# White Tip on Nerite's Shell



## adlemsi (Jul 3, 2015)

Tonight I noticed Tigre & Babo, my two Tiger Nerites, had white tips on their shells. This is the best picture I could get of Babo, Tigre keeps hiding (and almost giving me heart attacks). They're still in the quarantine tank. Is it calcium deficiency? Which supplements are recommended?


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## savagebeautymnl (Apr 16, 2015)

Could be a calcium deficiency, or they were dropped at some point. I have a few that show the same white tip, and they've perfectly active since I got them 5 months ago.


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## adlemsi (Jul 3, 2015)

They're still active, though they don't eat much of the algae wafer pieces I feed them. They just cruise around, sometimes a bit too close to the water edge for my comfort.


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## savagebeautymnl (Apr 16, 2015)

That's also normal for them to go above the water line from time to time. As long as they don't end up falling out of the tank they'll be ok.


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## adlemsi (Jul 3, 2015)

Good to know. I was worried they would dry out & die if they went above water. I upgraded the quarantine tank to a glass tank with glass lid cover, so they shouldn't be able to get out.


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## adlemsi (Jul 3, 2015)

Also are there any calcium supplement recommendations? I'd like to have done on hand.


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## ao (Feb 29, 2012)

Our water is very soft, 2-3GH and 0KH...

I've read somewhere you can use cuttle bone as a calcium supplement. I haven't tried it myself yet.


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## adlemsi (Jul 3, 2015)

ao said:


> Our water is very soft, 2-3GH and 0KH...
> 
> I've read somewhere you can use cuttle bone as a calcium supplement. I haven't tried it myself yet.


Hmm, I'll have to try that! Thanks for the suggestion


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## TenaciousB (Aug 11, 2015)

My zebra nerite has a tiny white tip on her shell and she eats a ton of calcium. She had the spot when I got her-I think it could possibly be something to do with shell growth.


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## SplashyBetta (Jul 28, 2014)

adlemsi said:


> Good to know. I was worried they would dry out & die if they went above water. I upgraded the quarantine tank to a glass tank with glass lid cover, so they shouldn't be able to get out.


Don't worry about them drying out. In the wild nerite snails live in a habitat with frequent dry spells, so they can actually live out of water for months!


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## adlemsi (Jul 3, 2015)

My surviving Tiger Nerite spent a couple of days above the water line. Now he's busy going all over the QT tank, feeding & pooping, lol.


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## Strawberry12 (Mar 6, 2015)

yep cuttle bone is great, from the bird section. break a piece off and tuck it under something, it'll float. I shove part of it in the sand under the plants, and replace it every few months when it is gone.


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