Nerite Snail Keeps Leaving Tank?!

Okay. So when I first looked into Nerites I saw to leave like half in inch of lip because they will occasionally come up for air. Okay cool. I have had Nerites for over a year now with ZERO issues.
THEN I get in some babies because some of my adults passed away. I have one in my five gallon that will actively leave the aquarium!!! The only opening in the lid is for the filter and it isn't just him slightly out out the tank!! I came home one day and he was on the front side of the aquarium!! Not the back, where the one opening is THE FRONT. I've come home a couple times with him on top of the lid!
I have had over a dozen nerites and this ONE keeps getting out. Has anyone else experienced this?? There is another nerite in the same tank that doesn't do this. Just the one! They have different shell patterns so I know it's the one

 

Okay. So when I first looked into Nerites I saw to leave like half in inch of lip because they will occasionally come up for air. Okay cool. I have had Nerites for over a year now with ZERO issues.
THEN I get in some babies because some of my adults passed away. I have one in my five gallon that will actively leave the aquarium!!! The only opening in the lid is for the filter and it isn't just him slightly out out the tank!! I came home one day and he was on the front side of the aquarium!! Not the back, where the one opening is THE FRONT. I've come home a couple times with him on top of the lid!
I have had over a dozen nerites and this ONE keeps getting out. Has anyone else experienced this?? There is another nerite in the same tank that doesn't do this. Just the one! They have different shell patterns so I know it's the one

Very strange. I just have Bladder Snails so I don't know what to think of this. They sometimes come up for air but I've never seen any of them get any further from the water then being atop the floating cuttlebone in the tank.
When I was looking into snails I read that you can use the abrasive side of velcro to keep them in if you're worried about him getting lost and drying out. Just line any escape routs with it.

 

Very strange.
When I was looking into snails I read that you can use the abrasive side of velcro to keep them in if you're worried about him getting lost and drying out. Just line any escape routs with it.

I may have to. I thought it was a one time weird occurance, but no, it is every couple days. Every time I've either pushed him back into the water or picked him up and plopped him back into the tank and been fine. But I'm scared he'll explore farther and I won't find him

 

How are your nitrates doing? I haven't had any snails full on escape but I have had them be out of the water for long periods of time and the one thing correlating with that was high nitrates. Snails are so weird though I don't understand them at all they do some super crazy stuff as evident here XD

 

How are your nitrates doing? I haven't had any snails full on escape but I have had them be out of the water for long periods of time and the one thing correlating with that was high nitrates. Snails are so weird though I don't understand them at all they do some super crazy stuff as evident here XD

That was my first guess. I tested after he did it the first time and they were good. Did a water change anyway. Still did it a the next day! And there is a second nerite in the tank that doesn't! Do I just have a rebellious nerite?!

 

Setting any aquarium issues aside that might make it feel the need to escape......your snail...aka Houdini....could be the perfect subject for a children's book, telling stories of your snail's many adventures and explorations outside his glass bubble....just a thought of a snail's eye view of the Great Escape might be fun

 

The one on the right is little Houdini. He be a butt. I have now done two water changes and triple tested the water in the aquarium and NOTHING is wrong. He is just a butt. The shell on the left is just pretty and is from one of my first nerites.

 

He just wants to travel.....see the world.....maybe try out next door's aquarium.......

Or maybe he is lovesick and the love of his life is in another aquarium and he desperately wants to be with her.....has it never occurred that he might be in luuuuuuurrrrrrvvvvvveeeeeee

 

Oo Pagoda just made me remember! I was watching Prime Time aquatics new fish room tour videos and they started one tank with Gold mystery snails in it. They've slowly migrated to each tank that's on the rack and the neighboring ones. They just up and leave to go somewhere new like your little Houdini!

 

I know this thread is really old, but I recently added 2 Nerites into my tank. I already had 3 Mystery Snails. My Gold Mystery Snail has a habit of leaving the tank via the HOB filter opening. So, I started putting netting there at night. Well, one of my Nerites, "Messed Up Morty", is an explorer. And I do mean explorer.
The first day I had him, he left the tank via the opening for the led light cord. So, I started plugging that with paper towel, as well as netting the opening for the HOB filter.
I still grew obsessed with making sure Messed Up Morty was somewhere in tank each day. I even get a little flash light to look in the caves. Usually, I find him up above the water line hanging out. Today I couldn't find him in any of the caves, on the lid, above the water line, in the filter, anywhere! I had just given up, thinking he must be in one of the two cave corners I can't see into - when I looked down & he was at my foot!!! On the floor!!! I don't know if he was there the entire time, but I don't think he was. I just don't know. I'm posting pics to go along with Messed Up Morty's Saga.
The red circle is where he was on the floor. I also posted pics of him after I put him back in the tank. He's doing great. My water parameters are fine & my other snails don't escape like this one does. Very strange.

Whatever happened with your explorer Nerite? I hope he's still alive & doing well!

 

I know this thread is really old, but I recently added 2 Nerites into my tank. I already had 3 Mystery Snails. My Gold Mystery Snail has a habit of leaving the tank via the HOB filter opening. So, I started putting netting there at night. Well, one of my Nerites, "Messed Up Morty", is an explorer. And I do mean explorer.
The first day I had him, he left the tank via the opening for the led light cord. So, I started plugging that with paper towel, as well as netting the opening for the HOB filter.
I still grew obsessed with making sure Messed Up Morty was somewhere in tank each day. I even get a little flash light to look in the caves. Usually, I find him up above the water line hanging out. Today I couldn't find him in any of the caves, on the lid, above the water line, in the filter, anywhere! I had just given up, thinking he must be in one of the two cave corners I can't see into - when I looked down & he was at my foot!!! On the floor!!! I don't know if he was there the entire time, but I don't think he was. I just don't know. I'm posting pics to go along with Messed Up Morty's Saga.
The red circle is where he was on the floor. I also posted pics of him after I put him back in the tank. He's doing great. My water parameters are fine & my other snails don't escape like this one does. Very strange.

Whatever happened with your explorer Nerite? I hope he's still alive & doing well

I did keep Houdini's name. He still escaped occasionally, but luckily the tank is on my nightstand so it wasnt a big deal to check on him and never got far. (Once he was on the back of the tank!) But he is alive and well. As he got bigger he couldnt fit to get out anymore but now he'll sometimes go on the aquarium lid like a weirdo.

 

I’ve had this problem. The tank is to small for those snails. Mine was in a 5 and destined to get stepped on. I up’d the tank to a 15 and never had the problem again. He’s in my 125 now .

 

I’ve had this problem. The tank is to small for those snails. Mine was in a 5 and destined to get stepped on. I up’d the tank to a 15 and never had the problem again. He’s in my 125 now .

Darn...there's not much I can do right now 'cos I barely got away with begging my landlord to let me have a 10 gallon. Maybe I'll have to donate him, though that would definitely suck.