Batik Racing Nerite snail

The Batik Racing Nerite snail , also known as the Tattoo Racing Nerite Snail , is a very variable, extremely pretty racing snail from the Indo-Pacific region. It lacks the horn hem on the edge of the lid, which is otherwise typical of Neritina species. Their color varies from yellow to light brown, red-brown to black with dark or yellow line drawings and / or spots. It can also happen that the batik snail has a completely black housing – this is usually due to very resistant bacterial coatings that naturally settle on the snails and are very difficult to dissolve. Once the snails are in the aquarium, the shell continues to grow in its natural color – which gives a very nice effect.

These snails grow up to 2.5 cm and inhabit stones and rocks in their natural habitats in the lower reaches of fast and slow flowing rivers. The snail has separate sexes, i.e. there are males and females, but the sex cannot be identified from the outside.

Breeding in fresh water is not possible . The females of the batik snail like to lay their egg cocoons on hard substrates such as stones. Free-swimming larvae hatch from them, which in nature are driven into the sea by the currents, where they pass through various larval stages before the finished young batik snails immigrate back into the rivers.

This snail, which is also very popular with aquascapers, feeds mainly on algae and algae growth, but after a period of getting used to it, it also accepts various fish food such as flake, granulate and tablet food, as well as leaves and fresh food (lettuce, vegetables). Initially, the tattoo snail helps with the additional feeding with a special snail food with the acclimatization and the food change. The batik snail does not eat plants. If the snails have been successfully accustomed to the aquarium, they can get very old.

The socialization of Neritina variegata does not cause any problems, as it is a very peaceful snail. Of course, they shouldn’t be kept together with snail eaters.

Like most racing snails of the genus Neritina, the tattoo snail prefers alkaline, hard water with a pH of more than 6.5. The carbonate hardness should be well above 3 ° dKH.