Zebra Nerite

About

The tiger snail (Vittina natalensis), also known as the zebra nerite or zebra snail, is a freshwater nerite with a shell pattern that genuinely earns its common names. Bold black zigzag stripes running across a yellow or orange background make it one of the more visually interesting snails available to hobbyists. Native to freshwater and brackish environments in eastern and southern Africa, it follows the same general lifestyle as other nerites: slow, methodical movement across hard surfaces, rasping away algae as it goes. It has a well-deserved reputation as one of the more effective algae grazers you can add to a planted tank, working over glass, rocks, and hardscape with real efficiency. Care is listed as intermediate, which reflects a few key points about nerites generally. They are sensitive to soft or acidic water, needing adequate mineral content to keep their shells from deteriorating over time. They also cannot reproduce in pure freshwater, so you won't end up with an unexpected population explosion, which many keepers appreciate. That said, they do deposit small white egg capsules on surfaces that can be tricky to remove. A solid, useful addition to the right setup, but not entirely hands-off.