Common River Nerite (Vittina Semiconica)

Common River Nerite, Polka Dot River Snail, Green Semiconic Snail

Occurrence

In its natural habitat, this snail inhabits rivers, streams, and river mouths with rocky shores and bottoms in Indonesia. It is a freshwater species.

Appearance

This snail is characterized by an orange-red-brown shell color with dark brown spots arranged spirally towards the top of the shell. These spots resemble a "path" / "trail" / "track" - hence the English name "orange track snail". The spots in their shape resemble skewed rectangles or rhombuses. The body of the snail is light gray with darker stripes.

Temperament

This is a calm snail that does not bother other aquarium inhabitants (fish and shrimps). It is mainly active at night. It does not eat plants, it does not dig up the substrate. It effectively keeps plants clean. It happens that it leaves the tank, but a longer stay out of the water leads to its death. The reason for the escape of these snails may be poor water quality, insufficient oxygen or food. Do not combine this species, like other neritidae snails, with predatory fish hunting for mollusks.

Aquarium

When choosing a tank for our snail, we focus primarily on the size of its bottom surface - the larger, the better. The decor of the aquarium does not matter much, it is important to have numerous hiding places in the form of plants, stones, rocks (with delicate edges), roots, etc. All hiding places should be designed so that our pet does not get stuck in them. The substrate should be soft, light scattered, not too intense. A properly sealed aquarium cover, good filtration, and regular water changes (snails are sensitive to poor water quality and insufficient oxygenation) are essential. To increase the pH of the water, you can add shells, crushed corals, or limestone rocks. When placing snails in an aquarium, never let them freely fall to the bottom - this can damage their shells.

Reproduction

This is an oviparous species that often lays single large, white eggs in the aquarium. It is prone to reproducing especially when the environment in which it is located is rich in food. It happens that larvae hatch from these eggs, but they are unable to survive in freshwater. In natural conditions, larvae are carried by the water current to brackish river mouths, where their food consists of marine plankton. After undergoing all transformations, fully formed snails return to higher river areas. These snails are of separate sex, but distinguishing the female from the male is difficult, if not impossible (the exception is the breeding season). Fertilization occurs internally.

Food

This is a herbivorous species, whose main source of food is algae (it feeds on all species). It does not eat live and healthy plants or mosses. If it reaches for them at all, it means it is starving. Therefore, its diet should be enriched with dry, frozen or fresh plant products.