Sun Thorn Nerite Snails (Clithon donovani)

Also known as Horned Nerite Snails, these snails are both charming and useful.  They clean algae off of glass, plants, and decorations, eat hair algae, and keep your substrate clean.  Sun Thorn Nerite snails are similar to Zebra Thorn Nerite snails in that their shells have small spikes protruding from them, but they grow 2 to 3 times as large.  Some Sun Thorn Nerite snails also feature that black and yellow spiral pattern, while others come in colors like brown and olive green.

 

Nerite Snails are widely believed to be the single best snail in the aquarium hobby for eating algae.  They are particularly effective against algae on hard surfaces, such as glass.  They are totally safe with any fish, shrimp, or plants, and are completely peaceful.  They require salt water to reproduce, so they will never overpopulate your aquarium (as most snails do).  This makes them perfect for aquarium hobbyists who don’t want snails reproducing in their tanks!   Since they do not reproduce in freshwater, we generally send younger snails so that customers can enjoy them for their full lifespan. 

 

When keeping any type of Nerite Snails, it’s a good idea to make sure the water line in your aquarium isn’t too high, as these snails tend to climb up beyond the water line.  Additionally, Nerite Snails do not tolerate water with high nitrate levels.  All freshwater snails are very sensitive to copper, so watch out for copper if you use tap water in your tank.