About the species

The tiger snail has a golden to orange-brown shell with dark streaks, bands or dashed lines that create a tiger-like pattern. The markings are more irregular than on the zebra snail and differ clearly between individuals. It is a diligent, peaceful algae eater and one of the larger nerites.

Facts

• Latin name: Vittina turrita
• Common name: Tiger Snail
• Size: 2–3.5 cm
• Lifespan: 3–8 years

Behavior

Tiger 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

Tiger 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

The tiger snail is a good choice in a community tank from about 45 litres where you want both colour and effective algae control. The warm orange base colour shows up particularly well against dark lava rock or driftwood.