Dying snails?!?
Moderator: Mustafa
Re: Dying snails?!?
Nerites do not need to have visible growing algae to survive. Case in point, when I first set up my 3.5 gallon Betta tank, I put a Zebra Nerite in about a week after setting the tank up from scratch. I never saw it actually eat anything. It wouldn't touch any kind of algae wafer or fresh veggies. It just kept busily crawling around and I saw it defecate a few times so it was eating something. There were only artificial plants until I added a Marimo ball. It lived through the cycle (along with the Betta) and lasted about 8 months which is from what I have read, about all you can expect. They seem to be able to live off biofilm alone for extended periods of time. Do they eat algae? You bet they do. They are especially fond of the brown slime type. I would much rather have a single small Horned Nerite in with my Opaes rather than the MTS which multiply.
Re: Dying snails?!?
In the 50s the snails won't move much, but they should still be ok and start moving when it warms up. And seeing empty shells here and there is normal. Snails are born and other snails die and leave behind shells.
As for which snail to keep...the livebearing snails that are offered here (Tarebia and Melanoides) are hands down most suited for a Supershrimp tank. They turn over the substrate, can live without feeding for months or years just like the shrimp and never overpopulate in a well-run Supershrimp tank that is not overfed. They are actually a good indicator species for how well a tank is run. If you're getting overrun by them, then you're doing something wrong.
As for nerites...they need food...lots of it. Yes, they may starve for a long time, but that's not ideal. Plus...if a big nerite dies in your tank, especially very small tanks, you have a water pollution problem...especially if you don't immediately notice the death.
As for which snail to keep...the livebearing snails that are offered here (Tarebia and Melanoides) are hands down most suited for a Supershrimp tank. They turn over the substrate, can live without feeding for months or years just like the shrimp and never overpopulate in a well-run Supershrimp tank that is not overfed. They are actually a good indicator species for how well a tank is run. If you're getting overrun by them, then you're doing something wrong.
As for nerites...they need food...lots of it. Yes, they may starve for a long time, but that's not ideal. Plus...if a big nerite dies in your tank, especially very small tanks, you have a water pollution problem...especially if you don't immediately notice the death.