Psychlist1972

All over my 55g tropical tank, I have little white sesame-seed looking things. Some are even stuck to the shell of my apple snail.

I looked it up, and they appear to be nerite eggs.

I thought nerites could only breed in brackish water. What gives? ...or is at least one of the snails that I think is a nerite not actually a nerite? (attached pics of two of the three candidate snails, and my apple snail with eggs on her shell)

Pete

Attached Images

	pmb_nerite_01.jpg (182.4 KB, 57 views)
	pmb_nerite_02.jpg (169.2 KB, 57 views)
	pmb_nerite_eggs_01.jpg (160.3 KB, 57 views)
	pmb_nerite_eggs_02.jpg (149.1 KB, 54 views)

CHoffman

Yup, Nerite eggs..lol..I have them all over my 55 as well..They are prolific little things aren't they..lol..The eggs won't hatch though, they need brackish water to actually hatch. You have to scrape them off with a cc or some other kind of hard straight edge. They are actually quite hard to get off. Looks like you have happy snails though!!..It's too hilarious that your apple snail fell victim! Poor thing

Psychlist1972

Hmm. So if I set up a small brackish tank and moved the eggs there, would they hatch, or is it too late do you think?

Pete

CHoffman

I don't know if waiting until after they are laid is too late or not. I'd be interested in finding out though. Let me know if you try it.

SWilkins

I have them all over one of my tanks too and they really are hard to get off of things. From what I read it is really hard to hatch them if it is even possible. I think I read that one person had managed to hatch them but don't hold me to that.

CHoffman

Look at this link
http://www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=108082

Post #5 gives detailed instructions for hatching nerites.
I know several people who breed them but have never even attempted it myself. I know they are MUCH harder then regular snails though. Good luck

pinkfloydpuffer

My nerites leave eggs in my FW and SW tanks too. No babies ever come out of it though

Psychlist1972

Thanks all.

Scraping these off the driftwood will be almost impossible, and since they aren't going to hatch there, I guess they'll just be little white dot decorations.

Pete

kcarmartinez

My son has these in his guppy tank. I actually think they came from the snails he brung home from school. I guess they were the Nerites. I left them alone and the "seed" part has come off but it still left a white outline like I see in one of your pics. I am not sure if we got more of this kind of Snail or more of the kind that came free with plants.
I haven't tried to get these outlines off yet. Did you have any luck?