Zebra nerite snail care
Neritina natalensis · Coastal East Africa
Nerite snails are the best snail for glass and hardscape algae, and they do not breed in freshwater, so they never overrun a tank.
- Tank size
- 5 US gal or larger
- Temperature
- 70 to 80 °F (21 to 27 °C)
- Group size
- Alone or in a pair
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Adult size
- 1 in
- pH
- 7 to 8.5
- Hardness (GH)
- 8 to 18 dGH
- Lifespan
- 1 to 2 years
- Diet
- Algae grazer
- Care level
- Easy
In a 5 gallon: Aqueon 5½
16 3/16 × 8⅜ × 10½ in outsideHow to keep zebra nerite snails
Nerite snails are the best snail for glass and hardscape algae, and they do not breed in freshwater, so they never overrun a tank. One per 5 gallons is a good start in a tank with hard water.
Diet: Algae grazer: film algae, green spot algae, algae wafers. Fish food types compared · how often to feed.
Where they swim: Bottom of the tank.
Zebra nerite snail tank mates
Share the temperature and water, and neither side eats, nips or bullies the other. Check the full group in the stocking checker.
Celestial pearl danio
1 in · 10+ gal · 72–78 °F
Pygmy corydoras
1 in · 10+ gal · 72–79 °F
Flame tetra
1 in · 10+ gal · 72–82 °F
Spotted blue-eye
1 in · 10+ gal · 75–82 °F
Kerri tetra
1.1 in · 20+ gal · 75–81 °F
Ember tetra
1.2 in · 10+ gal · 73–84 °F
Lambchop rasbora
1.2 in · 10+ gal · 73–82 °F
Least killifish
1.2 in · 5+ gal · 64–80 °F
Keep apart
Pea puffer: Pea puffers belong in a tank of their own.
Assassin snail: Assassin snails eat snails.
Dwarf orange crayfish: Dwarf orange crayfish eat snails.
Everglades pygmy sunfish: Everglades pygmy sunfish belong in a tank of their own.
Discus: No shared temperature: zebra nerite snails need 70 to 80 °F, discus 82 to 88 °F.
Oscar: Oscars are aggressive towards peaceful fish such as zebra nerite snails.
What a zebra nerite snail tank needs
A tank of 5 US gallons or more (such as the 5 gallon: Aqueon 5½) with a cover, and the equipment below.
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Aquarium Co-Op Easy Flow Sponge Filter, Nano
A sponge filter gives gentle flow and cannot pull in small fish. It runs from an air pump, with airline tubing and a check valve, all sold separately.
Aqueon QuietFlow Internal Power Filter up to 5 gal
Rated by the maker for up to 5 US gal, which covers a 5 gallon zebra nerite snail tank without being built for a far bigger one.
hygger Hang-on-back Canister Filter 5W
Rated by the maker for up to 10 US gal, which covers a 5 gallon zebra nerite snail tank without being built for a far bigger one.
hygger Precise Aquarium Heater 50W
Zebra nerite snails need 70 to 80 °F; most homes run cooler, so a heater holds the temperature.
API Freshwater Master Test Kit
Tests ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH, the readings that matter most before and after adding zebra nerite snails.
Seachem Prime 100 mL
Removes chlorine and chloramine from tap water at every water change.
Fluval Edge Thermometer
Shows the water temperature at a glance, so you know it stays within 70 to 80 °F.
More choices, each with the reason it is in or out: Filters for a 5 gallon tank · Heaters for a 5 gallon tank. We don’t list fish food: any good brand of the foods under Diet will do. Plan the whole tank's equipment →
Common zebra nerite snail problems
- Small white eggs on rocks and wood: they do not hatch in freshwater, but they are hard to scrape off.
- Starvation in tanks with no algae; feed algae wafers.
Test the water first whenever fish look unwell: see what your readings mean, then match the symptom. For disease, a vet who treats fish can diagnose it and advise treatment.
More to compare
Sources
Name, origin and adult size checked against Wikipedia: Neritina natalensis. Temperature, pH, hardness, group size, lifespan and minimum tank size are common hobby guidance, not figures from that article. Ranges are the range the species tolerates; aim for the middle. Minimum tank sizes are for an adult group. Drawings are our own; photo credits follow.
Photo credits
Real photographs from Wikimedia Commons, resized and cropped to fit; each is used under the license named.
- Zebra nerite snail TheJammingYam, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Celestial pearl danio Cisamarc, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Pygmy corydoras Birger A, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Flame tetra Igor Balashov (iNaturalist), CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Spotted blue-eye Der Regenbogenfisch, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, via Wikimedia Commons
- Kerri tetra Juan R. Lascorz, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Ember tetra Klaus Rudloff, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Lambchop rasbora AverageWalrus, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Least killifish Brian Gratwicke, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Pea puffer Beta Mahatvaraj, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Assassin snail Steffi Klee, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Dwarf orange crayfish HellSpawn754, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Everglades pygmy sunfish Brian Gratwicke, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Discus Patrick Farrelly, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Oscar H. Zell, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Cherry shrimp TheJammingYam, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Amano shrimp Stefanie Leuker, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Ghost shrimp Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Mystery snail Gabriel Resende Veiga, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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