# how long do i have to quarantine my nerite snails?



## sammys14 (Nov 25, 2013)

i bought 2 zebra nerite snails this sunday and my boyfriend decided to get a 10 gallon to quarantine them and then when thats done i put the snails with my bettas one for each betta (both of my bettas have their own 10 gallon) and then he can buy guppies for the 10 gallon (we are getting a 20 gallon soon for the guppies ) but now hes being impatient asking me how long it going to take cause he wants guppies ASAP and honestly i dont even know how long to quarantine them. so how long do i have to quarantine them ?
thank you


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## Alphahelix (Dec 7, 2013)

I recommend quarantine for 1-3 weeks depending on where you buy from. I use less time when I know exactly where the fish are from and they are going into their own tank, and more time when from a pet store and even move when in a tank with settled fish

For snails and shrimp though idk haha


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Generally it's just two weeks, as Alphahelix say's; more time if you don't know where they are from or don't trust the store, less if you do trust the store or know where they are from. I still with a two week minimum though if it's going into a community tank, just to stay on the safe side.


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## Sally M (Nov 14, 2013)

If I read correctly, you're talking about the snails. I don't know for sure but I don't think you have to quarantine snails.


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## sammys14 (Nov 25, 2013)

yes Sally M i am talking about the snails and if you read the answers from other users just above yours you will see that yes we do have to quarantine them if they come from somewhere you dont trust or dont know


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## Sally M (Nov 14, 2013)

Hmm....then maybe I read their responses wrong because I thought they were talking about new fish.


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Not just fish, I was talking about all things. Technically if you chose not to QT snails or fish or anything, that's your choice and the risk you take. But to be completely safe you should QT all new things to a tank unless it's the first to go in, of course if it's a show tank, you don't want to throw in sick fish and try to treat in that tank. Snails can carry diseases, although not as likely as fish to fish will, but everything can carry diseases even plants can.


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## MattsBettas (Dec 18, 2012)

In my opinion, anything that's new and alive should be quarantined. Of course, it's more important to quarantine in some situations than others- getting plants from a private hobbyist is far less dangerous then fish from petsmart. Generally fish are talked about the most when it comes to quarantining, but everything alive has the potential to carry disease. 

Like lil said it's really up to the individual fish keeper but not quarantining is something I see as a risk that there's no point in taking- waiting a couple of weeks for the guppies will be far less painful then losing everything you have and having to break down the tank, sterilize, and start over (though there is a small chance of that actually happening).


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## sammys14 (Nov 25, 2013)

well the guppies we are buying a school of guppies from all the same petshop and their will only be that shool of guppies in the tank no other fish ...the snail though i got them from the same petshop as i got my betta fish i rather quarantine them for atleast 2 weeks so they dont infect my fish. especially that lately the employees have told me that they got a lot of parasites in their tanks


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