Family: Neritidae
Zebra Nerite Snail — the algae-cleaning workhorse. Shell reaches 2–2.5 cm; keep at 22–26 °C in medium-hard water.
Neritina natalensis is a Neritidae freshwater snail, the Zebra Nerite — among the best algae cleaners in the hobby. In the aquarium it stays a tireless, peaceful grazer. Plan on a 2–2.5 cm shell at 22–26 °C in medium-hard alkaline water; it cannot reproduce in freshwater, so it never overruns the tank.
Rated easy — peaceful — cannot harm anything in the tank.
Aim for 22–26 °C. Stable 22–26 °C; medium-hard water keeps the shell strong; 22–26 °C stable range.
Full size is 2–2.5 cm. Minimum tank: 20 L, with open swimming space along its bottom — constantly scraping glass, hardscape and leaves habits.
Grazing algae eater — excels at green spot algae and diatoms. Feed two small meals a day rather than one large one.
Peaceful — cannot harm anything in the tank; keep singly or in a small group. Good company: Any peaceful fish and shrimp — A universal cleanup companion, Freshwater shrimp — Complementary grazers. Keep away from Loaches and pufferfish — Specialist snail predators, Copper-based medications — Lethal to all invertebrates.
Native to Southern Africa — coastal rivers of Natal, where it lives in coastal rivers and streams on rocky surfaces. Still to gentle current; Moderate oxygen.
Requires brackish water to reproduce — will not overrun freshwater tanks. No practical external difference.