It’s clear that nerite slugs are a great addition to any tank with algae. Their eggs don’t hatch in freshwater which is an advantage if you want to control their numbers.

These infertile eggs may still bother you. Neriites snails don’t lay eggs in clutches like most freshwater snails.

Instead, they deposit the eggs in a single batch and attach them to the tanks with plants or props. These little eggs can be difficult to remove. If you insist on getting rid of them, you’ll need to have some help.

Are there fish or invertebrates who eat nerite-snail eggs?

Yes, some fishes can eat the eggs of nerite snails.

Let me briefly describe them.

What Eats Nerite Snail Eggs?

Only a few creatures are capable of removing nerite snail eggs. These include clown loach and pea puffer as well as dwarf chain loach, zebrafish, dwarf catfish, crayfish, Amano shrimp and assassin snail.

Clown Loach

Hobbyists often choose clown loach when there is a high number of nerite eggs.

These loaches are very efficient at what they do best – eating snail eggs. Most people don’t realize the size of these fishes.

As an adult, a clown loach can reach 9 inches in height. A larger tank is necessary if you have more than one clown loach (preferably five).

The silver lining to keeping them is that their growth rate is slower, which can buy you some time.

Keep in mind that these loaches will not be able help you right away if they have too many snails or eggs.

Clown loaches can also be affected by fluctuating water parameters.

If you want them help you eliminate the nerite eggs, ensure that the water parameters are perfect and stable at all time.

Pea Puffer

Pea puffers can be described as hardcore carnivores. To meet their protein needs, they will eat both eggs and nerite snails.

To see the best of pea puffers, I recommend keeping at least 6-7 in a 20-gallon aquarium.

However, if you keep only one or two eggs per day, there won’t be a significant drop in infertile eggs.

Zebrafish

Zebrafish, also known as zebra danios or zebra zebrafish, are a popular freshwater fish. They are 1.5 inches in length and can reach into tight spaces to eat the eggs that have been attached in the tank.

Lizard Catfish

Lizard catfish can grow up to 4.4 inches in length and are very agile.

There is a good chance that your snails will be preyed upon by most predator fish.

You don’t have to worry about lizard catsfish as they won’t eat your snails.

They will spend their time close to driftwoods where they can feed on biofilms. This is where nerite snails attach their eggs the most.

Lizard catfish can also consume biofilms simultaneously.

Dwarf Chain Loach

This species is small compared to other loaches, hence the name dwarf chain locach. A fully grown dwarf chain loach can only measure 2.5 inches in length.

The amount of food they eat directly affects the size of fish. These loaches will love the nerite snail egg, which is a great meal.

Crayfish

Wild crayfish can be natural predators of nerite slugs in the wild. It is their natural instinct to eat nerite snail eggs.

Remember that crayfish could also be targeting your nerite snails. Once the crayfish grows larger than the snail, it is time to move the crayfish.

Amano Shrimp

Amano shrimps, well-known for their ability to eat algae, are a great choice if you’re looking to eliminate it from your tank. After removing all the algae from your tank, you can turn them on to nerite snail eggs.

They are able to control snail egg outbreaks because of their voracious appetite. These shrimps not only eat snail eggs but also eat the snail.

Keep this in mind when you keep Amano shrimps and nerite snails.

Amanos will respond to your call if you have a snail infestation.

Assassin Snail

While assassin snails don’t eat nerite eggs, they can help control egg infiltration by eating their forebears, which are adult nerites.

Why Is It Hard For Fish To Eat Snail Eggs?

The nerite snails have two main characteristics. First, their eggs are small and secondly they don’t lay them in large numbers like other snails. These eggs can be found all around the tank, including on decorations, driftwoods and glasses. This makes it difficult for larger fish to grab them. These eggs will only be pursued by fish smaller than 2 inches.

Let me now explain why smaller fish species don’t have to eat nerite snail eggs.

The behavioral ecology model is a theory that all animals and creatures use to search for food.

To hunt and catch food, an animal needs energy and time. This theory states that an animal will choose the most economic foraging method to reduce its energy and time investment.

Did You Know There’s a Formula to Calculate This?

We won’t geek out on this topic right now.

This theory explains that predator fish and invertebrates will need to expend more energy and time searching for and consuming dispersed nerite eggs than any other snail eggs in their clutches.

These predators will only get enough nutrition from one egg to be able to find more eggs.

These eggs are best left alone for the smaller fishes.

Other Ways To Get Rid Of Nerite Snail Eggs

It is a terrible thing to say, but many aquarists fail to get rid of nerite eggs, even after keeping them with predators.

To get rid of nerite eggs, I suggest the following:

Do it manually

It can be exhausting to remove every one of these eggs from the driftwood. We must accept the fact that we cannot change the outcome. Plan ahead and give one Sunday to it.

Get Males Only

This is more of an preventative measure than a cure. It is difficult to tell the difference between male and female nerite snails if you observe their body.

It is possible to get either a male or female nerite snail.

The flap is located under the right eye of males, but they are difficult to spot for untrained eyes.

You can place them in separate tanks or containers and then wait to see which one lays eggs.

Clean Tank Regularly

These eggs can be identified early by regular cleaning. Make it a habit to remove them with a stainless steel blade once you have identified them.

Remove The Driftwood

It has been my experience that nerite snails love to attach their eggs and driftwoods to their eggs. You will need to dry the driftwood outside in the sunlight. This will allow the eggs to dry under it, making it easier to pick.

Put Cucumbers

If you want to reduce the snail population, this technique will work. Place a large cucumber in the tank.

The cucumber is a favorite of the Nerite snails, who will go crazy over it. Once they attach their slimy legs and cucumber to themselves, you can take them out with the snails. This will allow you to eliminate many pest snails in one go.

Final Words: What Eats Nerite Snail Eggs?

There aren’t many fish that will eat nerite snails, to be honest. These eggs are too small to feed larger fishes, and smaller fishes can’t eat many at once.

It is also important to consider the best foraging behavior.

Even the fish I suggested earlier might not be able to remove snail eggs from your tank.

The best way to avoid this problem is to do so before it becomes too late. Keep only male nerite shrimps in your tank.