TankBud

Cerith snail

Cerithium sp.

Also known as Black Sand Cerith, Cerithium caeruleum

SaltwaterSnail

Cerith snail (Cerithium sp.)
Philippe Bourjon · CC BY-SA 4.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
72–79°F
22–26°C
pH
8.1–8.4
Adult size
1.6 in
4 cm
Minimum tank
11 gal
40 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Beginner
Breeding
Egg layer · Medium
Rarity
Common
Reef safe
Reef safe
Family
Cerithiidae
Origin
Indo-Pacific and Caribbean (species dependent)

Overview

The Cerith snail is a peaceful, do-it-all scavenger and algae grazer for the sand and rock of a reef tank. It is easy to keep and a good first clean-up crew snail.

Did you know

Cerith snails often breed in the reef tank. That makes them one of the few clean-up crew snails you may see reproducing at home.

Caring for the Cerith snail

Cerith snails prefer larger, well-established systems with a deep sand bed they can plow through. Stock roughly one per 15 to 20 liters, in a tank of at least 11 gal (40 L). They clean glass, rock and sand, and they are happy in groups.

Keep the water at 72 to 79°F (22 to 26°C) with a pH of 8.1 to 8.4. Like other marine snails, they will not tolerate copper medications and are sensitive to elevated nitrate. Acclimate them slowly.

Ceriths eat detritus, uneaten food, fish waste, film algae, hair algae, diatoms and cyanobacteria. They are most active after dark, so much of their useful cleaning happens when the lights are off. Supplement with algae wafers if the tank is very clean.

The Cerith snail is peaceful, fully reef safe and ignores corals. It readily lays eggs in the aquarium, as spiral egg strings on the glass, but the larvae are hard to raise.

Good to know

Cerith snails belong to the family Cerithiidae and have long, tall, spire-shaped shells. They burrow, which helps oxygenate the substrate.

In the wild

Cerith snails come from shallow reef and lagoon sand flats in the Indo-Pacific and the Caribbean, depending on the species. There they work both the sand bed and the rock.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The Cerith snail is a peaceful, social species that keeps to the bottom. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does a Cerith snail need?

A Cerith snail needs at least 11 gal (40 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a Cerith snail need?

A Cerith snail is comfortable at 72–79°F (22–26°C) with a pH of 8.1–8.4.

What does a Cerith snail eat?

A Cerith snail eats detritus, uneaten food and fish waste, along with film algae, hair algae, diatoms and cyanobacteria. Add algae wafers if the tank is very clean.

How big does a Cerith snail get?

An adult Cerith snail reaches about 1.6 in (4 cm).

How does a Cerith snail breed?

Cerith snails readily lay eggs in the aquarium, as spiral strings laid on the glass. Their larvae are hard to raise.

Related species