Breeding the Olive Nerite Snail

Nerite snails like the olive nerite lay white sesame-seed egg capsules in freshwater, but the larvae need brackish or saltwater to hatch, so they do not breed in freshwater.

Overview

The olive nerite (Neritina reclivata) is a nerite snail (family Neritidae). It is a popular algae eater partly because it does not multiply out of control: it cannot reproduce successfully in a pure freshwater aquarium.

Egg-laying

Females readily lay eggs even in freshwater, depositing hard, white capsules that look like sesame seeds on glass, decorations, or driftwood. Each capsule contains dozens of eggs inside.

Why They Do Not Breed in Freshwater

Nerite larvae require brackish or saltwater to reliably hatch and will not develop in pure freshwater. The nearly microscopic larvae are also notoriously hard to feed. Because the larval stage cannot complete in freshwater, the snails do not establish self-sustaining populations in standard tanks, even though they leave egg capsules behind.

Hobbyist Breeding Approaches

Dedicated breeders either gradually acclimate adults to brackish water and let them lay there, or let adults lay eggs on driftwood in freshwater and then move the driftwood to a saltwater rearing tank. Depending on temperature, larvae may hatch within a few days to several weeks; rearing them requires fine foods such as algae, infusoria, green water, powdered fry food, and spirulina.