Nerite snails are one of the most popular snail species in the fishkeeping hobby. There are a lot of different types of nerite snails you can choose, ranging from zebra nerites to batman nerites, which differ in appearance. But all of these different nerite snails have one thing in common—they just can’t live with certain fish, or in other words, they're bad tank mates. This article will simply explain the potential dangers of housing nerite snails with certain species, and the reasons why nerites are not compatible with certain fish mentioned below.
What Is a Bad Tank Mate?
Most aquarium fish are relatively peaceful species that can simply coexist with other fish and creatures. They do not show any sort of repetitive, long-term aggression. But some aquarium fish just can’t help themselves and are not compatible with most species, including nerite snails. If you are going to keep nerite snails with the fish species mentioned below, there is a high chance that your nerite snails will sooner or later be killed or will live a very stressful life. Try to avoid these species, because there is a large list of other aquarium inhabitants that can live with nerite snails.
Pea Puffer
To begin this list is the pea puffer, a very unique-looking fish that is notorious for hunting and killing snails. These species are extremely beautiful-looking and can give the wrong impression of being just another cute fish that can’t hurt anybody. Pea puffers are carnivores, which means that they only eat meat-based food, including snails. Pea puffers usually closely observe any snail and then suddenly attack—sucking the snail out of the shell and eating it. Even though nerite snails are too large to be eaten by pea puffers, they will eventually be injured too often and die.
Goldfish
Moving on, another popular fish that nerite snails would not do well with is the goldfish. It does not matter if it is a common or a fancy goldfish, these species literally eat everything and they will see nerite snails as food. There is a high chance that nerite snails will be simply harassed too often and will most likely die from stress or injury. Some people might have success keeping goldfish and nerite snails, but the risk of a goldfish potentially harming a snail is too great, so it is advised not to keep these two species together.
Betta Fish
Another extremely popular fish that should not be housed with nerite snails is the Siamese fighting fish, or in other words the betta fish. These species are commonly kept with nerites, but they can be dangerous sometimes. Betta fish are very different from one another. Every single fish has a different character—some might be aggressive, others completely peaceful. For that same reason, a person should not risk the well-being of a nerite snail and try to house it with a betta fish. It might work out, but there is also a chance that the betta fish might attack the nerite snail. The Siamese fighting fish is notoriously known for being extremely territorial and aggressive towards other creatures, sometimes including nerite snails.
Tiger Barb
Moving on, tiger barbs are known for being troublesome tank mates simply because of their aggression. Even though they are schooling fish and not particularly large, tiger barbs portray aggression that can be triggered by stress, lack of swimming space or hierarchy. These species need to be kept in larger groups to reduce aggression, but there are no guarantees. Nerite snails are not really compatible with tiger barbs, since they make a slow-moving target, and cherry barbs can simply bite the antennas of the nerite snails. There are better species to choose from; tiger barbs would be terrible tank mates for the nerite snail.
Angelfish
These long-finned species are extremely beautiful in every aquarium. Angelfish require lots of swimming space, and even with perfect conditions, these creatures can be aggressive toward other inhabitants. Due to their size and aggression, nerite snails can easily be harmed by angelfish. Another important fact is that angels breed a lot and nerite snails can accidentally stumble upon the angelfish eggs. This can lead to aggression from the angelfish, which can potentially hurt a nerite snail. Even though some have had success keeping these two species together, it is not worth the potential risk. Fish owners are responsible for the well-being of their pets, including the most basic creatures like nerite snails.
Conclusion
To summarize, nerite snails are extremely amazing creatures that can be particularly beneficial to every aquarium. Nerites are excellent tank cleaners, but they simply can’t live with some species, which is why people should not house them with other types of fish. Always make sure to do research before buying new fish for your aquarium, because there is always a risk of incompatibility between the species.
