What Is Wrong With This Nerite??

I just bought this nerite just now, because he freaked me out. He was on the glass and though I could tell it was a snail, I really was thinking it was like an oxygen stone or something. He looks like he is covered in stone? Gravel? Concrete? The employee said they get some like this occasionally. What is this? Is he healthy? Will he compromise my tank?

 

I just bought this nerite just now, because he freaked me out. He was on the glass and though I could tell it was a snail, I really was thinking it was like an oxygen stone or something. He looks like he is covered in stone? Gravel? Concrete? The employee said they get some like this occasionally. What is this? Is he healthy? Will he compromise my tank?View attachment 456427View attachment 456428

It’s more than likely because it was kept in too low of a ph or it’s calcium deficient. I don’t see it harming the rest of the tank.

 

It’s more than likely because it was kept in too low of a ph or it’s calcium deficient. I don’t see it harming the rest of the tank.

Okay, it's such a thick coating though, he is the size of a medium/large mystery snail but I can tell by his foot that he is only a medium sized nerite. I can't fins any information on his condition anywhere. Thank you.

 

Okay, it's such a thick coating though, he is the size of a medium/large mystery snail but I can tell by his foot that he is only a medium sized nerite. I can't fins any information on his condition anywhere. Thank you.

Search “Nerite snail deterioration” and you should be able to find some information on it. They can develop deep pits in their shells from not being kept properly or getting the right diet. Other snails could have been rasping on his shell for calcium too. He’s not healthy, but I don’t see him causing any problems for the fish. He just needs to TLC to get his shell back to life.

 

Search “Nerite snail deterioration” and you should be able to find some information on it. They can develop deep pits in their shells from not being kept properly or getting the right diet. Other snails could have been rasping on his shell for calcium too. He’s not healthy, but I don’t see him causing any problems for the fish. He just needs to TLC to get his shell back to life.

Okay, I know what deterioration looks like, my first ever nerite had it bad, this is more of a build up. Like something is growing off of his shell. I will get some better pictures after I'm done acclimating.

Search “Nerite snail deterioration” and you should be able to find some information on it. They can develop deep pits in their shells from not being kept properly or getting the right diet. Other snails could have been rasping on his shell for calcium too. He’s not healthy, but I don’t see him causing any problems for the fish. He just needs to TLC to get his shell back to life.

Here are some better pics

 

Is he a saltwater nerite, or possibly collected and sold wrongly as freshwater? Buildup like this is common on seashells, it's like calcium and coral and other small critters building structures on top the shell.

 

Is he a saltwater nerite, or possibly collected and sold wrongly as freshwater? Buildup like this is common on seashells, it's like calcium and coral and other small critters building structures on top the shell.

He does remind me of saltwater snails I've seen!!! Thank you! That is possible I suppose. They lady at the store said they see those every now and then. Can he survive in my freshwater snail tank?

 

it almost looks like a calcium build up, never seen anything like it

you may have hit the nail on the head there Wodesorel

 

it almost looks like a calcium build up, never seen anything like it

Right?! That's all I can think of, calcification, but I'd never heard of it so I just assumed I was wrong. That is really what it seems like though, isn't it?

 

yep

all nerite snails need brackish water to breed that's why they don't breed in freshwater, so the answre to your question is yes he will live in your tank

 

Some nerites species can swing pretty far in either direction when it comes to salt. I know my local LFS has kept some from full fresh to full salt with no trouble. Some species are more salt or more fresh though. With all that crud on top I'm not sure it'll be possible to tell what yours is!

 

I just bought 2 more nerite snails for my aquarium. I haven’t put them in the tank yet as I just got home. I just noticed one of the snails has these large white things on it’s shell and the shell is sort of discolored. What could it be? Picture is provided.

 

The one looks like a barnacle...

 

The one looks like a barnacle...

That’s what I was thinking too, just googled it. Some others have found barnacles on their nerites too. Would I be okay to add the snail to the tank?

 

I always quarantine my snails in a big jar with regular water changes for a month. I would try that to be sure you didn't introduce any hitchhikers, that will die off without a fish host. And I'd try to remove the barnacle probably. I don't think it will hurt, but just to be cautious.

 

I was just about to post about this snail, then searched and found this thread. I always thought barnacles lived in salt water.
Do they do any harm to the tank? Can it live in fresh water, or will it die and pollute the water? In other words, is there any reason to remove it?

 

I was just about to post about this snail, then searched and found this thread. I always thought barnacles lived in salt water.
Do they do any harm to the tank? Can it live in fresh water, or will it die and pollute the water? In other words, is there any reason to remove it?

Wow, that's definitely a barnacle! It'll most likely not make it long in freshwater, but it sure is cool. It won't hurt the nerite snail. Is it still alive now? Such a cool thing to get to see!

 

I think it’s cool, too, that’s why I’d like to leave it there. How do you know if they are alive or not?

 

Looking at the top of the barnacle it looks as if its already been eaten

 

Is there any problem with letting it stay there as a tank decoration?

 

Were these shails shipped to you or did you buy them at your LFS? I am wondering if maybe you have a female in the bag with this one and if maybe she laid eggs on this one. She could have done it during the shipping time or on the way home from the store if they weren't on the shell when you picked them up.

 

I bought a few at a LFS, left them in clean water overnight before putting them into the tank, and I didn’t notice anything on them at the time. I think there might be another one with a barnacle, too. I had no idea that there were males, females and eggs and I can’t even imagine how they reproduce. That will be an interesting google search for today.
Can they live in fresh water at all? Also it’s funny because I have some large dried barnacles as tank decorations and the young shell dwellers use them.

 

The barnacles will die soon in freshwater. They are breackish water barnacles. The idea that Nerites live in freshwater in the wild is a myth. You have olive Nerites, native to Florida. If you look at the forums were people have caught them out of the wild they all report them in brackish water only.

 

Does that mean that the nerites will die, too?

 

The nerites should be ok. But they probably won't have babies. Something with the brackish water seems pretty key to hatching/surviving to adulthood.

 

Does that mean that the nerites will die, too?

They should be fine for about a year (the "average natural life span"). Even in brackish tanks they only seem to live about that long. Something that amazingly few people know is that Nerites in the wild often live over 10 years. Here is a link to the study and a quote (the quote is from page 6): https://borea.mnhn.fr/sites/default/files/Abdou et al..pdf

"During the upstream migration, juveniles (6 mm) of Neritina granosa grow to about 9 mm over several months; growth a rate of 1-3 mm year", slowing until they reach a mean maximum adult length of 29 mm (Brasher, 1997). Ford (1979) suggested a 10-year lifespan, while studies undertaken by al. (2012) confirm a potential lifespan > 10 years, after they recovered tagged snails in Kinihapai Stream, Maui, in 2009 were released in 1994. The upstream movement of this species has been reported by Hau (2007). It limited upstream movement in efficient Neritina granosa recruits stream mouth and at a 2012) then continues Brasher (1997) implied a 6- to 10-year lifespan."