This is our collection of farm-raised snails grown, named and pioneered exclusively by Arizona Aquatic Gardens!  These are the Best Algae Eating Snails you will ever Own, period. 

THEY WILL NOT REPRODUCE IN FRESHWATER

THEY WILL NOT EAT YOUR PLANTS

THESE SNAILS WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE AND HOW YOU CARE FOR YOUR TANK

 Most Nerites will only grow to about the size of a dime or smaller, and older nerites may develop little barnacles on their shells.  The largest specimens of this species of algae eating snail are less than an inch across.  Nerites are probably about the best algae eating snail for aquariums in the world, as they DO NOT reproduce in freshwater, but only in brackish or saltwater.  More info on Reproduction below. 

We ship these snails already acclimated to FRESHWATER so you need not worry about any acclimation process unless you want them BACK in Saltwater.  They may lay "pretzel- salt-looking" eggs, but they won't hatch unless the eggs are laid in at least “brackish water” at an optimum temp.  Great for keeping GLASS & PLANT LEAVES clean!  NO, they won't eat your plants either. What else could you want in a snail? 

REPRODUCTION:  Aquarists have not had much luck breeding these Nerites.  Many species simply do not lay eggs under typical aquarium conditions, and on the few occasions where it has been reported of egg laying, only rarely have baby snails been produced.  Nerites cannot reproduce without mating first, unlike the Malaysian livebearing snail.

In the wild, this species is found primarily in coastal marine habitats, in fresh, brackish, and saltwater conditions.  This snail will prosper in hard, alkaline freshwater for long periods, perhaps indefinitely.  In brackish conditions, this is perhaps the ideal snail for low to moderate salinity at (SG 1.003 and upwards) success is altogether more secure.

Nerite Snails are usually shipped as a small size and used for algae eating.  They will delicately pick algae off of your plants and glass.  Nerite Snails are used in aquariums of all sizes and do not die in transit, not in Summer, not in Winter!  We have shipped these animals all around the globe without any losses.  If you try to claim a loss for nerites or any snail herein, it will simply not be honored.  We could ship these animals to Timbuktu, lose them in transit for 2 months, and when they came back to us, they’d still be alive!  Once placed in your aquarium, they may take a week or so to start moving, but as long as your aquarium water is up to par and without ammonia, all Nerites will thrive!  We can’t stress this point enough to our customers.  When you get your snails in, add them to the front of your aquarium so you can monitor them closely.  They will be most active at night, NOT during the day or when your tank’s lights are on.  Nerites are A NATURAL ALARM!  If you’re walking past your tank during the day and see them clustered up at the top of the water’s surface, you more than likely have a serious water quality issue that requires immediate attention, i.e. a pump or filter may have failed.


Bush Grazer Snails
Our Bush Grazer Snails are used for controlling large algae outbreaks mainly in ponds, and not used in a planted aquariums.  Great for tanks with testosterone fish, i.e. Cichlids or where other larger fish might be kept in systems without plants.  Grazer snails will keep glass and rocks clean and eat dead animals, waste, and detritus.  These snails WILL reproduce by laying a pink cocoon-like sack at the water's rim that will hatch.  Bush Grazers ship at least the size of a quarter to half-dollar size and may grow as large as a golf ball or larger in a couple years.


Choosing the right Nerite Snails:
ALL nerites are wonderful snails to own in just about every single type of aquarium setup.  They can all adapt to many different water parameters.  The only differences are that some Nerites are more colorful, pricey, some are spiny, and of course the sizes are the biggest differences.  It is also thought that Spiny Nerites are the best for cichlid tanks due to the natural spines that occur on the shells to help protect them from predators, but the truth is that most cichlids will give up on pestering all nerite species because nerites are just too tough to get to the meat because they are a true “trapdoor snail” and they can button themselves up very tight.  Below is a list of typical sizes to help you figure out which nerites will be the best choices for your aquarium.  Hope this helps you out.

Olive Nerites: The cheapest, but maybe the best algae eater snail offered within the choices here and certainly the most popular!  A simple, no frills, or fancy colors, just plain looking, about the size of a dime to a penny.  Not typically out during the day at all, they do most glass work during the night and eat waste in the gravel during the day.  What else could you possibly want in a snail.  If they were only prettier, right!  Use 1 per gallon if you want your tank spotless.

Spiny Nerites: A tad more money, but ideal for small aquariums as these are a much smaller snail, rarely larger than a dime size, typically pea-sized when shipped.  A nice add-on snail for those of you wanting to marvel at how cool they look, but we’d suggest still getting the Olive Nerites as your primary snail and use these to mix things up and keep your tank interesting.

Tiger Nerites: These are your largest and usually the most expensive Nerites usually shipped about nickel size and will grow to quarter size or more.  Good algae eaters, but tend to work on one spot for a longer period of time, kind of like your slower “semi retired janitor” but with magnificent coloration.  Can be seen almost all the time in your tank, rarely burrows.  Again, these are another good compliment to the Olive nerites.