What fish can live with Nerite Snail?

Use the "Often compatible" lists as a shortlist, not a stocking plan. Always run the pair tool and check the footprint of your actual tank first. Verify behaviour for Nerite Snail against your own reading before you buy.

What tank mates should you avoid with Nerite Snail?

Avoid Assassin Snail, Pea Puffer, Oscar, Jack Dempsey based on size, temperament, or predation risk on file.

What size tank do Nerite Snail need for a community?

20L is the planning floor for adult swimming space and bioload headroom. Long-term, a 30L+ tank lets adults use the full footprint without crowding the next species. Footprint, meaning length and front-to-back depth, matters as much as raw volume for active or territorial species.

Nerite Snail tank mates

The best freshwater algae snail on the hobby market, with the trade-off that the white egg capsules look untidy and cannot be hatched.

Evidence: partially verified

Confidence: medium

Lists below are built from this species record (safest, best with, risky, unsafe) — each link opens a pair-level check, not a guarantee.

← Full Nerite Snail profile·Compatibility checker·Tank builder·More invertebrate

Best tank mates (on file)

Merged from conservative safest and best with fields — de-duplicated by species.

Amano Shrimp Pair check
The Nerite Snail profile lists Amano Shrimp as both safe and a recommended pairing. Amano Shrimp grows bigger than Nerite Snail (5cm vs 2.5cm). Stock the Nerite Snail group large enough to outnumber the Amano Shrimp, or the smaller fish ends up bullied or off food.
Cherry Barb Pair check
The Nerite Snail profile lists Cherry Barb as both safe and a recommended pairing. Cherry Barb schools in groups of 6 or more, so plan room for the whole group rather than one fish. Cherry Barb grows bigger than Nerite Snail (5cm vs 2.5cm). Stock the Nerite Snail group large enough to outnumber the Cherry Barb, or the smaller fish ends up bullied or off food.
Corydoras Catfish Pair check
The Nerite Snail profile lists Corydoras Catfish as both safe and a recommended pairing. Corydoras Catfish schools in groups of 6 or more, so plan room for the whole group rather than one fish. Corydoras Catfish grows bigger than Nerite Snail (6cm vs 2.5cm). Stock the Nerite Snail group large enough to outnumber the Corydoras Catfish, or the smaller fish ends up bullied or off food.
Harlequin Rasbora Pair check
The Nerite Snail profile lists Harlequin Rasbora as both safe and a recommended pairing. Harlequin Rasbora schools in groups of 6 or more, so plan room for the whole group rather than one fish. Harlequin Rasbora grows bigger than Nerite Snail (5cm vs 2.5cm). Stock the Nerite Snail group large enough to outnumber the Harlequin Rasbora, or the smaller fish ends up bullied or off food.
Neon Tetra Pair check
The Nerite Snail profile lists Neon Tetra as both safe and a recommended pairing. Neon Tetra schools in groups of 6 or more, so plan room for the whole group rather than one fish. Water parameters barely overlap between the two, so check the temperature and pH ranges on both profiles before stocking.

Risky or situational

From risky tank mates and broad avoid with (excluding “unsafe” below). May work with species-only setups, more water, or mature systems — read the pair page.

None on file beyond the safe list.

Fish to avoid with Nerite Snail

From the unsafe list — predation, aggression, or space rules on this profile.

Assassin Snail See why (pair)
Assassin Snail conflicts with Nerite Snail on temperament, predation, or footprint. The juvenile size in a shop tank is not the figure that matters here.
Pea Puffer See why (pair)
Pea Puffer conflicts with Nerite Snail on temperament, predation, or footprint. The juvenile size in a shop tank is not the figure that matters here.
Oscar See why (pair)
Oscar reaches 35cm and is flagged predatory. Nerite Snail at 2.5cm is prey-sized for it. Oscar needs at least 300L, far above the 20L minimum for Nerite Snail. The tank that houses one stresses the other. Oscar is rated aggressive and Nerite Snail is rated peaceful. No community-style planning carries that gap.
Jack Dempsey See why (pair)
Jack Dempsey reaches 25cm and is flagged predatory. Nerite Snail at 2.5cm is prey-sized for it. Jack Dempsey needs at least 200L, far above the 20L minimum for Nerite Snail. The tank that houses one stresses the other. Jack Dempsey is rated aggressive and Nerite Snail is rated peaceful. No community-style planning carries that gap.

Tank size and groups

Published minimum for Nerite Snail: 20L — group minimum 1 .
Compatibility changes when the tank is too short for turning, too little for a real school, or too warm for one species and not the other — that is why pair checks include tank context, not only temperament.
Nearest litre hub to this minimum: 30L hub.

Plan before you buy

Pair checks for every mix, then multi-species stocking in the builder.

Open compatibility checker Tank builder

Filtration & heating

A 20L minimum tank for Nerite Snail needs a filter rated for at least 80L/hr turnover and a heater maintaining 22–28°C.

Filter buying guide →Heater buying guide →Beginner plants guide →

Related (care + temperament)

Other species that list Nerite Snail

Reverse lookup: these profiles reference Nerite Snail under safe or “best with” lists.