Olive nerite snail

Care at a glance

The olive nerite is the plainest of the bunch: an even olive-green to brownish shell with no stripes or spots, and the smallest of the common nerites as well. It comes from brackish coastal water around the Gulf of Mexico and is bought for what it does rather than for how it looks.

And it does that well: day and night it scrapes film off glass, stones and firm leaves without ever damaging a plant. Its white eggs will not hatch in fresh water, so no plague follows, but they do stay stuck on as little grains. Make sure the water is calcareous enough and keep the tank covered, because it likes to climb above the waterline.

Best not combined with

• Clown loachChromobotia macracanthus
• Yoyo loachBotia almorhae
• Zebra loachBotia striata
• Dwarf chain loachAmbastaia sidthimunki
• Pea pufferCarinotetraodon travancoricus
• Figure eight pufferDichotomyctere ocellatus
• Assassin snailAnentome helena
• Marbled crayfishProcambarus virginalis
• Electric blue crayfishProcambarus alleni

Related species

• Crystal red shrimpCaridina cantonensis
• Racing nerite snailVittina turrita
• Ghost shrimpPalaemonetes paludosus
• Nerite snail (zebra)Neritina sp.
• Amano shrimpCaridina multidentata
• Bamboo shrimpAtyopsis moluccensis