TankBud

Horned nerite

Clithon corona

FreshwaterBrackishSnail

Horned nerite (Clithon corona)
Obsidian Soul · CC0

Care at a glance

Temperature
72–79°F
22–26°C
pH
7.0–8.0
Adult size
0.6 in
1.5 cm
Minimum tank
5 gal
19 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Solitary
Swim level
Bottom
Diet
Herbivore
Difficulty
Easy
Breeding
Egg layer · Hard
Rarity
Very common
Family
Neritidae
Origin
Indo-Pacific freshwater streams

Overview

The horned nerite is a small, spiky algae grazer for a tank with hard, alkaline water. It is easy to keep.

Did you know

The horned nerite's spikes give it its name, but they are really an anti-predator feature. They make the snail awkward to swallow.

Caring for the horned nerite

You can keep one horned nerite on its own or add a few, since it is solitary and does not need company. Give it an established tank of 5 gal (19 L) or more. It needs hard surfaces to crawl over and a film of algae to pick at. Keep a lid on, because it can climb out.

Run the water at 72 to 79°F (22 to 26°C) with a pH of 7.0 to 8.0. Keep the water hard and alkaline, with calcium in it, because the shell pits and erodes in soft, acidic conditions. It is very sensitive to copper, so skip any copper-based medications or fertilizers.

The horned nerite is a peaceful bottom grazer that works over rocks, glass and driftwood for algae and biofilm. In a clean tank that runs low on algae, supplement with algae wafers.

It cannot reproduce in fresh water, since the larvae need brackish conditions to develop. Females still drop hard white egg capsules on surfaces, but those eggs go nowhere. A freshwater tank will never overpopulate.

Good to know

The horned nerite, Clithon corona, is a small snail in the family Neritidae with a spiked, horned shell. Each shell carries its own pattern of black and yellow banding, so no two look quite alike. The horns can wear down over time in a tank. Most horned nerites in the trade are wild collected rather than tank bred.

In the wild

Horned nerites come from freshwater streams across the Indo-Pacific, where they graze algae and biofilm off rocks in moving water.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The horned nerite 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 horned nerite need?

A horned nerite needs at least 5 gal (19 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a horned nerite need?

A horned nerite is comfortable at 72–79°F (22–26°C) with a pH of 7.0–8.0.

What does a horned nerite eat?

A horned nerite grazes algae and biofilm from rocks, glass and driftwood. In a clean tank that runs low on algae, supplement it with algae wafers.

How big does a horned nerite get?

An adult horned nerite reaches about 0.6 in (1.5 cm).

How does a horned nerite breed?

Horned nerites cannot reproduce in fresh water, since the larvae need brackish conditions to develop. Females still lay hard white egg capsules, but in a freshwater tank those eggs go nowhere.

Related species