# How Long do Nerites Live?



## SnowySurface (Apr 25, 2011)

I have a 5 gallon cycled tank with 1 betta, 1 nerite snail, and a few live plants. So far over the past year I have had 3 snail deaths. 1 snail death was a fluke 1 week after I brought a batch of 3 (I named that one Shelldon). But the 2 that died within a day of each other were the surviving 2 of that batch (those two were Shelly and Big Shelldon because I am so creative XD). 

The 4th snail I brought when Shelldon died is still alive. But I don't know if the Shelly and Big died from old age or because I'm doing something to kill them by accident. So I was wondering how long Nerite snails live. I don't know how old Shelly and Big were when I brought them, but I've had them for about 8 months before they died. 

Does 8 months sound like a long life for a netrite snail?

Am I killing off snails in 8 months that should live for 8 years?

I want to know before I buy more snails. I'll just clean the walls of my tanks manually if my tank set up is a death sentence for nerites.


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## EvaJupiterSkies (Oct 25, 2013)

Not from experience, but from what I've read (I did a lot of reading before I bought my nerites), nerites generally live around a year. Considering when you get them you don't really know what age they are, I would say 8 months is a pretty normal lifespan after purchase for a nerite.


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## sandybottom (Nov 29, 2012)

2-6 years depending on the species.mine are over 2 years and still growing.they are over an inch long on average. i have 7 of them,4 zebras and 3 red spots. you should really have a mature tank as they prefer biofilm to veggies and will be hesitant to eat them unless they are near starving.i do use algae wafers for the 2 that i keep in my nano tank,because of the small tank size.in my big tanks i do not need to supplement their diets.if you are over cleaning your tanks,they will have a harder time surviving.copper pipes are a big problem for all snails,so it is good to know what type of plumbing you have if you want to keep inverts.metabolism due to temperature can effect their lifespan.diet and parameters will also effect their lifespan. they do not do well in tanks with ph under 7.5 without calcium supplements. they also have a sensitivity to nitrates over 20ppm.this is detrimental to any snails.you also have to be careful in regards to medications and the use of salt.nerites are more sensitive than pond or mystery snails to certain medications.


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