breeding nerite snails: tips and advice

[oceanix]

Hey guys,

I recently set up a brackish 10-gallon tank, mainly because I had an empty one lying around and my snails were dying off. Figured, why not try breeding them instead of spending $5 per snail? This tank was previously a cycled freshwater one, but it had been empty for a while.

No salinity measuring device here, so I relied on internet research and used instant ocean salt - 2 tbsp per gallon, with a few extra for good measure. The recommended amount varied between 2-3 tbsp per gallon.

I moved six of my largest snails into this tank, and they came from tanks with a ton of snail eggs. But so far, nothing's happening - no egg laying, no "piggy back" riding, nothing.

There isn't much algae in the tank, so I've been supplementing with some flakes and peeled peas. I added a few basic decorations, but that's about it - no plants, since I'm not sure what's salt-tolerant.

The snails are decent-sized, but I can try measuring them in the morning if you want an exact size.

I'd love some advice on this - I feel like I've got a good start, but something's missing. Oh, and I just remembered I have some algae wafers lying around that my plecos never touched - might try those out.

[oceanix]

Just a quick update - saw some piggybacking going on in the tank, but I'm not entirely convinced it's the romantic kind, might just be a snail Uber service. Still waiting for those eggs though, nothing on that front yet.