How to Get a Nautilus Shell in Minecraft

The Nautilus Shell is a rare item in Minecraft used to craft the Conduit, one of the game’s most powerful underwater tools in the game. Nautilus Shells aren’t something you find lying around in the game, so you’ll have to make an effort to get your hands on some.

To get a Nautilus Shell in Minecraft, you need to hunt Drowned zombies in the ocean, fish for one as treasure, or buy one from a Wandering Trader

One thing to clear up: there is no taming involved in this guide. Nautiluses are mobs in Minecraft while Nautilus Shells are a crafting item. You can tame Nautiluses with Pufferfish, just like how you can tame an Ocelot with a Raw Cod or Raw Salmon.

Here are the three ways to get a Nautilus Shell.

Method 1: Ocean Combat

There are two mob kinds that can drop Nautilus Shells in Minecraft oceans: Drowned and Nautiluses.

Drowned are the undead mobs that spawn underwater, and some of them will be holding a Nautilus Shell in their off-hand. If you spot one carrying a Shell, it’ll be guaranteed to drop it once you take them out.

Not every Drowned will be holding one, though. In Java Edition, there is a 3% chance for a Drowned to spawn with a Shell. In Bedrock Edition, that chance goes up to 8%.

Nautiluses are a newer mob and also drop Shells when taken down.Their default drop chance sits at 5%, climbing to 8% with Looting III. The same rule applies to Drowned as well. Use a Sword enchanted with Looting III to improve your odds on both mobs. Ocean ruins and underwater ravines tend to have higher Drowned concentrations.

Method 2: High-Seas Fishing

Fishing for a Nautilus Shell in Minecraft is possible. The Shell is a treasure item, meaning it will not show up in the junk or fish catch pools.

Without any enchantments, you have a 0.8% chance of pulling up a Nautilus Shell per catch. Equip a Fishing Rod with Luck of the Sea III and that chance climbs to 1.9%.

Fish in open water for the best results. Open water means no blocks within a 5x4x5 area around your bobber. Fishing in tight spots or near lily pads will cut your chances down. This is the slowest method out of the three methods featured in our article.

Method 3: Trading with the Wandering Trader

The Wandering Trader is the most reliable source of Nautilus Shells in Minecraft, especially if you have Emeralds to spare. One Nautilus Shell costs 5 Emeralds, and the Trader stocks up to 5 Shells at a time.

However, the Wandering Trader’s inventory is random. The Nautilus Shell is not guaranteed to appear in every Trader’s stock. You may need to wait for a second Trader to show up before you can complete a full set of 8 Shells for a Conduit.

Wandering Traders spawn naturally every few in-game days near the player. You cannot control when they appear, but checking every new Trader that shows up is worth the habit.

What to Do With Your Shells in Minecraft

If you have 8 Nautilus Shells in Minecraft, you can craft a Conduit. To do this, you need to open your Crafting Table. Place 1 Heart of the Sea in the center slot. Then fill every surrounding slot with a Nautilus Shell, all 8 of them. That gives you a Conduit.

To activate the Conduit, place it underwater inside a frame built from Prismarine, Dark Prismarine, Prismarine Bricks, or Sea Lanterns. The frame needs at least 16 blocks arranged around it in a specific pattern to power up.

Once active, the Conduit grants Conduit Power to any player within range. That includes water breathing, underwater night vision, and a faster mining speed. It also damages nearby hostile underwater mobs.

Ready to Conquer the Ocean? Start Hunting

Here is a quick recap before you head out:

• Ocean combat is the fastest method to get Nautilus Shells in Minecraft. Target Drowned that are visibly holding a Nautilus Shell for a guaranteed drop. Nautiluses also drop Nautilus Shells.
• Fishing works but is slow. Use Luck of the Sea III and fish in open water to maximize your chances.
• Wandering Traders offer a reliable trade at 5 Emeralds per Shell, but stock is limited to 5 at a time and the Shell is not always available.
• You need 8 Shells plus 1 Heart of the Sea to craft a Conduit.
• Place the Conduit inside a Prismarine frame to activate it and gain Conduit Power.

Overall, Nautilus Shells can be hot commodities in Skyblock and Oneblock servers in Minecraft. Most of these hosted servers are featured on various server lists on MineRank, so you can get started in one that fits your gameplay style.

Make sure to chime in with your most successful Nautilus Shell farming runs in the comments below. Whether you found a Drowned-packed ocean ruin or stumbled onto a Wandering Trader at just the right moment, we want to hear about it.

Nautilus Shell FAQs in Minecraft

What is the easiest way to get Nautilus Shells in Minecraft?

The easiest way to get Nautilus Shells in Minecraft is by hunting Drowned in the ocean using a Sword with Looting III. Any Drowned visibly holding a Shell will drop it as a guaranteed reward.

How to get a Nautilus Shell in Minecraft?

To get a Nautilus Shell in Minecraft, you need to take down Drowned or Nautiluses in the ocean. You can also fish for one as treasure, or buy one from a Wandering Trader for 5 Emeralds.

How rare is it to get a Nautilus Shell from fishing in Minecraft?

Without enchantments, the chances of getting a Nautilus Shell from fishing is 0.8% per catch in Minecraft. Equipping a Fishing Rod with Luck of the Sea III raises that to 1.9%.

How do you tame a Nautilus in Minecraft?

You can tame Nautilus in Minecraft by feeding them Pufferfish.