Algae Eaters, Shrimp & Invertebrates, Snails, Tropical Fish

Zebra Nerite Snail

Name: Zebra Nerite Snail - Gensou Premium Aquascaping
Brand: Gensou
SKU: zebra-nerite-snail-6-pcs
Price: 1.50 SGD
Availability: InStock

Neritina natalensis · Peaceful · Beginner care

$1.50
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Bold black-and-gold racing stripes on a glossy shell — and one of the very best algae eaters money can buy. Safe with everything, and it can never overrun a freshwater tank.

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SKU: zebra-nerite-snail-6-pcs

Tags: Tropical Freshwater Fish

Beginner care Peaceful Not strongly social All levels dweller

At a glance

Species profile Neritina natalensis

Origin

East Africa (coastal rivers and estuaries)

Family

Neritidae (nerite snail family)

Adult size

Up to 2.5 cm (1 in)

Diet

Grazes algae and biofilm off glass, rock and decor; supplement with algae wafers (Herbivore)

Temperament

Peaceful

Swimming level

All levels

Minimum group

1+ (shoaling)

Lifespan

1-2 years

Minimum tank

20 L (5 gal)

Water type

Freshwater

Size to scale

2.5 cm adult length, shown to scale against an iPhone 15 Pro (14.66 cm).

Natural range

Where it comes from — Africa

East Africa (coastal rivers and estuaries)

Water

Singapore tap water vs its needs

pH 7–8.5 tap 8

Temperature 22°–28° tap 29°

Hardness (dGH) 6–18 tap 3

Hardness: Medium to hard (6-18 dGH).

Adjusting pH the natural way — Singapore tap water suits this fish well — no pH adjustment needed.

In the aquarium

How it lives in the tank

Swims at every level of the tank

Gensou's take 2/5

Sensitivity Index — Hardy

Hardy and beginner-friendly; keep up routine water changes and it will thrive.

Our own read on how forgiving this species is of water changes — not a formal standard.

Keeping & care

What this fish needs

Special care — Keep water hard and alkaline for a healthy shell and fit a tight lid, as nerites wander above the waterline; they lay white eggs that only hatch in brackish water so tanks never get overrun.

Family

About the Neritidae family nerite snail family

Neritidae are the nerite snails, small hard-shelled snails from coastal and brackish tropics that have become the hobby's premier algae-cleaners — zebra, tiger, horned and olive nerites among them. They graze film and even tough spot algae tirelessly across glass, rock and hardscape without touching healthy plants, and stay small. Crucially they cannot reproduce in freshwater, so they never overrun a tank.

Keep them in hard, calcium-rich water to protect their shells, supplement with algae wafers once the tank is clean, and secure the lid — nerites often wander above the waterline.

Breeding

Does not breed in freshwater

Nerites lay small, hard white eggs on hardscape and glass, but the larvae need brackish or marine water to develop, so those eggs never hatch in a normal aquarium. That is a feature, not a flaw — an effective algae-eater with no population explosion; deliberate breeding requires a dedicated brackish larval setup and is rarely attempted.

Feeding