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Red Onion Nerite Snail
Vittina waigiensis
📍 Indonesia (Waigeo Island and surrounding regions)
The Red Onion Nerite Snail is a striking freshwater snail with a distinctive reddish-brown shell and onion-like shape, making it a popular choice for planted and community aquariums. These snails are excellent algae eaters, consuming biofilm, diatoms, and soft algae without harming live plants. They are hardy, long-lived, and add both aesthetic appeal and functional cleanup to any tank.
Care Guide
Diet
Red Onion Nerites are primarily algae eaters that graze on biofilm, diatoms, and soft algae throughout the tank. Supplement with blanched vegetables (zucchini, spinach) and algae wafers if algae growth is insufficient. They prefer established tanks with mature biofilm and do not require frequent feeding if adequate natural food sources are present.
Behavior
These snails are nocturnal grazers that spend most of their time slowly moving along substrate and hardscape surfaces in search of food. They are solitary but can coexist peacefully with other snails and tank inhabitants. Red Onion Nerites rarely leave the water and are excellent at controlling algae without damaging plants.
Breeding
Red Onion Nerites do not breed in freshwater aquariums; they require brackish water conditions for larvae to develop. Eggs are occasionally laid on hardscape or glass but will not hatch in freshwater, making them an excellent choice for aquarists concerned about population explosions.
Tank Mates
Small, peaceful fish that ignore snails and share similar water parameters
Both are algae eaters and peaceful; they occupy similar ecological niches without conflict
Peaceful and non-aggressive toward snails; compatible water parameters
Both are algae-eating bottom dwellers that coexist peacefully
Tiny, peaceful schooling fish that do not threaten snails
Common Diseases
Shell Erosion
Pitting, thinning, or deterioration of shell surface; white spots or chalky appearance
Increase water hardness (calcium and magnesium) through mineral supplements or crushed coral; ensure pH is neutral to slightly alkaline; perform regular water changes
Parasitic Flukes
Excessive mucus production, lethargy, shell damage, withdrawal into shell for extended periods
Perform frequent water changes; quarantine affected snails; treat with formalin or salt baths (use cautiously); improve water quality and tank hygiene
Starvation/Malnutrition
Slow growth, thin body, reduced activity, inability to seal shell properly
Ensure adequate biofilm in established tank; supplement with algae wafers and blanched vegetables; avoid over-cleaning substrate where biofilm develops
Copper Toxicity
Lethargy, shell damage, inability to move, death
Avoid all copper-based medications and fertilizers; use copper-free plant fertilizers; perform water changes if copper contamination is suspected; snails are extremely sensitive to copper
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Quick Facts
- diet
- Herbivore/detritivore - primarily algae, biofilm, and decaying plant matter
- lifespan
- 3-5 years
- max size
- 2 cm (0.75 in)
- tank size
- 5 gallons minimum
- temperament
- peaceful
Water it likes
- ph
- 7.0-8.0
- ammonia
- 0 ppm
- nitrate
- <20 ppm
- hardness
- 6-12 dGH
- temperature
- 68–79°F (20–26°C)