About the species

Red Devil is a striking nerite with a warm reddish base tone and darker markings. It is a peaceful algae and detritus eater that works across glass, stone and driftwood. Like other nerites it leaves healthy plants alone and cannot reproduce in fresh water.

Facts

• Latin name: Neritina sp.
• Common name: Red Devil Snail
• Size: 2–3 cm
• Lifespan: 3–8 years

Behavior

Red Devil Snail is a peaceful and tireless grazer that works across glass, stone and driftwood around the clock. It leaves healthy plants alone and suits shrimp, other snails and calm fish very well. A tight lid matters — nerite snails readily climb out of the water and find every gap.

Reproduction

• Females deposit small, hard white egg capsules on stone, driftwood and glass
• The larvae require brackish or salt water to develop further
• The species therefore cannot reproduce in a freshwater aquarium and never becomes numerous

Feeding

Red Devil Snail grazes aufwuchs and feeds on:

• Diatoms and green algae
• Biofilm and bacterial growth
• Cyanobacteria and detritus

Grazing alone is rarely enough — supplement with:

• Food for algae eaters and snails
• Blanched courgette, spinach or nettle
• Catappa and other leaves that grow biofilm

Aquarium

• Minimum aquarium size: 45 litres
• Substrate: Gravel with stone and driftwood to graze on

Difficulty level

🟢 Easy

Recommendation

Red Devil suits community tanks from about 45 litres without dedicated snail eaters. Give it stable values and extra calcium, for example crushed shell, and the shell keeps both its colour and its strength.