Nerite snails are an increasingly popular addition to aquariums, as their appetite for algae prevents overgrowth in the tank's vegetation. While their natural environment is coastal environments, aquariums with driftwood, rocks, and shade plants such as plants that provide shade are perfect environments for these algae-grazers to flourish in. Nerites snails are highly sensitive to changes in nitrate levels so it is vital that regular water changes take place to maintain optimum parameters in their tank environment.
This snail cannot breed in pure freshwater as its proper development requires brackish water - semi-salty or saltwater with higher GH and KH levels than freshwater). But you can still enjoy their presence by moving their eggs to an incubator tank and rearing them until they emerge as adults.
Once the adult nerite snails have reached maturity, they can be moved back into your tank where they will reproduce - females laying eggs while the male fertilizes them - unlike most species of snails which are only hermaphroditic, they produce either male or female offspring!
Calcium is essential to supporting healthy shell development for nerite snails, and providing them with plenty of it can be done through adding calcium substrate or adding products like Seachem Equilibrium into their aquarium environment.
Feed snails small amounts of plant-based diet, such as kale and spinach leaves or algae wafers. Feed them 2-3 times each day in order to ensure their health and avoid overfeeding them. Copper can be toxic for invertebrates so refrain from giving your snails foods that contain copper as these can harm them.
