Freshwater Snails: 9 Best Species & Easy Care Guide

Freshwater snails are very often considered pests, but several species are kept and bred for their utility and ornamental value.

The fact is, all species of snails kept in aquariums have their use, even those “pest” ones! Even in planted tanks, snails are a beneficial addition to your aquarium.

Aquarium snails have more variety than you might see in pond snails, and each type has its own dietary and habitat preferences. Some prefer algae and live vegetation, some prefer decaying plant matter, some are carnivores, and some eat a bit of everything! So knowing their diet can play a large role in how long they live in your tank. The right mix of snails can also have also have positive effects for your water quality by removing fish waste and cleaning your rocks, substrate, and aquarium glass.

Many freshwater snails will also burrow in your substrate and offer the benefit of removing detritus and aerating your gravel or sand. This helps with aquarium maintenance and prevents the build up of phosphates. When plant matter or fish food decays, it releases phosphate. This is prime algae food, so keeping your phosphate levels low is important!

Snails need water with a certain mineral content (mostly calcium), so maintaining a proper hardness level is important. This is as easy as doing a simple water test, and adding a hardness buffer (to raise your hardness) or mixing in RODI/distilled water (to lower it).

So which snails are best for your tank? We’ll go through common species to help you choose.

Types of Aquarium Snails

1. Apple Snails – Pomacea sp. (Mystery Snails, Inca Snails)

Snails in the genus Pomacea have several common names. Several species of this genus can be found on the market but all have very similar care. The most common species is Pomacea diffusa. Apple snails are native to the Americas and vary in size from two to six inches.

Apple snails are excellent algae eaters and also munch on decaying plants. They are gonochoristic, meaning that, unlike many snails (which are typically hermaphroditic), you need both a male and female snail to breed. They also reproduce more slowly than other aquarium snails.

This does not mean they are challenging to breed, however, since they will lay 200-600 eggs at a time! There are several color varieties as well, including gold, blue, pink, and ivory. Many species will lay their eggs above the water level. These snails are very common tank mates for betta fish and goldfish.

• pH: 7.0-8.0
• dgH: 4-18
• Temperature: 65-80°F (18-26°C)
• Size: 2″ (5cm)
• Diet: Algae, decaying plants, some fresh vegetation.

2. Rabbit Snails – Tylomelania zemis

Image Source: Flickr

Rabbit snails are another slightly larger species of snail, and are avid burrowers. Their long cone-shaped shells are a classic sign of this behavior. They are less commonly available than apple snails and come in different color varieties.

Native to Sulawesi, India, there are many species in this genus, with zemis being the most commonly available. They are excellent algae eaters and for the most part, will leave live plants alone. However, as with any snail, if they have been starved they will try to eat anything they can.

Tylomelania are slow reproducers. They lay only a single egg at a time! Inside this egg is a single embryo that will hatch. The eggs are pearly white (sometimes with a blue tinge) and smaller than a pea. They are laid in or on the substrate. Because of this, there is little chance of them taking over your tank.

• pH: 7.0-8.0
• dgH: 4-18
• Temperature: 75-80°F (23-26°C)
• Size: 2″ (5cm)
• Diet: Algae, decaying plants, some fresh vegetation.

3. Devil Spike Snails (Faunus ater)

Despite their scary name, these snails are harmless! Well, unless you are a plant. Unlike most snails in this article, these guys will eat live plants, so they are not safe for a planted aquarium.

Devil spikes are similar in appearance to rabbit snails. However, the shell is smoother in general and the apex is much sharper. These snails also get slightly larger. They burrow as well as clean the glass of algae and scavenge for decaying matter.

Do not worry about these snails taking over, they do not reproduce in freshwater! Not much is known about their reproduction, but we do know they need brackish water to trigger breeding.

These snails make excellent clean-up crews for tanks without plants.

• pH: 7.0-8.5
• dgH: 8-18
• Temperature: 70-78°F (21-25°C)
• Size: 3″
• Diet: Algae, decaying fish/shrimp/plants, live plants.

4. Japanese Trapdoor Snails (Viviparidae)

These snails are a less common but useful type.

They are a moderately sized snail and native to Asia and Europe. Snails in this family are viviparous, meaning they give live birth! They breed readily in freshwater but do so relatively slowly, so there’s no need to worry about overcrowding.

They can tolerate cold temperatures and are often kept in outdoor goldfish ponds because of their ability to survive winter temperatures. They are also adventurous algae eaters and are often seen cruising around removing any from glass or decor.

They get their name from their robust operculum, the hard disc that covers the mantle. Many snails have an operculum, but the trapdoor snail does a good job of covering the vulnerable fleshy body when it retracts into its shell. In many ways, they are similar to apple snails.

• pH: 7.0-8.0
• dgH: 4-18
• Temperature: 65-80°F (18-26°C)
• Size: 2″ (5cm)
• Diet: Algae, decaying plants, some fresh vegetation.

5. Nerite Snails (Neritina sp.)

Nerite snails are often boldly patterned and are best known for their diet including brown algae (diatoms). Most other algae eaters won’t touch diatoms, making Nerites unique and quite useful!

They are another snail that will not reproduce in freshwater. Many species of nerite snails live in salt water. Most commonly seen species of nerites can live comfortably in both fresh and brackish water aquariums.

Because of this, they do not tolerate soft water (water lacking in calcium). While they cannot successfully reproduce in freshwater, they will still lay eggs. These eggs are white and highly calcified, and can sometimes be unsightly. Eggs can take some effort to remove from glass and decor.

There are several species of nerite aquarium snails found in the pet trade. Some have stripes, some have broken lines, and some even have horned shells! These are beautiful, exotic-looking snails that are an excellent choice for many tanks.

• pH: 7.0-8.5
• dgH: 8-18
• Temperature: 70-85°F (21-29°C)
• Size: .5-1.5″ (1-3cm)
• Diet: Algae, diatoms, decaying plants, some fresh vegetation.

6. Ramshorn Snails (Planorbidae and Ampullariidae)

Ramshorns are a smaller species of snail and are sometimes considered pests due to their high rate of reproduction. However, they are excellent janitors and have been bred to have interesting shell colors like blue, red, or white. There is also a species with a reddish body color!

They are readily available in the pet trade and are easy to breed. Keeping a colony in your planted tank is as simple as adding a handful and waiting a month or two! They help keep algae down and eat decaying aquarium plants, which helps your live plants thrive.

However, as with any snail, if there is not enough food in the tank they will start to eat live plant material. It’s important to supplement their diet if you start to see bite marks on your leaves!

• pH: 6.5-7.8
• dgH: 4-18
• Temperature: 70-85°F (21-29°C)
• Size: .5″ (1 cm)
• Diet: Algae, decaying plants, some fresh vegetation, dead fish or shrimp.

7. Assassin Snails (Anentome helena- previously Clea Helena)

Assassin snails are a wholly unique snail to keep in your freshwater aquarium.

They have a boldly patterned shell made up of black and yellow swirls. Their longer body shape allows them to burrow easily.

This snail gets its name from its diet: other snails. That’s right, this is a predatory snail! It will track down, kill, and eat any aquarium snail it can. As you can imagine, their appetite makes the assassin an excellent choice for removing unwanted snails from your tank!

Once the snail population is depleted, these snails will need supplemental feeding in the form of bloodworms, shrimp, fish flakes, or other meaty frozen or dry foods.

They reproduce easily in a tank but typically will not “take over”. This is an amazing species and an excellent choice for removing pest snails.

• pH: 6.5-7.8
• dgH: 4-18
• Temperature: 70-85°F (21-29°C)
• Size: .5″-1″ (1-2cm)
• Diet: Algae, decaying plants, some fresh vegetation, dead fish or shrimp.

8. Malaysian Trumpet Snails (Melanoides sp.)

Malaysian trumpets are commonly considered pest snails because their population can expand quickly in most tanks. However, they are a beneficial snail to have in a planted tank. They stir up the substrate with their burrowing behavior and eat decaying plant matter, helping to keep algae down.

Four species in the genus are commonly seen, all of which are native to Africa and Asia and stay .5-1 inch long. They spend most of the day burrowed in your substrate and come out at night to scour the tank for food.

While all species are cone-shaped, there are several different colors and patterns. They make great tank mates for shrimp and most tropical fish. The exceptions are loaches – several species will devour Malaysian trumpet snails!

• pH: 6.0-7.8
• dgH: 4-18
• Temperature: 70-85°F (21-29°C)
• Size: .5″-1″ (1-2cm)
• Diet: Algae, decaying plants, some fresh vegetation, dead fish or shrimp.

9. Pond Snails (Lymnaeidae) and Bladder Snails (Physidae)

Bladder snail on the left, pond snail on the right

Pond snails and bladder snails are often confused with one another, but there are differences! Bladder snails are, in my experience, more common. They are smaller, have a blunter and shorter apex, and longer, thinner antennae. Both types of snails reproduce readily in aquariums and are very common “pest” species.

However, they are excellent algae eaters and keep planted tanks looking beautiful. They are also great scavengers and will eat any detritus or mulm in the tank, helping to keep it clean. They are recommended tank mates for shrimp and betta fish and fit well in most tropical tanks.

Their egg cases are quarter-inch-long clear jelly-like sacks full of small whitish eggs. These hatch into tiny, fully-formed baby snails that are quite fast – at least for snails. Many tanks will have a population of one or both types of snails and have no ill effects, even if their numbers are high!

• pH: 6.0-8.0
• dgH: 4-18
• Temperature: 70-85°F (21-29°C)
• Size: .5″ (1cm)
• Diet: Algae, decaying plants, some fresh vegetation, dead fish or shrimp.

Snail Care

Most freshwater snails require similar care. They are largely tolerant of nitrates (< 20 ppm) but do not tolerate ammonia or nitrite in their water at all. Because of this, they are best added to cycled tanks or ponds.

They also need enough minerals in their water to keep their shell healthy. Without the proper minerals, their shell can deteriorate and the snail could even die! This means you’ll want to do a pH and hardness test. I would recommend testing your gH (general hardness) and keeping it within the ranges suggested above.

General hardness is measured in degrees of general hardness (dgH). Water with lower hardness numbers is considered “soft” while higher levels are considered “hard”.

• 0-3 soft
• 3-6 moderately soft
• 6-12 slightly hard
• 12-18 moderately hard
• 18-25 hard
• >25 very hard

The pH level is important as well, though it has less impact on shell health. Most snails prefer a neutral (7.0) to a more alkaline (>7.0) environment.

As for any aquatic creature, oxygen is important. Freshwater aquarium snails can be good indicators of low oxygen levels. They will congregate to the top of the tank where there is more oxygen. Some will even use a siphon to get oxygen from the air above the tank’s surface! This is mostly seen in amphibious species.

Except for assassins, snails will do well with a good amount of algae in their tank. However, they can also be fed a variety of vegetables such as:

• Zucchini
• Cucumber
• Blanched spinach
• Blanched carrot.

They will also accept a range of dry foods made for bottom feeders, such as algae discs or shrimp pellets. Being scavengers, snails will typically eat any food that makes its way to the bottom of the tank.

Snails don’t need to be fed every day since a good part of their diet is algae. You’ll generally want to feed your fish tank snails two to three times a week, being sure to remove any uneaten food after 24 hours.

Water flow should be minimal to average in your tank, and you should typically not need anything like a powerhead to achieve this. An average aquarium filter will provide your tank with enough flow for any snail.

Breeding Snails

To breed snails, you’ll need to create an environment where they can live safely. This means a lack of predators and access to food. Typically, if you put them in a tank within their preferred parameters, they will breed readily! Eggs are often laid on the glass but some are deposited under the substrate or above the water level.

If you see snail eggs, you can either ignore them or remove them if you want to keep your population down. Snail eggs can look like:

• A clear gelatinous sack with small white eggs inside
• A single pearl-like egg
• Hard solid white domes laid on glass, decor, or plants
• Matte pinkish or white clusters above the water, on the glass or tank lid

If you plan on selling to your local fish store, call them before you start breeding. Ask what species and color of snails they would like, and go from there. You can of course breed any snail you’d like but if you have no one to buy them you might be stuck!

Since all snails are different, you’ll need to research the species you want to keep before attempting to breed. If you want large numbers and the highest success rate, keep them in a tank by themselves. This way they will not be eaten and you can get the highest numbers possible.

This does not mean it’s impossible to breed them in a tank with fish, it’s just less efficient.

It may take several months to get a decent number of snails. You have to wait for your babies to grow to a sellable size, and if you remove ALL of your new snails eventually your original breeders will pass their egg laying age and die of old age. So it’s best to only remove a certain amount at a time. That way your colony can sustain itself.

I would also recommend only keeping one color together if you’re serious about breeding. That way you know what colors to expect and you won’t have any mixes to throw off your breeding project.

Typically, a 10-gallon tank will be large enough to create a decent colony of snails. However, for larger species like rabbits, apple, trapdoor, and devil spike snails, I would recommend a 20- or 30-gallon tank.

Once you have an established colony you can start selling online or to your local fish store or pet store. This can be rewarding and educational, and even a fun project to do with your kids.

Snail Tank Mates

Snails are safe to keep with many fish, but a few species will happily eat the little mollusks! The following fish should never be kept with snails and you should consider a different type of algae eater for your aquarium.

• Any species of pufferfish
• Most loaches
• Most botias
• Oscars
• Most African Cichlids

Good tank mates that will not disturb your snails include:

• Betta fish
• Shrimp
• Goldfish
• Tetras
• Barbs
• Rasboras
• Corydoras

And most tropical community fish. Snails can also be kept together, it is common for aquarists to mix different species to get a wider range of algae removal.

Cautions With Snails

All invertebrates are sensitive to copper. Many medications for parasites contain copper and will unfortunately kill any snails along with the parasite! Some fertilizers can also contain copper, so too much of it can kill snails off as well. Be cautious when adding any medications to your aquarium. Check the label for any warnings about invertebrates.

Some snails are escape artists and have also been known to get into filters and die, sometimes jamming the impeller as they do. To prevent this, you can add a cover to your filter intake to prevent them from getting stuck! A piece of foam, nylon stocking, nylon filter bag, or even a fish net cut to size and held in place by a rubber band will do the trick.

Closing thoughts

Freshwater snails are oft-overlooked aquarium inhabitants. Most of the time they end up in tanks by mistake, but they really can be a blessing in disguise! Their ability to clear a tank of algae and detritus is unmatched by anything but the more delicate Neocaridina shrimp.

Breeding aquarium snails can also be quite rewarding. There are many color varieties of easily bred snails such as Apple snails and Ramshorn snails. You can breed them for fun or for profit, selling them online or to your local fish store.

In fact, I recommend breeding assassin snails. They are in high demand and are easy to breed. Once you have a tank established with them you can make some money!

I highly recommend them for any freshwater tank, planted or not. They are also available in many different colors, shapes, and sizes, and having a good mix in your tank can add to its beauty. Seeing a snail cruise the glass is calming and always welcome in my tanks.

Personally, I’m a big fan of mixing several species of snails to get the full effect. I keep some that cruise the glass like apple or nerite snails and some that burrow like trumpet or rabbit snails. This way you get better algae removal and have a variety of snails to enjoy!

If you have any comments or questions about snails, leave them below!