About the species

The leopard snail is an exclusive algae-eating nerite with a unique pattern in yellow, orange and black. Every snail carries its own markings, making it a decorative centrepiece while it works. It grazes algae and films continuously from glass, stones, roots and other hard surfaces.

Facts

• Latin name: Neritina sp.
• Common name: Leopard Snail
• Size: 2–3 cm
• Lifespan: 3–8 years

Behavior

Leopard Snail is a peaceful and tireless grazer that works across glass, stone and driftwood around the clock. It leaves healthy plants alone and suits shrimp, other snails and calm fish very well. A tight lid matters — nerite snails readily climb out of the water and find every gap.

Reproduction

• Females deposit small, hard white egg capsules on stone, driftwood and glass
• The larvae require brackish or salt water to develop further
• The species therefore cannot reproduce in a freshwater aquarium and never becomes numerous

Feeding

Leopard Snail grazes aufwuchs and feeds on:

• Diatoms and green algae
• Biofilm and bacterial growth
• Cyanobacteria and detritus

Grazing alone is rarely enough — supplement with:

• Food for algae eaters and snails
• Blanched courgette, spinach or nettle
• Catappa and other leaves that grow biofilm

Aquarium

• Minimum aquarium size: 45 litres
• Substrate: Gravel with stone and driftwood to graze on

Difficulty level

🟢 Easy

Recommendation

The leopard snail is our pick when you want an algae eater that is also an ornament in its own right. It is peaceful and suits shrimp and other calm aquarium inhabitants very well. Do not keep it with assassin snails.