King Koopa nerite
Neritina juttingae
Also known as Neritona juttingae, King Koopa nerite snail
FreshwaterBrackishSnail
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 72–82°F
- 22–28°C
- pH
- 7.0–8.2
- Adult size
- 1 in
- 2.5 cm
- Minimum tank
- 5 gal
- 20 L
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Social behavior
- Solitary
- Swim level
- Bottom
- Diet
- Herbivore
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Breeding
- Egg layer · Hard
- Rarity
- Common
- Family
- Neritidae
- Origin
- Musi River basin, Sumatra, Indonesia
Overview
The King Koopa nerite is a peaceful, hard-shelled algae eater that will not touch healthy plants. It is easy to keep.
Did you know
The trade named the King Koopa nerite for a video game villain. Its ribbed spiral does look ready to breathe fire.
Caring for the King Koopa nerite
One or two King Koopa nerites suit a tank of 5 gal (20 L). More than that and they run out of algae and starve slowly. They eat algae on the hardscape and glass, so supplement with algae wafers once the visible growth is gone.
Keep the water hard enough to protect the shell, at 72 to 82°F (22 to 28°C) with a pH of 7.0 to 8.2. Soft, acidic water erodes nerite shells, and that is the usual cause of early loss.
The King Koopa nerite is peaceful and safe with community fish. It cannot breed in fresh water, so the population never gets away from you. Females lay small white egg capsules on hardscape, but the larvae need salt water to develop, so nothing ever hatches into the tank.
Good to know
The King Koopa nerite, Neritina juttingae, is a snail of the family Neritidae. Heavy spiral ridging gives it a far more sculptural shell than the common zebra nerite.
In the wild
The King Koopa nerite comes from the Musi River basin in Sumatra. It lives in fresh lowland water close enough to the coast that its larvae can reach brackish conditions.
Weekly picks
Tank mates
The King Koopa 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.
Mini bumblebee goby
Brachygobius xanthomelas
Freshwater0.8 in (2 cm) · 5 gal (20 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)
Least killifish
Heterandria formosa
FreshwaterBrackish1.4 in (3.5 cm) · 5 gal (20 L)68–79°F (20–26°C)
Red skunk shrimp
Caridina gracilirostris
FreshwaterBrackish1.6 in (4 cm) · 5 gal (20 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)
Mahogany trumpet snail
Melanoides maculata
Freshwater1.6 in (4 cm) · 5 gal (20 L)72–82°F (22–28°C)
Micro bumblebee goby
Brachygobius nunus
FreshwaterBrackish1 in (2.5 cm) · 5 gal (20 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)
Danionella cerebrum
Freshwater0.5 in (1.3 cm) · 8 gal (30 L)72–82°F (22–28°C)
Common questions
What size tank does a King Koopa nerite need?
A King Koopa nerite needs at least 5 gal (20 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.
What temperature and pH does a King Koopa nerite need?
A King Koopa nerite is comfortable at 72–82°F (22–28°C) with a pH of 7.0–8.2.
What does a King Koopa nerite eat?
A King Koopa nerite eats algae on the hardscape and glass. Once the visible growth is gone, supplement it with algae wafers.
How big does a King Koopa nerite get?
An adult King Koopa nerite reaches about 1 in (2.5 cm).
Related species
1.6 in (4 cm)5 gal (20 L)72–82°F (22–28°C)Dusky nerite snail
Neritina pulligera
1.6 in (4 cm) · 5 gal (20 L)
1 in (2.5 cm)5 gal (19 L)72–82°F (22–28°C)Red onion snail
Vittina semiconica
1 in (2.5 cm) · 5 gal (19 L)
1 in (2.5 cm)5 gal (19 L)72–79°F (22–26°C)Tiger nerite
Vittina coromandeliana
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1 in (2.5 cm)5 gal (20 L)66–84°F (19–29°C)Zebra nerite
Vittina natalensis
1 in (2.5 cm) · 5 gal (20 L)
1.2 in (3 cm)5 gal (20 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)Marbled limpet nerite
Septaria porcellana
1.2 in (3 cm) · 5 gal (20 L)
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