What Is This Weird Stuff On Nerite Shell?

My nerite snail keeps getting this clear stuff on his shell that gets covered in my sand substrate.

My parameters are fine... ph 7.6, ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 5-10 and just did a water change today. GH/KH is low (GH 4-5, KH ranges 2-4 and stays buffered at 2) however, ph remains stable. I have cuttlebone in there to help with providing calcium.

This is the 5th or 6th time I have seen this stuff. It clumps to the ground when it falls off and I can easily remove it... I’m thinking it may be pee as his poops are brown (and constant!) but I can’t be sure (if they even urinate).

Sometimes he’ll leave a trail like a single lined cob web. Haven’t seen any eggs during the month and a half of owning him so I’m assuming he’s a male.

Anyone have a clue as to what this is or what’s causing it?

 

My guess is slime. Something may be irritating the snail so it's secreting slime, which the sand is sticking to.

 

My guess is slime. Something may be irritating the snail so it's secreting slime, which the sand is sticking to.

What could be irritating him? My parameters are all good.

 

I have no idea. I have never seen anything like that on any snail.

 

I have no idea. I have never seen anything like that on any snail.

Strange, isn’t it?

 

I'de also be curious to know why that happens. I've had a couple nerites and ramshorns tat did the same thing. unless its just the sand reacting to the water in a non troubling kind of way and eventually goes away. I've never had any problems with my snails that have been through this sticky situation. so I think your nerite will be fine!

 

I'de also be curious to know why that happens. I've had a couple nerites and ramshorns tat did the same thing. unless its just the sand reacting to the water in a non troubling kind of way and eventually goes away. I've never had any problems with my snails that have been through this sticky situation. so I think your nerite will be fine!

Yeah I’d like to understand the reason behind why it’s happening. I checked my parameters today and all are fine again. Ph 7.6, ammonia/nitrite 0, nitrates a bit lower than 5, GH 5, KH 3 (it was at 4 about two days ago). The sand I use is caribsea super naturals moonlight so it’s inert.

I can literally touch it and it falls off. So weird.

I dosed with NilocG Thrive c today to get some soluble nitrogen in the tank so I’m going to monitor my nerite and see if that may be causing possible irritation and in return, excreting whatever this is on the shell. So far, he’s been moving around the tank, munching on whatever he’s eating and leaving brown poop trails behind (as usual).

I’m trying to remember if this starting happening before or after I put in the cuttlebone. I purchased it from petco and the ingredients are only cuttlebone with nothing added.

 

I don't have sand as my substrate. I have plain old aquarium gravel which is probably too big and heavy to stick on like that. Maybe I would have seen it with sand? Who knows?

 

I don't have sand as my substrate. I have plain old aquarium gravel which is probably too big and heavy to stick on like that. Maybe I would have seen it with sand? Who knows?

Possibly. I’m hoping it’s just normal. Hopefully someone who’s had the same thing can reply to this post just so I can have some peace of mind.

 

It is probably the sand... nerites are river snails so they are used to dirt or rocks, etc. I could be wrong but that's just my guess.

 

It is probably the sand... nerites are river snails so they are used to dirt or rocks, etc. I could be wrong but that's just my guess.

I emailed aquatic arts as they’ve helped me before and they said that it’s probably secretions to fertilize eggs. Since mine hasn’t left any eggs in sight, I’m assuming he’s a male so maybe what they said is true. They just gave me an educated guess though so who knows.

 

Curious. I have a Zebra in one tank with No sand. I thought I saw something like that maybe a month or less ago. I did Not have cuttlebone. Later when we looked again, what we saw was gone. It was near a fake plant that on occasion can have some pellet food. I figured maybe it was that which I saw and it just got on her? Ours Is a female as we have eggs. I did not see it before and haven't seen it since. Did add a piece of cuttlebone to be safe.

 

Curious. I have a Zebra in one tank with No sand. I thought I saw something like that maybe a month or less ago. I did Not have cuttlebone. Later when we looked again, what we saw was gone. It was near a fake plant that on occasion can have some pellet food. I figured maybe it was that which I saw and it just got on her? Ours Is a female as we have eggs. I did not see it before and haven't seen it since. Did add a piece of cuttlebone to be safe.

I read somewhere (can’t remember which site it was to link it) that if it’s white slime then it’s caused by irritation of some kind. However, I can’t really tell if my zebra is producing white slime as his is always covered with sand. I haven’t found anything else about it. I was hoping someone who really knows about these snails could chime in.

 

Ah, well I Hope yours is a boy! How long have you had him? I feel like it didn't take too long after we got our Zebra Nerite to see the eggs in our tank. Maybe in the first month? I hope you get some better insight or at least extra input to give weight to what you were told.

 

Ah, well I Hope yours is a boy! How long have you had him? I feel like it didn't take too long after we got our Zebra Nerite to see the eggs in our tank. Maybe in the first month? I hope you get some better insight or at least extra input to give weight to what you were told.

I hope so too! I’ve had him for about a month. Quarantined him for two weeks then put him in the main tank so he’s been in there a little over two weeks (seems longer than that though lol).

I read that you can distinguish a male vs female olive nerite so I’m not sure if all nerites are the same when determining their gender. Apparently, males have a skin fold near the right eye/antenna. However, it’s hard for me to see that in my zebra even when he’s attached to the front of the glass chomping away at algae.