Horned nerite snail care
Clithon corona · Western Pacific and Southeast Asia, from the Philippines and Indonesia to Papua New Guinea and the Ryukyu Islands of Japan
Horned nerites are tiny nerite snails, about half an inch, with a dark shell crowned with short spines.
- Tank size
- 5 US gal or larger
- Temperature
- 72 to 80 °F (22 to 27 °C)
- Group size
- Alone or in a pair
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Adult size
- 0.5 in
- pH
- 7 to 8.5
- Hardness (GH)
- 8 to 18 dGH
- Lifespan
- 1 to 2 years
- Diet
- Algae grazer
- Care level
- Easy
In a 5 gallon: Aqueon 5½
16 3/16 × 8⅜ × 10½ in outsideHow to keep horned nerite snails
Horned nerites are tiny nerite snails, about half an inch, with a dark shell crowned with short spines. They graze film and green spot algae from glass, rock and leaves in corners larger snails can't reach, and like other nerites their eggs do not hatch in fresh water, so they never overrun a tank. Keep them in hard water so their shells stay strong.
Diet: Algae grazer: film algae, green spot algae, algae wafers. Fish food types compared · how often to feed.
Where they swim: Bottom of the tank.
Horned nerite snail tank mates
Share the temperature and water, and neither side eats, nips or bullies the other. Check the full group in the stocking checker.
Kubotai rasbora
0.8 in · 10+ gal · 72–79 °F
Celestial pearl danio
1 in · 10+ gal · 72–78 °F
Pygmy corydoras
1 in · 10+ gal · 72–79 °F
Flame tetra
1 in · 10+ gal · 72–82 °F
Spotted blue-eye
1 in · 10+ gal · 75–82 °F
Kerri tetra
1.1 in · 20+ gal · 75–81 °F
Ember tetra
1.2 in · 10+ gal · 73–84 °F
Lambchop rasbora
1.2 in · 10+ gal · 73–82 °F
Keep apart
Pea puffer: Pea puffers belong in a tank of their own.
Assassin snail: Assassin snails eat snails.
Dwarf orange crayfish: Dwarf orange crayfish eat snails.
Everglades pygmy sunfish: Everglades pygmy sunfish belong in a tank of their own.
Discus: No shared temperature: horned nerite snails need 72 to 80 °F, discus 82 to 88 °F.
Oscar: Oscars are aggressive towards peaceful fish such as horned nerite snails.
What a horned nerite snail tank needs
A tank of 5 US gallons or more (such as the 5 gallon: Aqueon 5½) with a cover, and the equipment below.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Aquarium Co-Op Easy Flow Sponge Filter, Nano
A sponge filter gives gentle flow and cannot pull in small fish. It runs from an air pump, with airline tubing and a check valve, all sold separately.
Aqueon QuietFlow Internal Power Filter up to 5 gal
Rated by the maker for up to 5 US gal, which covers a 5 gallon horned nerite snail tank without being built for a far bigger one.
hygger Hang-on-back Canister Filter 5W
Rated by the maker for up to 10 US gal, which covers a 5 gallon horned nerite snail tank without being built for a far bigger one.
hygger Precise Aquarium Heater 50W
Horned nerite snails need 72 to 80 °F; most homes run cooler, so a heater holds the temperature.
API Freshwater Master Test Kit
Tests ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH, the readings that matter most before and after adding horned nerite snails.
Seachem Prime 100 mL
Removes chlorine and chloramine from tap water at every water change.
Fluval Edge Thermometer
Shows the water temperature at a glance, so you know it stays within 72 to 80 °F.
More choices, each with the reason it is in or out: Filters for a 5 gallon tank · Heaters for a 5 gallon tank. We don’t list fish food: any good brand of the foods under Diet will do. Plan the whole tank's equipment →
Common horned nerite snail problems
- Small white eggs on rocks and wood: they do not hatch in fresh water, but they are hard to scrape off.
- They climb out through gaps at the waterline; keep a lid on.
- Soft, acidic water pits their shells; keep the pH at 7 or above.
Test the water first whenever fish look unwell: see what your readings mean, then match the symptom. For disease, a vet who treats fish can diagnose it and advise treatment.
More to compare
Sources
Name and origin checked against Wikipedia: Clithon corona. Adult size, temperature, pH, hardness, group size, lifespan and minimum tank size are common hobby guidance, not figures from that article. Ranges are the range the species tolerates; aim for the middle. Minimum tank sizes are for an adult group. Drawings are our own; photo credits follow.
Photo credits
Real photographs from Wikimedia Commons, resized and cropped to fit; each is used under the license named.
- Horned nerite snail Obsidian Soul, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Kubotai rasbora BottomDog, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Celestial pearl danio Cisamarc, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Pygmy corydoras Birger A, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Flame tetra Igor Balashov (iNaturalist), CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Spotted blue-eye Der Regenbogenfisch, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, via Wikimedia Commons
- Kerri tetra Juan R. Lascorz, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Ember tetra Klaus Rudloff, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Lambchop rasbora AverageWalrus, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Pea puffer Beta Mahatvaraj, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Assassin snail Steffi Klee, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Dwarf orange crayfish HellSpawn754, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Everglades pygmy sunfish Brian Gratwicke, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Discus Patrick Farrelly, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Oscar H. Zell, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Cherry shrimp TheJammingYam, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Amano shrimp Stefanie Leuker, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Ghost shrimp Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Mystery snail Gabriel Resende Veiga, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpeg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
