Nerites will crawl out of tanks

**madagascariensis** · 11-25-2012, 07:26 PM

Most of you have already heard it, that nerites can crawl out of fish tanks. I knew it too but I never really thought of it as a big issue up until today. One of my tracked nerites went missing a few weeks ago. I searched every corner of the tank but was not able to find it and just concluded that it died in some unseen cranny of the tank. Today I was cleaning around the tank and saw something wedged between the outlet splitter and the tank stand. It was a nerite snail. The snail must have managed to overcome the rim of the tank, dropped 4 ft. To the ground, continued crawling for a foot and then lay there for two weeks before I found it! Fortunately the snail survived the two weeks out of water. I will commence snail-proofing the tank immediately...

**Goes to 11!** · 11-25-2012, 07:40 PM

I have found them on the outside of the glass a time or two lol. It was never habitual with them and other than looking really weird never caused any issues other than making me run for the test kit to see if they were trying to tell me something about the water..

They weren't, They were just out for a cruise. It hasn't happened since so I guess once in a rare while you get an adventurous snail.

**madagascariensis** · 11-26-2012, 12:30 AM

mine surface regularly, but to eat the limescale that builds up at the waterline. none have ever made such an expedition except this time but I am not going to take any chances!

**Brhino** · 11-26-2012, 01:16 PM

wow, I can't believe the snail survived for two weeks out of water.

I haven't had any of mine make a run for it, but I have noticed that when I'm doing a water change, every other species of snail that happens to find itself suddenly above the waterline will make a beeline for the water - but not nerites. They just sit there.