# Nerite snails unhappy/dying



## Bushkill (Feb 15, 2012)

I'm just tagging along on this one since I have very similar issues with mystery snails, and recently with Japanese trapdoors. Even bladder snails are a challenge, but they do multiply. I think my issue with bladder snails is simply food supply to an extent. But the few times I added mystery snails, they didn't get past the 24 hour mark. That's just too fast for food to be an issue. So I'm just here to see what thoughts come across on this, since I'm equally stumped.


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## JMN16150 (Jul 21, 2012)

I can't offer too much of my insight in the problem, because I don't test for PH and Gh, etc. I remember my dad getting our water checked t both by wal-mart and petsmart, with bothstating we have hard water, with a lot of calcium. I have a planted tank with 75% tap water and 25% RO water(for diluting the minerals and extra calcium(or so I think). My nerites wonder about happily throughout the tank, but aren't happy and sit in one place when I don't add enough of the hard tap water. Keep in mind, Nerites are evolving from salty, oceanic life to freshwater life, so therefore(or so I would think) Nerites would like a bit of a higher GH/PH level to keep their shells strong. Nerites are exttemely sensitive, more so than apples,mysteries, and bladders, ime. My nerites tend to crawl out of the water when they sense something they don't like and come back when happy again. Nerites are also short lived, with a common life span of about 2 years. Your store could possibly be selling weak/old nerites.


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## schnebbles (Jan 10, 2015)

i lost a mystery this week. Wondered why too. I feed mine food and I'm sure they get plenty to eat. My nerites are ok tho.


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## Yukiharu (May 3, 2014)

Having similar issues with my nerites. I dosed the tank last year for planaria, but did water changes after that and the other snails are alive.


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## Jetbo (Feb 23, 2012)

I had the same issues as Yukiharu. I dosed panacur to kill off a planaria problem and it took like 6 mouths before the Narite snails acted normal in that tank again. I keep a close eye on one Narite I tried to reintroduce before the 6 mouth mark and he just would head for the rim of the tank to get out of the water. The other "pest snails" were not as sensitive to panacur as the Narites seem to be.


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## Snipe (Mar 7, 2010)

I'm having a similar problem, but it isn't from treating the tank.

My LFS uses RO water which is fine, but they don't re-mineralize (sp?) the water, nor do they feed their snails. So needless to say, unless you get them as soon as they come in, their shells are a mess and they're not in the greatest of health. 

Out of the three I bought a few weeks ago, I lost one. The smallest of the three has been meh for the past few days, but is still hanging on. And the the healthiest of group is also doing okay. I keep introducing different kinds of foods to the tank in hopes that they'll figure it out.

I bought 3 more nerites from somewhere else last night for my 10 gallon. Their shells look good and they're active, so I'm hoping I'll have better luck.

I have soft water out of the tap. To keep their shells healthy I have added pieces of cuttlebone and use Kent's Liquid Calcium, along with leafy greens, ect...


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## Yukiharu (May 3, 2014)

I'm trying really slow drip acclimation and it seems to be working so far. Also raising the pH to above 7.3
Might want to try the same...
How much of a pH fluctuation do you get at night?


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## Snipe (Mar 7, 2010)

Shoving food in their face also seems to help.

The one nerite I have left from the first 3 I bought has been chewing on a piece of blanched zucchini all day. I made it a point to move the zucchini around this morning until he latched on to it.

I took one of the 3 I bought the other day for the 10 gallon and parked him in front of the same piece of zucchini in the 29. He is now happily eating as well, but it took several hours and zero movement to get there. 

*I'm using 'he' as a general term.


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## bsantucci (Sep 30, 2013)

Fairly certain it's co2. I've never had any luck with nerites in co2 injected tanks. They end up slowing down in a day or two and then just dying.


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## jeffie7 (Jun 28, 2006)

But if it's a CO2 issue how come the original snail did fine in both a DIY CO2, then fine when it went to injected, and fine as I moved it to the 2nd injected tank.

Although sadly I did find my good snail dried up on the floor yesterday =( I haven't changed any settings and waters been solid, he was a work horse and will be missed, I think he went a tad bit too far up, something he's been known to do. I'm surprised he hasnt jumped sooner since I have a rimless tank.

Back to the original topic, the snail I moved from downstairs up to the other tank is still alive, just hangs out in one spot and does nothing, I keep thinking hes dead but, nope, still going. by going I mean not going... but alive.


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## jeffie7 (Jun 28, 2006)

Update. Snail still hasn't moved but is still alive. 

Tank glass is getting dirty


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## Laika (Jul 23, 2015)

You guys are really going to need to post your tank readings,

ammonia
nitrites
nitrates
ph
tds
gh/kh

or we are all guessing.


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## jeffie7 (Jun 28, 2006)

Laika said:


> You guys are really going to need to post your tank readings,
> 
> ammonia
> nitrites
> ...



I did other than TDS. 

My cherry shrimp are still shedding like crazy all seems well outside of the snail.

Reason I started this thread is because I'm lost as to what could be causing problems since everything seems good water wise.


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