Zebra nerite

Vittina natalensis

FreshwaterBrackishSnail

Care at a glance

Temperature: 66–84°F; 19–29°C
pH: 6.5–8.0
Adult size: 1 in; 2.5 cm
Minimum tank: 5 gal; 20 L

Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Solitary
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Beginner
Breeding: Hard
Rarity: Very common
Family: Neritidae
Origin: Africa

Overview

This is a peaceful, solitary algae grazer that spends its time clinging to glass, rock, and decor. It is one of the best cleanup snails because it eats algae and biofilm without touching live plants. It gets along with everything and is a safe pick for community and shrimp tanks. Just make sure there is enough algae, or feed it algae wafers and blanched vegetables, since it can slowly starve in a spotless tank.

In the wild

Zebra nerites come from East African coastal rivers and estuaries, where they move between fresh and brackish water and graze algae off rocks and hard surfaces. In the aquarium they live happily in plain freshwater across a wide range, pH 6.5 to 8 and roughly 19 to 29 C, though harder, alkaline water keeps their shells in better shape. A mature tank with established algae gives them something to eat.

Good to know

It is a snail in the family Neritidae, with a shell reaching about 2.5 cm. Sexes are separate, and while it will lay eggs in freshwater, the larvae need brackish or salt water to develop, so it does not breed in a normal freshwater tank. It is not considered endangered, and wild populations are stable. In good conditions it can live several years.

Did you know

Even though it cannot breed in freshwater, females still lay small white egg capsules on hard surfaces and decor, which never hatch but can be a bit unsightly and tough to scrape off.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

Zebra nerite is a peaceful, solitary species that keeps to the bottom. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator