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Nerite death...


starrlamia

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starrlamia

So I found my nerite's empty shell tonight :( I've had him since february and he was always fine and active so I have no idea what caused him to die, is it common for that too happen? Tank parameters are fine, my other snails and all my corals are fine. There is even a diatom bloom right now because I added a bit of substrate so I can't see him starving to death (there is always a bit of algae around the tank).

 

Just wondering if this is something to be expected from nerites. I need to buy another now.

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doppelganger

I believe it's probably more common than you think. I don't think they have a very long lifespan. They should still last at least a year or two I would imagine but who knows how old it is cuz they don't get very big.

 

Most of the time people find them dried up outside of they're tank because they're from tidal area's so they start to wander. That's how most of us probably lose them. That being said, lots of snails can just die suddenly. You kind of just have to get use to it as a natural part of owning a reef. Whether a hermit wants a new shell or one has "fallin' and can't get back up", it happens alot so I wouldn't worry about it too much unless ur snails start dropping like flies.

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starrlamia

sorry should have clarified I only have snails and corals in my tank.

 

thanks doppel! that's what i was thinking but wanted to double check :D

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Nerites are incapable of flipping themselves over. Therefore when they fall they die if not righted. Happens all the time when I'm cleaning the tank and I have to be diligent in flipping them back over. I've lost quite a few big nerites in my freshwater tank because they were picked at when climbing the glass and fell on their shell. A couple hours like that and they don't recover. I know that nerites life spans are pretty long. At least 10 yrs because I have one in freshwater tank that has been running 10 yrs.

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starrlamia

oh wow I didnt know they couldn't flip themselves, I did find his shell upside down so maybe that is what happened :(

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Thats odd to hear. I have had most of my original clean up crew including my nerite snails for little more than a year and a half.

The only deaths were from hermits and other snail predators.

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