Pink Lady Horned Nerite Snail (Clithon sp.)

Decide whether this Clithon fits your aquarium

The Pink Lady Horned Nerite Snail (Clithon sp.) is a live aquatic gastropod mollusc in the nerite family, Neritidae. WoRMS recognises Clithon as an accepted genus, while Wikipedia describes members of the genus as freshwater or brackish snails with an operculum. It suits a keeper who can prepare a mature, filtered freshwater aquarium, maintain measured water values and protect the snail from fish that may eat it.

For its freshwater placement, keep it at 17–27°C, pH 6.5–8.0 and 4–18°dH. OATA's freshwater shrimp-and-snail sheet gives these values as broad group guidance and also gives 3–15°dKH. Plan around approximately 20 litres for this genus-level animal, using OATA's larger freshwater invertebrate category, and choose a larger aquarium if fish will share the system.

Make the long-term decision first

Use the aquarium's mature capacity, grazing surfaces and companion mix to decide whether this snail fits. Its size when received is not an adult-size promise, and a genus-level name covers natural variation between members of Clithon. Leave enough capacity for growth and for the extra waste created whenever livestock and feeding increase.

This is a practical choice for a keeper prepared to measure water rather than judge it by appearance. The decisive requirements are a mature biological filter, zero ammonia, zero nitrite, protection from copper and a companion assessment focused on whether another animal could eat the snail.

Understand the animal you receive

One purchase supplies one live Pink Lady Horned Nerite Snail. The exact species has not been identified, so the care advice here follows the genus Clithon and its care group. The abbreviation “sp.” therefore identifies the animal to genus rather than assigning it to one particular species.

Sex is guaranteed only when the selected option explicitly states male or female. This Pink Lady Horned Nerite Snail listing has no sex-guaranteed option.

Use the name at the right level

Pink Lady Horned Nerite Snail is the trade identity for this animal, while Clithon sp. is its scientific label. Treating it as a genus-level animal prevents a single species' adult dimensions, geographic origin or specialised habitat from being attached to every snail carrying the trade name. The reliable planning decisions are therefore based on the accepted genus identity and freshwater shrimp-and-snail care guidance.

Plan its permanent aquarium around the larger OATA space category of approximately 20 litres, not around the animal's dimensions when it reaches you. If fish are part of the plan, use more space and complete the predation check before the snail is introduced. A larger volume also provides more stable temperature and water quality, which makes routine care easier to control.

Match the purchase to your plan

• Purchase unit: one live snail per purchase.
• Identity: Pink Lady Horned Nerite Snail, scientifically labelled Clithon sp.
• Social planning: snails are not social creatures, so one does not need a group for social welfare.
• Expansion: add further livestock slowly so the filter's beneficial bacteria can respond to increased waste and feeding.

If you are comparing this animal with a different snail, use the current snail collection to compare identities before deciding. Do not transfer a species-level size, water requirement or behaviour from another nerite to this genus-level animal merely because the common names sound similar.

Plan enough stable aquarium space

Plan approximately 20 litres for a snail-only aquarium and choose a larger aquarium if fish will share it. OATA uses approximately 20 litres for larger freshwater shrimp or snails; using that larger category is the cautious planning choice for an animal identified only to genus. This figure is a starting volume for the system, not a fixed allowance that can be multiplied indefinitely as more animals are added.

Volume matters because environmental conditions such as temperature and water quality become more stable as the aquarium becomes larger. The filter must still be established, appropriately maintained and able to process the waste created by every animal and every feed. Extra water cannot replace biological maturity, while a mature filter cannot remove the need to control stocking.

Do not treat litres as the only limit

Check the whole system before adding the snail: the filter must be mature, ammonia and nitrite must each read zero, and the water must fall within the stated temperature, pH and hardness guidance. The aquarium also needs substrate and cover rather than being planned as an empty volume.

When several animals are planned, space the introductions rather than adding the full intended population together. Beneficial bacteria increase in response to the additional waste and feeding load. Adding too much livestock too quickly can cause new tank syndrome, with unhealthy ammonia and nitrite that may make freshwater snails ill or kill them.

A snail-only aquarium avoids the extra predation decision, but it does not reduce the need for filtration, testing, feeding and weekly maintenance. With fish present, allow additional volume for the mixed stocking load and reject any companion known to eat snails.

Keep the water within measured limits

Keep the aquarium at 17–27°C, pH 6.5–8.0, 4–18°dH and 3–15°dKH. Maintain ammonia at zero mg/L and nitrite at zero mg/L. Nitrate should not exceed 20 mg/L above the normal tap-water level. These are the working freshwater shrimp-and-snail values to use for this genus-level animal.

Test the values that control the decision

• Temperature: keep the measured value between 17°C and 27°C.
• Acidity and alkalinity: keep pH between 6.5 and 8.0.
• General hardness: keep within 4–18°dH.
• Carbonate hardness: keep within 3–15°dKH.
• Toxic nitrogen waste: ammonia and nitrite must each remain at zero mg/L.
• Nitrate: keep it within 20 mg/L above the normal tap-water level.

Use a test result to make each water decision. Our water chemistry guide explains what the principal aquarium values mean, while the water matcher lets you compare measured aquarium values with this guidance. Record the normal tap-water nitrate result because the nitrate ceiling is expressed relative to that baseline.

Read the values together

A temperature inside the range does not compensate for ammonia or nitrite above zero. Likewise, a suitable pH does not remove the need to check hardness and nitrate. Approve the aquarium only when the full set of relevant readings fits the plan and the biological filter is operating properly.

If ammonia or nitrite is detected, do not add more livestock. Review the filter, stocking pace, feeding load and maintenance routine, then wait until both values have returned to zero before considering another addition. Testing at least once per week makes a developing water-quality problem easier to identify before visible changes in the snail become the first warning.

Check replacement water before it enters the routine. Treat tap water with a suitable conditioner to remove harmful chlorine or chloramine, then use the regular partial water-change schedule rather than allowing waste to build between irregular large interventions.

Mature and protect the biological filter

Run a mature biological filter before introducing the snail, and keep that filter operating and maintained. OATA states that a filter is always essential for freshwater shrimp and snails. Beneficial bacteria in the filter must be able to process the increased waste that follows every livestock addition and every increase in feeding.

The RSPCA explains the biological filtration sequence: toxic ammonia is converted to nitrite, which is also toxic, and then to the safer nitrate stage. This process is why a powered filter alone is not enough; the bacterial population must already be established and protected.

Use a readiness sequence

1. Set up the aquarium, substrate, cover and filter before livestock is introduced.
2. Mature the filter so an established beneficial-bacteria population can process waste.
3. Test the water and require ammonia and nitrite to read zero.
4. Confirm that temperature, pH and hardness fall within the freshwater care values.
5. Add livestock slowly rather than placing the full intended population into the aquarium together.

Our first invertebrate aquarium guide can help organise preparation and maturation before the animal arrives. Use the measured readiness checks above as the final decision: a planned introduction should wait if ammonia or nitrite is detectable.

Protect the bacteria during cleaning

Check the filter for blockages during routine maintenance. If it needs cleaning, do not run it under the tap. Rinse it lightly in aquarium water removed during the partial water change, which reduces the number of beneficial bacteria lost. Chlorine or chloramine in tap water may kill the established bacterial population in the media.

New tank syndrome occurs when the bacterial population cannot cope with increased waste. Prevent it by pacing additions, controlling feeding and keeping the filter working. If a test detects ammonia or nitrite, pause all further stocking while the aquarium returns to zero for both readings.

Furnish the aquarium for cover and grazing

Use aquarium gravel or sand as the substrate and include cover. Live plants are the preferred option in OATA's freshwater invertebrate guidance. If live plants are not used, add plastic plants and suitable ornaments such as plant pots or model caves so the aquarium is not left without structure.

The snail will graze algae in the aquarium, so the furnished system provides more useful surfaces than an empty container. Grazing remains part of a managed feeding plan rather than a reason to leave maintenance undone or assume visible algae will meet every nutritional need.

Build the layout in a practical order

• Substrate: place aquarium gravel or sand across the base.
• Planting: use live plants where they fit the setup.
• Alternative cover: use plastic plants and suitable ornaments if live planting is not chosen.
• Filter access: keep the filter accessible so blockages can be checked and media can be cleaned correctly.
• Maintenance access: leave enough working room to siphon solid waste from the substrate during a water change.

Prepare the complete layout before the snail is introduced. Rearranging the aquarium is not a substitute for correcting water quality, so confirm zero ammonia, zero nitrite and suitable temperature, pH and hardness after the system is furnished and mature.

Do not choose ornaments as a way to make an undersized mixed aquarium workable. Approximately 20 litres remains the planning category for the snail-only setup, and the aquarium needs to be larger when fish are included. Structure, water volume, filtration and companion screening solve different parts of the care decision.

Keep food and décor decisions separate

Natural grazing on aquarium algae is useful, but supplement it according to the feeding routine. A clean-looking aquarium may still need a measured food supplement, while an aquarium with visible algae still needs water testing, filtration and waste removal. Judge feeding from the animal's interest and the amount left after the feeding window, not from décor alone.

Feed a controlled grazing diet

Let the snail graze algae in the aquarium and supplement that grazing with algae wafers. Commercial pellets made for freshwater shrimp can also be used for freshwater snails. Feed two or three times a week and leave pellets or wafers for at least 30 minutes so the animal has time to feed.

Use a simple feeding sequence

1. Check the aquarium and the snail before adding food.
2. Offer an algae wafer or a commercial pellet suitable for freshwater shrimp and snails.
3. Allow at least 30 minutes for grazing.
4. Look for continued leftovers or reduced interest before deciding the next portion.
5. Feed again on the two-or-three-times-a-week schedule rather than repeatedly adding food between planned feeds.

The portion should support feeding without creating a persistent build-up of uneaten food. Excess food breaks down and releases toxic waste into the water. If food repeatedly remains, reduce the next portion rather than assuming the snail requires more time or adding a second food immediately.

Do not turn grazing into constant supplementary feeding. The schedule intentionally leaves time between feeds, while the aquarium supplies opportunities to graze algae. The aim is enough accessible food without the decaying excess that can drive ammonia or nitrite upwards.

Connect feeding to filtration

Every increase in food increases the waste the biological filter must process. Add animals slowly, adjust portions gradually and keep the weekly testing routine in place. If ammonia or nitrite rises above zero, stop further stocking and review both feeding and filter performance before increasing food again.

Reduced food intake is also one of the changes OATA recommends watching. Treat it as a reason to inspect the whole care routine—water readings, filter operation, recent stocking and visible condition—rather than simply offering more food.

Maintain the water and watch for health changes

At least once every week, change 25% of the aquarium water. Use a siphon where helpful to remove solid waste from the gravel, and test the water at least once per week so ammonia and nitrite do not build up. Treat replacement tap water with conditioner to remove harmful chlorine or chloramine before adding it to the aquarium.

Follow the weekly routine in order

1. Observe the snail's normal activity, appearance and interest in food.
2. Test ammonia, nitrite and the other water values needed for the setup.
3. Remove 25% of the water, doing this at least once every week.
4. Siphon accessible solid waste from the substrate.
5. Treat replacement tap water with conditioner before it enters the aquarium.
6. Check the filter for blockages and clean media only when needed.

If filter media needs cleaning, do not run it under the tap. Rinse it lightly in the aquarium water removed during the partial water change. This protects more of the established beneficial-bacteria population from chlorine or chloramine.

Prevent copper exposure

Freshwater snails are very sensitive to copper and will die if exposed even to low levels. Before adding any treatment, check that it is safe for invertebrates. Do not use a product merely because it is intended for a freshwater aquarium; the invertebrate-safety decision must be explicit.

Copper prevention belongs in every treatment decision, including a treatment aimed at another aquarium resident. Moving ahead without checking the product may expose the snail even when the snail is not the animal being treated.

Respond to changes early

Watch for increased inactivity, restlessness, unusual behaviour, a darker or paler appearance, more hiding, white spots, discolouration, lesions, abnormal growths, damage, swelling, reduced food intake or a loss of interest in food. Compare the animal with its usual activity and appearance rather than relying on one isolated moment.

If a change appears, test ammonia and nitrite, confirm temperature and pH, inspect the filter and review recent feeding or stocking changes. Contact us if you are concerned about the animal's health. Do not add an aquarium treatment until its safety for invertebrates has been checked.

Receive and acclimatise the snail correctly

Be at the delivery address to receive the parcel because live animals cannot be left unattended. The current delivery and Live Arrival Guarantee policy explains the packing, receipt, video and claim requirements. Live animals are hand-bagged in pure oxygen, placed in an insulated poly box and given a heat pack when the weather calls for it.

Follow the arrival sequence

1. Start a continuous unboxing video while the parcel is still sealed and the outer box is visible, before opening it.
2. Open the parcel in the same continuous take and show the snail still inside the sealed bag before anything is disturbed.
3. Open and inspect the parcel on the same day it arrives.
4. Float the bag for 20–30 minutes before releasing the snail.
5. Release the snail without pouring the bag water into the aquarium.

Film every delivery from the sealed parcel onward. The video needs to show the sealed outer parcel, the opening in one continuous take and the animal inside the sealed bag before release. Keeping these points in one uninterrupted recording makes the condition at opening clear.

Prepare the aquarium before the parcel arrives

Complete all aquarium checks in advance. The filter should already be mature, ammonia and nitrite should each read zero, and temperature, pH and hardness should fit the freshwater care values. Arrival day is not the time to begin maturing the filter or correcting an unsuitable companion plan.

If anything has gone wrong, contact us the same day with the order number and the short unboxing video. Keep the animal in the sealed bag until its condition has been recorded, then follow the policy's instructions for the claim and the stated acclimatisation sequence.

General settling-in observation continues after release. Watch activity and feeding, keep the normal testing schedule and avoid adding further livestock immediately. New additions increase the load on the filter, so allow the established bacterial population to respond before another stocking change.

Avoid fish that can eat snails

Avoid pufferfish, loaches and any other fish that can eat snails. OATA specifically says freshwater snails should not be mixed with fish that can eat them and names pufferfish and loaches as examples. This restriction remains an avoid decision rather than a mix to attempt with extra observation.

Treat other common aquarium fish with caution because freshwater shrimp and snails may be eaten by fish. “Community fish” is not enough information to approve a companion. Screen the actual kind of fish and reject the mix if it is known to eat snails.

Use one screening rule

Approve a proposed mix only after assessing whether the fish can eat the snail. If that risk is known, do not combine them. If the risk is unclear, delay the introduction and ask us for a stocking and compatibility assessment based on the named fish and the aquarium.

Extra space does not reverse a direct avoid rule. A larger aquarium is required when fish share the setup because the stocking load is higher, but volume alone does not make a snail-eating fish suitable.

Keep the risk in the right direction

The principal compatibility concern in this guidance is the snail being eaten. Do not turn that into an assumption that every fish unable to swallow the whole snail is automatically suitable; the source rule is whether the fish can eat snails, not a body-size formula.

Once a companion passes the predation screen, confirm the shared aquarium also fits the snail's water values, filtration needs and space plan. Compatibility includes the environment as well as direct interaction.

Stock slowly without a social quota

One Pink Lady Horned Nerite Snail can be kept without a social group because OATA describes snails as not social creatures. Keep more only when the aquarium's mature capacity, feeding plan and filter can support the extra load. Additional snails are a stocking choice rather than a social requirement.

Add any further animals slowly. Every increase in livestock and feeding requires the beneficial-bacteria population to increase, and adding too many animals too quickly can cause new tank syndrome. Continue testing ammonia and nitrite and require both to remain at zero.

Work through common stocking decisions

Do not use the absence of a social requirement as permission to neglect cover or grazing opportunities. The aquarium still needs gravel or sand, suitable structure, supplementary food, an essential filter and the weekly maintenance routine.

Reassess after each addition

After introducing the snail or another approved animal, observe normal activity and feeding and continue the scheduled water tests. If ammonia or nitrite rises, pause further additions while the filter and care routine return the aquarium to zero for both readings.

Compatibility remains conditional when the exact Clithon species is unidentified. Use the direct avoid list where it applies, then base every other decision on the named companion, shared water values, aquarium volume and mature filtration rather than a universal tank-mate label.

Answer common Pink Lady Horned Nerite Snail questions

How big does the Pink Lady Horned Nerite Snail get?

Plan for variation within Clithon and allow grazing room as the snail grows; do not treat its size on arrival as its adult size. Use approximately 20 litres as the larger OATA planning category.

What size aquarium does the Pink Lady Horned Nerite Snail need?

Plan approximately 20 litres for a snail-only setup and go larger if fish share it. OATA uses approximately 20 litres for larger freshwater shrimp or snails, the cautious category for this genus-level animal.

How many should I keep together?

One Pink Lady Horned Nerite Snail can be kept without a social group because OATA says snails are not social creatures. Add further animals slowly and only within the mature filter's capacity.

Does it suit beginners?

This snail suits a prepared keeper who can maintain a mature filtered aquarium, test water weekly, change 25% at least once a week and prevent copper exposure.

What does the Pink Lady Horned Nerite Snail eat?

It grazes algae under OATA's freshwater snail guidance. Supplement with algae wafers or suitable commercial pellets two or three times a week, leaving food for at least 30 minutes.

What temperature and pH does it need?

Keep it at 17–27°C, pH 6.5–8.0 and 4–18°dH. OATA gives these as broad group guidance for freshwater shrimp and snails.

Is this snail aggressive or likely to nip fins?

Plan compatibility around predation on this snail. OATA says freshwater snails are generally compatible with most aquarium species but may be eaten by fish, and snails have no social group requirement.

Which kinds of animals can it live with?

Avoid pufferfish, loaches and any fish that can eat snails. Treat other common aquarium fish with caution and assess each proposed mix before introducing the snail.

How does the Pink Lady Horned Nerite Snail arrive alive in the UK?

The Tropical Fish Co policy says live animals are hand-bagged in pure oxygen and carried by a licensed live-animal courier. Be present, film the sealed parcel opening, inspect it that day and float the bag for 20–30 minutes before release.

Check the public references

• WoRMS: Clithon — accepted genus and family identity.
• Wikipedia: Clithon — genus-level natural history and freshwater or brackish context.
• OATA: freshwater shrimp and snails — group water, aquarium, feeding, maintenance and compatibility guidance.
• RSPCA: aquarium environment — biological filtration and nitrogen-waste processing.