I have a 10 gallon planted aquarium with one betta fish in it, and I was hoping to get one or two nerite snails soon. This will be my first time having any type of snail other than Pest snails that came into my tank through the plants, so I’m wondering if anyone here has cared for nerites before and has any tips? I already did quite a bit of research on them, so I know the basics of how to care for them, but any information would be helpful to know before I get them. Three things in particular that I was wondering about, is what would I need to buy for them before I go out and get them? I already Know that I will probably need to buy some algae wafers, but it there anything else that I will need? (such as a good cave for them to hide in) and also, what cave would you recommend? I have had my new tank for over a month now, and I can’t ever seem to find a good cave or hide anywhere! My betta used to really like his old cave, but it wasn’t the safest, so I would like to get him a new hide. And then my second question, is how do I pick a healthy nerite from the store? Is there anything to look out for? My last question Is that I have heard that they can very easily escape aquariums, so you have to make sure you have a good lid. I do have a good lid for my aquarium, but there is a gap in the corner of the lid for the filter tube and the wire for the heater…I will put a picture of the lid below, do you think the nerite would be able to escape from this small of a gap? Also is there any abnormal behaviour to look out for when I introduce them to the tank? Any other Tips would also be helpful! Thanks.
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New betta owner
Hi, my nerites will only eat algae, not pellets. So, you’ll just want to make sure they have enough algae to feed on. They are very strong snails and just do their thing peacefully. I love my horned nerites
if you want to try wafers (not sure they’ll eat them) but these are awesome and all natural. My ramshorns go crazy over them. But like I said, nerites primarily just eat algae. You can find cuttlebones on Etsy too, if it’s available for your location.
Mineral Squares for Shrimp Crayfish & Snails 2 Oz Calcium - Etsy
This Pet Treats item by Fishzombie has 34 favorites from Etsy shoppers. Ships from San Bruno, CA. Listed on Sep 22, 2023
As for adding chemicals - you’re absolutely right and I wouldn’t risk it. I’ve never had issues with my nerites or any snails carrying diseases. I would slowly introduce tank water into the container your snails came in over a half hour or so to acclimate them to your water. If you have Indian almond leaves, when introducing snails to a new tank, I usually place them on top of a floating leaf next to the glass and let them enter the tank at their own pace.
I hope this helps! They are amazing little critters!
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