TankBud

Dusky nerite snail

Neritina pulligera

Also known as Military Helmet Snail

FreshwaterBrackishSnail

Dusky nerite snail (Neritina pulligera)
Kacper Aleksander · CC BY-SA 4.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
72–82°F
22–28°C
pH
6.5–8.0
Adult size
1.6 in
4 cm
Minimum tank
5 gal
20 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Solitary
Swim level
Bottom
Diet
Herbivore
Difficulty
Beginner
Breeding
Egg layer · Hard
Rarity
Very common
Family
Neritidae
Origin
Southeast Asia, Northern Australia

Overview

The dusky nerite snail is a peaceful, solitary algae grazer for the bottom of a freshwater or brackish tank. It is a good first snail.

Did you know

Dusky nerite snails lay small, hard white egg capsules on surfaces around the tank. The capsules stick firmly and can be tricky to scrape off, so some keepers just leave them be.

Caring for the dusky nerite snail

One dusky nerite snail is fine in a tank of 5 gal (20 L) or more. Give it an established tank with rocks, driftwood and glass that grow a film of algae, and plenty of surfaces to scrape. Keep the water moving and well filtered.

Keep the water at 72 to 82°F (22 to 28°C) with a pH of 6.5 to 8.0. It handles a wide pH range, from soft and slightly acidic to hard and alkaline. It still does best in stable, harder water.

It spends its day rasping algae off rocks, wood and glass, and it eats algae and biofilm. If the tank is too clean, add blanched vegetables or algae wafers.

The dusky nerite snail is peaceful and leaves plants and other animals alone. Females lay eggs, but the larvae need brackish or salt water to develop. Like other nerites, it cannot complete its life cycle in pure freshwater. Its eggs never hatch there, so home breeding almost never works.

Good to know

The dusky nerite snail, Neritina pulligera, belongs to the family Neritidae. It has a smooth, dark, dome-shaped shell.

In the wild

Dusky nerite snails come from fast-flowing streams and lower river stretches across Southeast Asia and northern Australia. They often live near where freshwater meets the sea, grazing hard surfaces in clean, oxygen-rich water.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The dusky nerite snail is a peaceful, solitary 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 dusky nerite snail need?

A dusky nerite snail needs at least 5 gal (20 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a dusky nerite snail need?

A dusky nerite snail is comfortable at 72–82°F (22–28°C) with a pH of 6.5–8.0.

What does a dusky nerite snail eat?

A dusky nerite snail eats algae and biofilm, rasping them off rocks, wood and glass. If the tank is too clean, add blanched vegetables or algae wafers.

How big does a dusky nerite snail get?

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

How does a dusky nerite snail breed?

Dusky nerite snails lay eggs, but the larvae need brackish or salt water to develop. In a freshwater tank the eggs never hatch, so home breeding almost never works.

Related species