TankBud

Marine nerite snail

Nerita sp.

Also known as Nerite Snail, Vittina sp., Zebra Nerite

SaltwaterSnail

Marine nerite snail (Nerita sp.)
(c) Davis Damaledo, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by

Care at a glance

Temperature
72–79°F
22–26°C
pH
8.1–8.4
Adult size
1 in
2.5 cm
Minimum tank
11 gal
40 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Beginner
Breeding
Hard
Rarity
Common
Reef safe
Reef safe
Family
Neritidae
Origin
Intertidal Pacific and Caribbean

Overview

A small, peaceful, reef-safe grazer that stays under a couple of centimetres so it never disturbs corals or rockwork, making it a favourite for nano reefs. It works the rock and glass hard for algae and gets on fine in groups. Its one quirk is a tendency to climb out of open-top tanks, especially right after being added.

In the wild

Marine nerites live in intertidal zones of the Pacific and Caribbean, grazing rock in the splash and surge zone. That intertidal background is why they often try to climb above the waterline, so a tank with a lid or a thick rim lip helps keep them from wandering out. They graze live rock and glass and, like other snails, are sensitive to copper and high nitrate.

Good to know

Nerita and the closely related Vittina are round, hard-shelled snails with highly variable markings. They are widely rated among the most efficient algae eaters in the hobby, taking diatoms, film algae, finer hair algae, and several cyanobacteria including Lyngbya. They lay small white egg capsules on hard surfaces, but the larvae need saltwater and are extremely difficult to raise, so they effectively do not reproduce in a closed reef tank.

Did you know

Marine nerites will happily lay egg capsules all over the tank, but the larvae almost never survive in captivity, so despite constant egg-laying the population never actually grows.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

Marine nerite 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 Marine nerite snail need?

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

What temperature and pH does a Marine nerite snail need?

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

How big does a Marine nerite snail get?

An adult Marine nerite snail reaches about 1 in (2.5 cm).

Related species