The short answer
Yes — for most tanks the right snails are a genuine asset. A good clean-up snail grazes algae off glass and decor and mops up leftover food and dead leaves, doing quiet work fish ignore. The caveats are simple: choose a non-breeding or slow-breeding species, don’t overstock, and remember snails need enough food to survive. Get those right and snails are one of the easiest, most useful additions in the hobby.
The upside of keeping snails
Snails are peaceful, hardy and interesting to watch. Nerite snails are arguably the best glass-algae eaters available and can’t overpopulate a freshwater tank. Mystery snails are large, colourful scavengers with real personality. Assassin snails even control pest-snail outbreaks for you. Together they make a tidy, low-drama clean-up crew.
The caveats to keep in mind
Snails need calcium to build strong shells, so soft, low-mineral water can leave shells pitted or eroded. They also add to the bioload, so don’t cram in dozens. And a couple of species (bladder, pond, ramshorn) can multiply quickly if you overfeed — that’s a feeding issue, covered in will my snails take over my tank.
Choosing the right snail
For algae control pick nerites; for scavenging pick mystery snails; for pest control pick assassins. All of them get along with peaceful community fish and with cherry shrimp — see can I keep shrimp and snails together. Add a lid if you keep climbers like nerites (do I need a lid for snails), and pair them with a cycled tank, a good filter, and steady parameters you confirm with a test kit.