Hairy Nerite Snail (Neritina sp.)

Hairy Nerite Snail in brief

The Hairy Nerite Snail (Neritina sp.) is a small aquatic snail of the nerite family, Neritidae, sold as one live snail supplied at about 1.5 cm. It is a grazer that feeds on algae in the aquarium, and it makes a straightforward addition to a mature freshwater tank as long as two things hold true: nothing in the tank will eat it, and nothing that goes into the water contains copper.

The name on this listing is a trade name. WoRMS accepts Neritina as a genus in the family Neritidae, and the name this snail reaches us under stops at the genus. The exact species has not been identified, so the care advice here follows the genus Neritina and its care group. In practice, that means the OATA care sheet for freshwater shrimp and snails, which covers the whole group, together with our own delivery and acclimatisation steps.

What you receive

Each purchase is one live Hairy Nerite Snail at about 1.5 cm. If you would like several, the quantity you order is the number of snails you receive.

Sex is guaranteed only when the selected option explicitly states male or female. This Hairy Nerite Snail listing has no sex-guaranteed option.

Gallery images have been digitally enhanced to improve image quality. Natural colour, pattern, size and maturity can vary between live animals. The photograph shows a snail with a ribbed olive-brown shell, rows of small white oval marks and several long, dark bristles. Shell colour and markings differ from snail to snail, so the one you receive may not match the picture exactly.

Why keepers choose a nerite

Freshwater snails earn their place, in OATA's words, because they help to control nuisance algae. A nerite spends its time grazing the algae that grows in the aquarium, it does not need company of its own kind, and OATA regards freshwater snails as generally compatible with most aquarium species. That makes it a simple invertebrate to add to a settled tank, provided the tank is free of copper and of fish that eat snails.

Where Neritina fits

Wikipedia describes Neritina as a genus of small aquatic snails with an operculum, the hard plate a snail uses to close the opening of its shell, in the nerite family. The genus is broad: it includes marine and brackish-water snails as well as some that live in fresh water. This snail is sold for freshwater aquariums, and nerite snails are among the popular aquarium snails named on OATA's freshwater shrimp and snail care sheet.

Who it suits

• Keepers who want an algae grazer for a mature freshwater aquarium.
• Shrimp keepers, since OATA treats freshwater shrimp and snails as generally compatible with most aquarium species.
• Small tanks of 10 litres or more, as well as larger community aquariums.
• Tanks where every medicine and water treatment is checked for invertebrate safety.

Look elsewhere if your tank holds pufferfish, loaches or assassin snails, or if you regularly treat it with copper. If you would prefer a nerite sold under a species name, or simply a different shell, compare the options in our nerite snail collection.

Water conditions and testing

The OATA care sheet for freshwater shrimp and snails describes them as usually undemanding of water chemistry and gives a suggested set of parameters for the group. It adds that these are a general guide, and that species-specific requirements should be checked before buying. With a snail sold at genus level there is no species profile to check against, so the sensible course is to keep the water inside the group ranges and, above all, clean and stable.

Fitting the snail into an existing tank

Most nerites join a tank that has been planned around fish or shrimp, so the useful question is whether the conditions you already keep sit inside the snail's group ranges. Take the temperature first: a tropical community run somewhere in the middle of 17–27 °C leaves room either side, while a tank kept at the very top of that band has no margin if the room warms up. Do the same with pH, where 6.5–8.0 is the target, and with general hardness, where 4–18 °dH runs from soft to hard water.

The nitrate figure is relative to your own supply. If your tap water measures 10 mg per litre, the aquarium should stay at or below 30 mg per litre; if it measures 25, the ceiling is 45. Regular partial water changes are what hold it there, as the maintenance section explains.

Testing the water

OATA advises testing at least once a week so that ammonia and nitrite cannot build up. Our guide to aquarium water parameters explains what each reading means and why pH and hardness shift over time. When you have your numbers, the water parameter matcher compares them with the ranges above, which is a quick way to confirm that the tank you have in mind suits a nerite before you order.

• Ammonia and nitrite: at least weekly, and both should read zero.
• Nitrate: weekly, compared with your tap water reading.
• pH and hardness: when you set the tank up, and regularly afterwards, so you notice any drift early.
• Temperature: every time you look over the tank.

Copper and treatments

One rule matters more than any other for this snail. OATA's care sheet states that freshwater shrimp and snails, being invertebrates, are very sensitive to copper and will die if exposed even to low levels. It asks keepers to make sure that any treatment added to the aquarium is safe for invertebrates.

Putting that into practice

• Read the label of every medicine and water treatment before it goes into a tank with the snail in it.
• Use only products that state they are safe for invertebrates.
• If fish in the same tank need a treatment that is not invertebrate-safe, treat them in a separate tank, or move the snail to another mature, copper-free aquarium first.
• Keep separate nets and buckets for any tank that has been treated with copper, so traces are not carried across.

It is worth going through the treatments you already own before the snail arrives. Keep anything that is not labelled safe for invertebrates away from this tank, so that it cannot be reached for in a hurry when a fish looks unwell.

This is also the reason to tell anyone who helps look after your aquarium that it holds invertebrates. A single dose of the wrong product can undo months of steady care.

Aquarium set-up

OATA recommends an aquarium of at least 10 litres for a group of small freshwater shrimp or snails, and approximately 20 litres for larger species such as apple snails or Amano shrimp. Both figures are for invertebrates kept alone: the aquarium needs to be larger if the snail shares it with fish. As a general rule, OATA suggests buying as large an aquarium as is reasonable, because the larger the volume, the more stable the temperature and water quality will be.

Filtration

OATA is clear that, whatever the size, a filter is always essential. The RSPCA's guidance explains why: animals release ammonia, which is toxic, and a working biological filter lets beneficial bacteria convert it to nitrite, which is also toxic, and then to nitrate, which is safer. A filter only does that job once those bacteria are established, which is why the tank needs to be matured before the snail arrives.

Substrate, plants and cover

OATA advises aquarium gravel or sand and, ideally, live plants to provide cover. If you do not use live plants, it recommends plastic plants and suitable ornaments, such as plant pots or model caves, to provide shelter. It also notes that sand or fine gravel is important for some species, so for a snail whose exact species is unknown, a sand or fine gravel substrate is the safe choice.

Rocks, wood and plant leaves also give a grazer surfaces on which algae can grow. A tank with an established film of algae gives the snail something to work on from the first day; in a very clean tank, plan on supplementary feeding from the start.

Maturing the tank before the snail arrives

Our guide to setting up a first shrimp tank walks through maturing a filter and the checks to make before invertebrates go in, and the same preparation suits a nerite. OATA advises confirming that ammonia and nitrite both read zero before adding any shrimp or snail, then increasing numbers slowly, because the beneficial bacteria in the filter have to catch up each time more livestock is added and feeding increases.

Overstocking, or stocking too quickly, can cause new tank syndrome: there are not enough nitrifying bacteria to cope with the extra waste, and ammonia and nitrite rise to levels that may cause shrimp and snails to become ill or die. If you plan to keep several snails, add them over a few weeks rather than all at once.

Feeding a grazing snail

OATA describes freshwater shrimp and snails as generally herbivorous animals that graze on algae in the aquarium, and it notes that they are popular precisely because they help to control nuisance algae. Grazing alone is not always enough, though, so the care sheet recommends supplementing it with algae wafers to make sure the snail is getting enough food. Commercial pellets made for freshwater shrimp can also be used for snails.

A simple feeding plan

OATA advises feeding freshwater shrimp and snails only two or three times a week and taking care not to overfeed, because uneaten food breaks down and releases toxic waste into the water. A snail moves slowly, which is why the food needs to stay in place long enough for it to reach it.

Feeding in a tank with fish

In a community aquarium, fish may reach a wafer long before the snail does. Drop supplementary food close to where the snail is grazing, and check afterwards that it has had its share rather than assuming the wafer was eaten by the snail.

Is it getting enough?

Among the early warning signs OATA lists are reduced intake or lack of interest in food and noticeable weight loss. For a grazer, a tank that has been scraped clean of algae is a prompt to add a wafer on the next feeding day. Treat the snail as one helper in keeping algae under control, alongside regular maintenance, rather than the whole solution.

Two example set-ups

The figures on this page are easier to use together. These two examples show how they combine in practice; adjust them to your own aquarium.

A 20-litre planted shrimp tank

• Size: comfortably above OATA's 10-litre figure for small shrimp or snails, with no fish.
• Livestock: a group of shrimp, since shrimp are usually social, plus one or more nerites, added a few at a time once ammonia and nitrite read zero.
• Water: held inside the group guidance of 17–27 °C, pH 6.5–8.0 and 4–18 °dH, with nitrate within 20 mg per litre of your tap water.
• Routine: a 5-litre (25%) water change each week, a weekly test, and an algae wafer or a few shrimp pellets two or three times a week, left for at least 30 minutes.

A 60-litre community aquarium

• Size: well above the invertebrate-only figures, which matters because fish share the tank.
• Stocking: no pufferfish, loaches or assassin snails, and every other species checked for snail-eating before it is bought.
• Routine: a 15-litre (25%) weekly water change, weekly tests, and supplementary food dropped close to the snail so the fish do not take it all.
• Treatments: any medicine the fish need is checked for invertebrate safety first, or the fish are treated elsewhere.

In both cases the snail itself asks for very little: clean, stable water, something to graze, and freedom from copper and from fish that eat snails.

Delivery and the first week

Your snail is hand-packed by our team, hand-bagged in pure oxygen and sent in an insulated poly box, with a heat pack when the weather calls for it. A licensed live-animal courier carries the parcel on a tracked service, and we email the tracking number and your confirmed delivery date so you know when to be in. The full conditions are on our delivery and Live Arrival Guarantee page.

Opening the parcel

1. Be at the delivery address to receive the parcel: live animals cannot be left unattended.
2. Before anything is disturbed, start a continuous unboxing video showing the sealed parcel and the outer box.
3. Keep filming in one take while you open it, until the snail can be seen still inside its sealed bag, and do this on the day the parcel arrives.
4. Float the bag in the aquarium for 20–30 minutes to acclimatise the snail slowly.
5. Release the snail into the aquarium without pouring the bag water into your tank.
6. If anything has gone wrong, contact us the same day, WhatsApp is fastest, with your order number and the unboxing video, and we will arrange a replacement or refund.

The video is what allows a Live Arrival Guarantee claim to be resolved quickly. Our courier may ask for continuous unboxing evidence when we raise a claim, and the guarantee requires someone to have been at the address to receive the parcel, the parcel to be opened and inspected the same day, and a continuous video showing it still sealed.

The first week

OATA points out that all freshwater shrimp and snails vary slightly in behaviour and appearance, and that watching for changes helps you spot a problem before it becomes a real health issue. For a newly added snail, keep an eye on:

• activity: more inactivity, restlessness or unusual behaviour than you would expect;
• colour: turning darker or paler than normal;
• temperament: hiding more than normal;
• breathing: spending more time in the parts of the tank where oxygen levels are higher;
• appearance: white spots, discolouration, lesions, abnormal growths or damage;
• condition and feeding: weight loss, abnormal swelling, or reduced interest in food.

If you are concerned, test the water first, since ammonia, nitrite and copper are the risks OATA highlights for invertebrates, and then get in touch for guidance.

Weekly maintenance

OATA stresses that good husbandry is essential because freshwater shrimp and snails are easily stressed by poor water. Its weekly routine is short:

• Carry out a partial water change of 25% at least once every week, using a siphon to remove solid waste from the gravel.
• Test the water at least once a week to make sure ammonia and nitrite are not building up.
• Treat replacement water with a tap water conditioner to remove chlorine or chloramine before adding it to the aquarium.
• Check the filter for blockages. If it needs cleaning, rinse the media lightly in the tank water removed during the water change; do not run it under the tap, because chlorine or chloramine can kill the beneficial bacteria established in it.

What 25% means in your tank

The weekly change is easy to work out: in a 10-litre nano tank it is 2.5 litres, and in a 40-litre tank, 10 litres. Keeping to the same percentage every week, rather than making occasional large changes, keeps conditions steady for an animal that is easily stressed.

When you siphon the gravel, look into the bucket before you pour it away. A snail of about 1.5 cm is easy to lift out by accident while you are cleaning around decor and plants.

Tank mates for a nerite snail

OATA describes freshwater shrimp and snails as generally compatible with most species in the aquarium, but it also warns that they should be mixed with caution because they may be eaten by common aquarium fish. For a snail, the specific rule is that it should not be mixed with fish that can eat it, such as pufferfish or loaches, and OATA advises checking before mixing freshwater shrimp or snails with any fish species.

Shrimp tanks

OATA's care sheet covers freshwater shrimp and snails together, with the same water guidance, maintenance routine and copper warning, which makes a nerite a natural fit for a shrimp aquarium. The difference is social: shrimp species are usually social and should be kept in groups, while snails are not social creatures and are fine on their own. Freshwater shrimp have their own rule for mixed tanks, since OATA advises against keeping them with any fish that can fit them in its mouth or any predatory species.

Community tanks with fish

A nerite can live in a community aquarium, but remember that OATA's 10-litre and 20-litre figures are for invertebrates alone, and the tank needs to be larger when fish are added. Check every species on your stocking list against the snail rule before you buy: a fish that can eat snails will treat a 1.5 cm nerite as food, however peaceful it is with other fish. Check loaches with particular care, as OATA names them alongside pufferfish.

Questions to ask about any fish

• Can it eat a snail of about 1.5 cm now, or will it be able to once it is grown?
• Is it a pufferfish or a loach, the two groups OATA names?
• Is it likely to need treatments that are not safe for invertebrates?
• Does the tank still have enough room once the snail and any shrimp are counted?

Other snails

Assassin snails are the clear exception among snails. OATA notes that they prey on other snail species, which is why they are used to control excessive snail populations, so they should not share a tank with a nerite you want to keep. Several nerites can share a tank, and because snails are not social, you can decide numbers purely on how much algae there is to graze and how much your filter can support.

Adding companions later

Whenever you add new animals to a tank with the snail in it, add them gradually, as OATA recommends for all livestock, and check each new species against the snail rule before it goes in. Watch the snail over the following days for the changes described in the care section, such as more hiding or reduced interest in food, which can show that a newcomer is bothering it.

Hairy Nerite Snail questions

How big does a Hairy Nerite Snail get?

Because this snail is sold at genus level, without a species name, there is no recorded adult size to quote for it. OATA's care sheet says the snails popular in aquariums, nerites among them, are unlikely to grow larger than 5 cm, which is a sensible upper figure to plan around.

What size aquarium does a Hairy Nerite Snail need?

OATA recommends at least 10 litres for a group of small freshwater shrimp or snails and about 20 litres for larger species such as apple snails, with more space again when fish share the tank. Whatever the size, the aquarium needs a filter and should be fully matured before the snail goes in.

How many nerite snails should I keep together?

One is fine. OATA notes that snails, unlike most freshwater shrimp, are not social animals, so a single snail does not need company. If you want several for extra grazing, add them gradually so the filter bacteria can keep pace.

Is a Hairy Nerite Snail good for beginners?

It can be, provided the aquarium is mature and copper-free. OATA describes freshwater shrimp and snails as usually undemanding of water chemistry, but as invertebrates they will die if exposed even to low levels of copper, so every treatment you use must be labelled safe for invertebrates.

What does a Neritina sp. snail eat?

It grazes on algae in the aquarium. OATA advises supplementing that with algae wafers, or with commercial shrimp pellets, which suit snails too, two or three times a week, leaving the food for at least 30 minutes so the snail has time to eat and removing what is left rather than overfeeding.

What temperature and pH does a Hairy Nerite Snail need?

OATA's group guidance for freshwater shrimp and snails is 17–27 °C, pH 6.5–8.0 and a general hardness of 4–18 °dH, with ammonia and nitrite at zero. Because the exact species is unknown, treat these as broad limits and keep conditions stable inside them.

Is this snail aggressive towards fish?

No. It is a grazing snail, and OATA describes freshwater snails as generally herbivorous and compatible with most species. The risk runs the other way: some fish, such as pufferfish and loaches, eat snails.

What can live with a Hairy Nerite Snail?

Most aquarium species that cannot eat it, including freshwater shrimp, which OATA's care sheet covers alongside snails. Keep it away from pufferfish, loaches and assassin snails, which prey on other snails, and check any fish before mixing it with snails.

How does a Hairy Nerite Snail arrive alive in the UK?

It is hand-bagged in pure oxygen and packed in an insulated poly box, with a heat pack when the weather calls for it, then carried by a licensed live-animal courier on a tracked service. Someone must be at the address to receive it. Film a continuous unboxing video from the sealed parcel to the snail still in its bag, open and inspect it the same day, float the bag for 20–30 minutes before releasing the snail, and contact us the same day with your order number and the video if anything has gone wrong, as our Live Arrival Guarantee requires.

Sources and further reading

• WoRMS: Neritina for the accepted genus and its place in the family Neritidae.
• Wikipedia: Neritina for a summary of the genus, including the operculum and its marine, brackish and freshwater members.
• OATA: How to look after freshwater shrimp and snails for the group water guidance, aquarium size, feeding, maintenance, copper sensitivity, compatibility and health checks.
• RSPCA: fish environment for why a working biological filter matters.
• Tropical Fish Co delivery and Live Arrival Guarantee page, linked in the delivery section, for packing, courier and claim conditions.