns and yellows they have i hope mine live for 5 years

[@Sunset.in.the.desert]

@@JC-ps2zy just make sure to feed them they vegetables and I'm sure they will. Check out rabbit snails they are an awesome looking snail.

[@GabbyRocio]

I got my first one and, wow, I heard they were good cleaners, but it's beyond I could've imagined.

[@Forgot3nBurrito]

That explains why my tank doesn’t get the calcium deposits right above the water level anymore. Great video

[@strayiggytv]

My water is so hard if you jump in a pool you'd die from impact lol all my nerite snails always have perfect shells. Also if you want to give them a fun treat blanch a frozen green bean and toss it in. They flippin love a good green bean .

[@THandP_org]

Cory, like you said in the livestream today, framing is important. For all the people who say "of course he says that because they sell it" they have forgotten what has made the Co-op successful: You **will not** sell anything that doesn't meet your quality requirements. So of course you are going to talk about what you sell, you wouldn't sell it if you wouldn't use it. You take better care of your fish than many people take care of their families. Thank you for raising the bar.

[@DevonDowner]

I love nerite snails so much!! Thanks for this video.

[@lemonblossom0]

my sweet betta leaves all the invertebrates alone. It's nice to be able to keep my favorite animals together without issue but he's an exception.

[@glenncolin7038]

Now I know why one is always looking good.

[@flsplendorio]

First time viewer of your channel. Fantastic, cant wait to watch more!

[@patriziabeaucage258]

Thats what those little white pods are on my tank!! Its been making me nuts trying to figure it out. Thank you

[@austinmorales6260]

Got one nerite in a 29 gallon. She laid eggs all over drift wood. I’m relieved they won’t hatch. I also use wonder shell to get the water where it needs to be for my snails. Great info in this video!

[@aje8790]

Glad to see species spot lights even on things I’ve already kept

[@carlroberts9347]

Great informative video! It'gonna help me look after my Nerites better!

[@ioana9320]

Genius that with photo. Thank you very much

[@karinabissonnette95]

I love your videos. While watching this video a bladder snail of mine laid its eggs on a ramshorn snail.

[@slurpyman20]

Great tips Cory!

[@RJVortex]

Cory love you man next v-log regarding nerite snails breeding. thank you for giving us such a information!

[@blueartille]

I just got nerites a few days ago so this is perfect timing

[@marypaigeflynn4512]

Thank you for this Cory🐌❤️🙏

[@andrewspeedyatkinson]

Thanks guys loved the video

[@gardenmatic8178]

Love snails...thanks for the tips

[@Soopro88]

Love Cory, dudes a fish keeping legend.

[@mrva99]

Agree 100%. He’s a wealth of knowledge

[@LaggasaurusRex]

That borderlands music at the end is forever burned into my brain XD

[@MasterPhotographer]

This was good insight!

[@LeeDfined]

I love my Nerites...I only have 2 but they have been with me for almost four years now.

[@brendamiller8398]

Great video! I didn't know they would eat the shells of other snails! I've been doing things to up the calcium but I need to do more..

[@JesiDavisBuildingaSimplerLife]

Very helpful, I need some of those banquet blocks. We just keep one a tank, 3-10 gals

[@Pricelistsell]

Take a picture - Brilliant!

[@mitchpaul3904]

Thanks for the care guide. I like nerites a lot. I don't mind putting up with the white dots. I wonder if that other banquet block you were feeding is one you guys are working on. It was in a Coop branded bag. :-D Keep up the good work!

[@DeFreeseAquariums]

Great video, Question would one need to use the food you showed, if using the wondershell?

[@AlysonGreeneOfficial]

I just found this channel, and I’m so ready to binge! 😂

[@Jeffdoeswhat]

Always good info

[@ChallengetheWild]

They're the best!!

[@Joshuakoffmansculpture]

Thank you! Can you recommend any other sources of calcium? Or food?

[@karlahernandez752]

I have 3 nerite snails with my betta and they live peacefully. The snails are so fun to watch. My OG snail is a tiger named igora and I have had her for 5 years.

[@StarParticleShade]

Thanks for this! We just got 3 Tiger Nerite snails for our 30 gallon tank. One is already cruising around things and eating, our big one is climbing, and one is hitching a ride on the back of the big one because they're lazy, I guess? They all have immaculate shells and the place we got them from is a small-owned business, so their stuff is always top quality. I'm excited to see how they do with our tetras. So far, they're pretty happy it seems. There is definitely algae for them to munch on, as the tank has recently finished cycling with all the plants and gravel and stuff now settled. We have a female betta, but she is blind and doesn't do much other than swim at the top, and feel for my finger at feeding time. She also like to "ride" the waterfall from the water filter. She'll just loop in circles until she gets tired. So I don't think she'll be a problem for them. Poor thing. I found her hidden behind some bird food at a Petsmart with green water, and I was like "You're coming home with us. This place is terrible, whoever hid you back here is terrible!" They almost didn't let me buy her, but I am glad they did. We got her at the beginning of December, and already her color has brightened, she swims a lot more, and she's an eating champ! We named her Siren because I swear she was calling to me. We were looking at female bettas, and I just happened to see her silver flecks of scales moving juuuuust in the back of my peripheral vision. I saw her, I fell for her instantly, and she is my special girl, one of Poseidon's finest to be sure!

[@wyrmiii]

I hope she's still alive, and if not, that she had a wonderful life! I've just gotten my first tank and am preparing to rescue whichever the saddest female betta is in my store as well-- I actually already considered calling her Siren, but now that I know there's already a badass female Siren out there, I'll have to find a new name for my own >:D Thanks for sharing-- I'm in a similar position with getting my snail from a small business, so I'm hoping to have similar results!

[@Liz-M]

Thanks Cory 😍

[@Mina-so8su]

Thank you

[@joelarthurng1530]

Well done!

[@deflepardfan09]

You should do a care video on bamboo shrimp and vampire shrimp!! 🥰

[@carrielange2692]

I love my little dopey nerite snails. They are master escape artists and I've found them in crazy spots on the floor so many times. I know for sure they've been out of the water for well over 24 hours before. But they just seal themselves up and pop right back out after putting them back in the tank. I have a suspicion one was out for up to 48 hours once... If you didn't know, you'd be tempted to throw them away thinking they were dead. I now do a snail inspection every morning!

[@ESF19791111]

LOVE THIS VIDEO :) THANK YOU FROM ISRAEL :)

[@anirajstha]

Awesome!

[@anouksurmenian4257]

5:05 underwater hand talking is the mood 😆

[@sonofaquack6987]

The craziest thing to me is the hundreds of random pond snails I mysteriously got after not putting anything in my tank for months eat more algae than my 2 nerites do lol

[@kentsfish9761]

Thanks

[@kellyd3364]

I have 3 Nerites 🐌 & I love 'em. They look great, & they're hard workers! My favourite one is a male zebra who's stripes are so bright yellow in contrast to the black stripes that I call him my little bumblebee. 🐝 😊 Funny thing though... his stripes were evenly going in one direction when I got him, but now he's almost doubled in size, & his stripes have decided to evenly grow out in the opposite direction. 👀 No idea why the drastic change in pattern, but man it looks so cool!! 😍 Lucky I suppose, that the water where I live is VERY hard. 👍

[@LOSADM02]

Hello, how can you tell it's a male?

[@kellyd3364]

@@LOSADM02 Nerite snails don't hatch eggs, unless they're paired in brackish water.

[@kellyd3364]

The females lay little sesame seeds all over the scape... As far as I know, you'd notice that

[@deanmorier5353]

I had some Nerite snails in my Mbuna tank, and they did well until the Mbuna got to be about 4 inches long. Then they started to disappear. Great snails and I like that they do not reproduce in freshwater.

[@flamingbridges1649]

Got 5 of these guys to help with my alage problem. Only issue is they are tiny. I've had one before but she was fully grown when I got her.

[@emilyann4549]

I am so excited to get these snails! I live in the the high desert and the amount of minerals in our water is crazy! So crazy our dishwasher stopped working because of calcium build up. Haha anyways, I've been looking for an algae eater and I just know these beautiful snails are gonna love my local water! 😍

[@axlem.6977]

I love your marimo tank. That's a goal of mine

[@phreakerbythespeaker9902]

I'm feeling a video to address the massive manatee in the tank that is the moss ball issue?

[@whitneyblack85]

I was thinking the same thing

[@alexpierce3466]

He made a video about it, it's only viewable from the link on their website.

[@gailcousins9609]

Cory this video was very informative! I had nerite snails in the past and they would live at least 2 months in the tank with my betta and otocinclus catfish. They would eat the algae and clean my tank well. I have to increase their calcium intake. Luckily I have two olive nerite snails that have lived past six months.

[@ericiranon54]

Wow, thanks for the info, I love them , though I dont own a Nerite, I have lots of Ramshorn and the other, I dont know its name, I just love them.

[@HaveAHollyDayArts]

Hi! I have a 10 gallon tank with goldfish and tend to get some algae build up. I bought two black racers after finding they would help and cohabitate. Are the nano blocks safe for my goldfish as well?

[@Biggins81]

Will adding calcium blocks increase the ph and kh in the water? If yes could you guess at how much? My ph is 7.4 and kh is roughly 50ppm. Also will the shell heal itself if there is damage?

[@daytimetundra7757]

Would the pleco tablet work too?

[@ianprososki6804]

Any tips on getting eggs to hatch? Iv had them in my brackish tank and have had eggs for 3 months. Salinity is 1.08. good calcium levels too

[@MasterBlakeYT]

I am wondering, do they add to the bio load that much? Because my tank is pretty well stocked, maybe even a little overstocked. I do good cleaning algae off of the glass, but I need something to eat it of of the plants or decorations. If I get 1 or 2, will they add to much to the bio-load, or will I be fine?

[@ajithleochandy5504]

Do nerite snails do good in sand substrate?

[@pollyfoxx7994]

We love our nerite snail 🐌 aka snailman. Thought he died a couple of times but nope! Lol amazing lil creature. Does Aquarium Co-op sell snail food? Thx

[@sebaen867]

Hi! I have a problem with Snails: How long does the "No Planaria" preparation work? I have a shrimp tank, I added this specific because got Planaria in the aquarium at the beginning of January. Unfortunately, when they let the Neritins in at the beginning of March, they did not survive for more than a few days (2 snails). Could this planaria remedy last so long? I do a water change of about 20-25% every week. Greetings from Poland!

[@JW-dc8hk]

Are those Nano calcium tabs okey to use in freshwater tanks which have both snails and shrimp? Thanks

[@remhk6672]

I have stable ph 7.6 from my tap. My nerites are thriving. I notice the black racer nerite likes to graze off of leaves from live plants a lot. My other ones only on glass.

[@mitikaization]

What about having a planted tank where you have a PH below 7? how much should that calcium block raise the PH?

[@cjma482]

I have hard well water. It is about 8 on my test strips. Should I still supplement calcium for my snails. I leave the shells of the dead snails in the tank as well. I also feed a rotation of shrimp food to my snail only tank.

[@Jeschitown]

Can you use egg shells for calcium?

[@Schxndr]

Luckily my betta is similar to a dogs behavior (acts tuff but super loving) it’s really curious about the snail but I think (it’s been about 2 hours now) that the betta is somewhat use to its new tank mate. Didn’t get an algae eater because I only have a 2.5 gallon tank

[@chia_pet7121]

If they are attacked by bettas, what snail do you recommend for lower Ph containers? Could you just put in cuttle fish bones in the tank, or does that break down differently? Also, I was tempted to put queen bee numbers on the snails so I could keep track of the various snails, especially the ones that are male or female.

[@Midnightwolf1333]

Mystery snails and ramshorns always end up with shell lines in my tanks, but nerites always look flawless. I've got a 7.8 ph and even end up with calcium buildup in my tanks, but for some reason only nerites have no issues.

[@Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

calcium blocks are the way to go, or you can even drop a piece of cuttlebone (made for birds) in there for the snails to eat.

[@kimfroman2023]

Is the calcium blocks okay with betta?

[@amandawitherspoon5225]

Is the calcium block safe for cory catfish? My snails are needing some.

[@richardhedges3416]

Corry can you tell me a good snail for a tank with a lower PH with Oscars etc

[@ludwigiapilosa508]

You can use two part reef epoxy to repair their shells.

[@aperson336]

Cory just forgets his hand is in the tank

[@nancypants711]

I have some snails, (originally it was only one but somehow multiplied) and i can't tell what they are. So im tryin to do research so that I can care for them

[@JesiDavisBuildingaSimplerLife]

What about water temp?

[@cindywood2089]

Should I quarantine them before putting them in my established tank? If so, should I use the meds trio and can I have guppies in there along with them for the quarantine?

[@apss5736]

one of the best snails

[@sciencetopics7053]

will the shell regenerate?

[@Mayberry1410]

Dumb question but I’m tryna keep my daughters snails alive, do they thrive in any temperature water? Or does it have be specific temps?

[@Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

if my nerite ignores the calcium blocks (and wafers, and blanched veg, snello, etc) i put in there, does that typically mean that he's getting enough food? I worry because the glass looks clean; he's been all over the tank. Yet he insists on continuing to try to clean the glass even when the calcium block (made specifically for snails) is in there. The mystery snail, however, ALWAYS drops whatever he is doing and races to the block.

[@deusexaethera]

Out of curiosity, would plain Tums work too?

[@_Danielle_2020_]

I seen a guy doing big glass jar aquariums for snails and they looked so pretty .. is it ok to use a big jar and just put a couple in ? And some pretty plants .. also I'm from uk as far as I know we're not allowed mystery snails.. what's the biggest aquatic snail we can have in the UK ?

[@paydent7270]

Does the calcium affect the fish in the aquarium

[@soarer209]

Is that calcium tab safe for Betta fish?

[@larryhenry719]

My nerites had babies

[@winklepicking3202]

We’ve had ours for a little over 5 years, we give him snail food, but not specifically calcium, maybe we have high calcium in our water? He’s doing pretty well he has a little white spot on the tip of his shell that’s always been there, his tank mate recently died a giant ranchu, so we’ll be moving him from a 150L tank to a 10L tank, I hope it goes well, as he’s at such a good age. Would you recommend still trying him with calcium?

[@carvedwood1953]

Are you guys still selling/using marimo moss balls? They are so cool the zebra muscle thing was a shame.

[@jackoghost]

my nerite crawled into the sponge filter, guess it like bubbles since i put nerites in my tank i never have to clean the glass

[@waterlover]

Good thing I watched this now I’ll know when I get some to get them calcium

[@mbieber6663]

So if there is no visible algae the nano banquet blocks would do the trick?

[@mightyseagoat6874]

I loved your video and the tanks. But ... now it is pretty cold where I live and the flat plastic heater is not enogh for my nerite Is it safe to use those glass tube autmatic heaters ... 25watts ... I AM REALLY AFRAID THAT MY NERITE WILL CLIMB IT GET BURN AND DIE. I mean, they cant jump off the way mistery snails do., please help Thanks and have a nice day

[@RampartPh]

I just got 4 racer nerite snails. Hope they's stay a long time w/ me

[@korpakukac]

A couple of my snails just disappeared from the shell, found empty shells laying on the gravel... I see the same in the fish store where there aren't even fish that could maybe eat them

[@darcylyon1870]

Will the shells heal?