Neritina snail (Neritina)

When searching for a natural and efficient way to maintain the cleanliness of their aquariums, aquarium enthusiasts frequently choose the Neritina snail. These snails serve as both functional and ornamental elements due to their ability to control algae and their exquisitely patterned shells. Their graceful movements and elaborate designs lend an air of refinement to any aquarium.

Neritina snails are highly sought-after due in large part to their exceptional cleaning work ethic. They eat algae on glass, rocks, and plants nonstop, keeping fish and plants in a healthy environment. Furthermore, there is no chance of them taking over your tank because they cannot reproduce in freshwater.

Even though Neritina snails are generally simple to maintain, it’s important to know their particular requirements, such as food and water quality, to keep them happy and active. They also fit in perfectly at a community tank, where their calm nature allows them to live in harmony with other

General information

Neritina snail is a small representative of mollusks, the shell of which is up to 2.5 cm in size. Most species of these mollusks are marine inhabitants, but there are representatives of this genus that live in fresh water, for example, the tiger snail. These mollusks are also successfully grown in brackish water. The main condition is sufficient water hardness, otherwise the snail shell will be destroyed. To have a general idea of ​​the types of snails of the Neritidae family, we will give their classification, since different genera of this family are often confused. Type: Mollusks (Mollusca). Class: Gastropods (Gastropoda). Superfamily: Neritoidea. Family: Neritidae.

• Genus: Clypeola;
• Genus: Nerita;
• Genus: Neritilia;
• Genus: Neritina;
• Genus: Neritodryas;
• Genus: Puperita;
• Genus: Septaria;
• Genus: Smaragdia;
• Genus: Theodoxus;
• Genus: Vittina.

Representatives of the genera Neritina, Clithon, and Septaria are mostly found in aquariums.

Aquarium enthusiasts favor the Neritina snail, also known as the Nerite snail, for its effective algal control, low maintenance requirements, and distinctive, eye-catching shell patterns. These snails are a great addition to a community tank because they are calm and thrive in freshwater and slightly brackish environments. Pure freshwater will not support their reproduction, though. They are an important and ornamental component of any aquarium setup because of their capacity to maintain clean tanks while introducing visual interest.

Appearance

The smooth-surfaced, ovoid, flat, or hemispherical shell of the Neritina snail has thick walls. An oval head that is either black or brownish-gray in color, and an oval leg distinguish all members of this genus. They also have filiform antennae and a round mouth. They focus their attention on minute irregularities. Generally speaking, neritines have a gray body that is nearly completely covered in shell. Depending on the species, the size of an adult can range from 2 to 2.5 cm.

When their living conditions change, members of the Neritina family can also change in color and other characteristics. Olive snails are typically black, dark brown, or dark orange in color. The patterns that can be used to decorate the shells include wide stripes, triangles, thin lines, dots, and thin stripes. Additionally, growths in the shape of thorns or horns may grow on the shells.

Neritina is sometimes mistaken for members of the genus Clithon, which favors brackish and saltwater.

Life expectancy

The neritini snail has a brief life span of one to two years. These mollusks frequently perish when they move. They may pass away right away or later. This results from either hypothermia during transit or a sudden change in the conditions of incarceration.

When a dead mollusk decomposes quickly, the aquarium’s water deteriorates and starts to smell bad. As a result, it’s essential to periodically check the aquarium and promptly remove any fallen animals.

Since Neretina snails are very modest and can adapt to a wide range of aquatic environment parameters, keeping them does not require special conditions. It is advised to keep these tropical snails in warm water that is between 24 and 27 degrees Celsius. The ideal water should have an acidity of roughly 7.5 and a hardness of medium to high. Since all aquarium snails cannot survive in soft water, which deforms their shell, hard water is a requirement.

Since Neritina is extremely sensitive to nitrates and ammonia, it is also crucial to keep an eye on the water’s nitrate and ammonia levels. Not only neritina, but you should also be aware that using preparations in the aquarium that contain copper can kill these mollusks!

The addition of neritina to the aquarium is an additional crucial point. Carefully lower them into the water so that they assume their normal position right away. It is extremely difficult for these mollusks to turn over on their own, and some of them may die if you simply toss them into the water, turning some of them upside down.

It is best to introduce neritina into an established aquarium that has lots of greenery. Since algae are the primary source of nutrition for neritins, habitat adaptation will occur more quickly in this type of environment, and algae will become an excellent food source.

Nutrition

Compared to ampullaria, neritins are much better at eating any type of algae. They are therefore very good at cleaning aquariums. These mollusks are cleaning the aquarium of different kinds of algae by moving around it continuously. However, neritins can only feed on rotten parts; they do not damage aquarium plants. However, because the presence of retina snails in your aquarium signals an imbalance, they are unable to completely eradicate all algae. You must get rid of the root of the issue in order to solve it.

Vegetable bits, cereal flakes, and spirulina should be fed to the mollusk.

The Neretina roams the aquarium while eating, then freezes for an extended period of time. Don’t worry if you observe your pet acting in this way. Remove the snail and smell it; a dead mollusk has a disagreeable smell.

Diseases

The most common causes of snail diseases are inadequate nutrition and care. Certain diseases can be prevented if you manage the water’s temperature, acidity, and hardness. For instance, the shell’s deformation and delamination.

If there is a fissure in the snail’s shell or if a fragment of the shell has broken off, give the neretina some peace and plenty of calcium in its diet, and eventually the shell will fuse together.

The mollusk is showing signs of aging if it develops a white coating on its shell.

A mold-like coating could be a sign of a fungal infection. Such a person needs to be kept apart from their family and bathed in salt or potassium permanganate. It’s important to keep an eye on other snails to prevent infection.

It is advised to observe newly purchased snails for a few days and to put them in a different container. The new pets can only be released into the main aquarium once you’ve confirmed their health. Since it’s unclear how and where the new aquarium occupants were housed, this precaution is taken.

Reproduction

Because the members of this genus are of different sexes, they require both a male and a female in order to reproduce. You will need to retain roughly ten snails because you cannot tell the sex of a snail by looking at it. However, it is very challenging to produce children at home from them.

The female deposits her eggs on smooth surfaces such as stones, aquarium walls, or other hard objects; she especially lays her eggs on other snails’ shells. Since the caviar is white, it is readily apparent. In 4 to 8 weeks, depending on the surroundings, the progeny emerges. Creating the right conditions is essential to producing healthy offspring from eggs. It’s also critical to understand that snail eggs can only develop in brackish or seawater.

Species

Neritina snails come in a variety of species, with variations in their shape, color, and care requirements.

Several well-known members of the genus include:

• Neritina turrita – tiger snail, zebra snail. A light brown or orange shell with black stripes of varying thickness stands out in an aquarium.
• Neritina natalensis – Zebra Neritina. One of the most common snails with a small shell of yellow or yellow-orange color with black stripes from the top to the very base of the shell.
• Neritina natalensis sp. – Red-spotted Neritina. This representative has an orange shell with rows of small and large dots of various shapes.
• Neritina coromandelia – Striped snail, zebra.
• Neritina juttingae – Hedgehog Neritina. It has a light brown shell with spines reminiscent of hedgehog spines, for which it received such a name.
• Neritina pulligera — Neritina Black Ear. The shell of this snail is dark, almost black, and its shape is more flattened than other representatives of the genus and resembles a human ear.

This is the article’s conclusion:

For aquarists of all skill levels, the Neritina snail is a great option. Its capacity to consume algae and maintain the aquarium’s cleanliness makes it

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