Tiger nerite
Vittina coromandeliana
FreshwaterBrackishSnail
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 72–79°F
- 22–26°C
- pH
- 7.0–8.5
- Adult size
- 1 in
- 2.5 cm
- Minimum tank
- 5 gal
- 19 L
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Social behavior
- Solitary
- Swim level
- Bottom
- Diet
- Herbivore
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Breeding
- Egg layer
- Rarity
- Very common
- Family
- Neritidae
- Origin
- Indo-Pacific coastal freshwater and brackish streams
Overview
The tiger nerite is one of the best film-algae and diatom eaters for a freshwater or brackish tank. It is peaceful and a good choice for a beginner.
Did you know
Unlike bladder or pond snails, tiger nerites will never overpopulate your tank, a quirk that makes them handy for a hobbyist.
Caring for the tiger nerite
Keep tiger nerites in a tank of at least 5 gal (19 L), on their own or in small numbers. They live alone and do not need company. Give them plenty of mature hard surfaces to scrape. They climb and can escape above the waterline, so keep a lid on the tank.
Hold the water at 72 to 79°F (22 to 26°C) with a pH of 7.0 to 8.5. Keep it hard and alkaline, with good calcium so the shell stays solid. Soft, acidic water below 7 pits and erodes the shell, so this is not a snail for a low-pH planted setup. Tiger nerites are very sensitive to copper, so check that any medications or treatments are copper free.
They are peaceful bottom grazers, working over glass, rocks and decor for film algae and diatoms. If algae runs low, offer algae wafers or blanched vegetables. They are safe with shrimp and live plants.
Tiger nerites lay hard white egg capsules on surfaces. The larvae only develop in brackish water, so the eggs never hatch in a freshwater tank.
Good to know
The tiger nerite, Vittina coromandeliana, is a snail in the family Neritidae with a striped shell. With good water and steady feeding, it can live a couple of years. Most in the trade are wild collected rather than tank bred.
In the wild
Tiger nerites come from coastal streams across the Indo-Pacific, where the water runs from fresh into brackish. There they graze film algae from rocks and other hard surfaces.
Weekly picks
Tank mates
The tiger 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.
Neocaridina shrimp
Neocaridina davidi
Freshwater1.6 in (4 cm) · 5 gal (19 L)59–84°F (15–29°C)
Guppy
Poecilia reticulata
FreshwaterBrackish2.4 in (6 cm) · 10 gal (38 L)64–82°F (18–28°C)
Neon tetra
Paracheirodon innesi
Freshwater1.5 in (3.8 cm) · 11 gal (40 L)70–77°F (21–25°C)
Okinawa cleaner shrimp
Neocaridina denticulata
Freshwater1.2 in (3 cm) · 5 gal (20 L)64–79°F (18–26°C)
Micro bumblebee goby
Brachygobius nunus
FreshwaterBrackish1 in (2.5 cm) · 5 gal (20 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)
Dwarf amber barb
Barboides gracilis
Freshwater0.8 in (2 cm) · 5 gal (20 L)73–81°F (23–27°C)
Common questions
What size tank does a tiger nerite need?
A tiger nerite needs at least 5 gal (19 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.
What temperature and pH does a tiger nerite need?
A tiger nerite is comfortable at 72–79°F (22–26°C) with a pH of 7.0–8.5.
What does a tiger nerite eat?
A tiger nerite works over glass, rocks and decor for film algae and diatoms. If algae runs low, offer it algae wafers or blanched vegetables.
How big does a tiger nerite get?
An adult tiger nerite reaches about 1 in (2.5 cm).
Related species
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)66–84°F (19–29°C)Zebra nerite
Vittina natalensis
1 in (2.5 cm) · 5 gal (19 L)
0.8 in (2 cm)5 gal (20 L)72–82°F (22–28°C)Olive nerite
Vittina usnea
0.8 in (2 cm) · 5 gal (20 L)
1 in (2.5 cm)5 gal (20 L)72–82°F (22–28°C)King Koopa nerite
Neritina juttingae
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)
0.8 in (2 cm)5 gal (19 L)72–82°F (22–28°C)Fancy antler snail
Clithon sowerianum
0.8 in (2 cm) · 5 gal (19 L)