Categories: Pets

Aquatic Snails in the Home Aquarium

When you think of snails, most likely you think of the big garden snails that crawl around in the mud outside your home. Many people also associate snails with slugs. But there are some snails that are very different than those that you may first think of when some one says, “I have a pet snail.”

Snails kept in aquariums are aquatic snails. They primarily live in the water, although some can live outside of the water for short amounts of time. They don’t require this type of exercise by any means, but they will do just fine for a few minutes out of the water. In tanks with open tops or with large gaps in the lids, snails can and will venture out to explore the world around them, leaving nothing behind but a slimy trail.

But what kind of snail is the best type to keep in an aquarium? Well, there are a few things you’ll want to take into consideration prior to buying one of these friendly invertebrates.

First, you have to consider the other fish that may be kept in the tank. Many fish see snails as part of their menu, making them inappropriate tank mates for such a critter. Most loaches, eels, large catfish, puffers and other very large fish are just a few that will make a snack out of your slimy pet.

Next, think about what size your tank is and how many snails you’d want to keep. Different snails have different requirements as far as space goes. While they are excellent janitors and eat up any extra debris, dead plant life, deceased fish and uneaten fish food they also have to rid their bodies of such things. In short, they poop a lot; plain and simple. Therefore, they require a specific amount of space just as fish do.

Now, take a good look at your tank. Do you house live plants? If so, there are some snails you will need to avoid as they can quickly mow down a planted tank within hours, finding these green entrées quite pleasing.

Last but not least, you will need to check with your local department of health. It might sound odd but many snails are banned in certain parts of the country. Due to the overpopulation of some types of snails, it has been reported that some owners have been releasing their abundance of snails into the wild into ponds, lakes and reservoirs. Being that many of these snails are highly omnivorous, they will eat everything in sight, devastating local plant life. Incidents were reported to be frequent enough that the import and export of these snails has been prohibited within certain guidelines. Some snails are illegal to ship across state lines throughout the United States. There are even some states that prohibit the keeping of the snails in a home aquarium so be sure to check with the authorities prior to obtaining your pet.

Now that we’ve got that covered, let’s move on to the different types of snails that are commonly kept as pets.

Pomacea Canaliculata

Pomacea Canaliculata, or canas, are quite entertaining snails. They get very large, some up to the size of a small apple. This is how they were given the nick name “apple snail”. The cana comes in a variety of colors including golden, olive, and striped.

While not the most colorful of snails, their personalities certainly make up for it. They can be trained to come when fed and they can be handled for short periods of time. Their large size makes them desirable as well.

One note to be aware of with this breed is that they are plant eaters. They will certainly destroy any planted tank within no time and will have fun doing it. Because they get so large, they do require ample space. Ten gallons each is adequate. This type of snail is illegal to ship and receive across state lines within the Unite States. Some states also prohibit the ownership of these snails.

Reproduction cannot be stopped when males and females are housed together, but it can be controlled. Bright pink eggs are laid above the water level, on the underside of a tank hood and on aquarium equipment such as heaters and filters. To keep your population controlled, simply remove the eggs as they are laid.

Pomacea bridgesii

Pomacea bridgessi, or brigs, are often referred to as mystery snails. The list of colors they are available in can be quite long. They can be found in brown, olive, black, striped, light purple, dark purple, pink, blue, ivory, jade and gold. The foot, or body, of the snail can be either light colored with small orange dots, or a dark almost black color with the same orange dots. The dark feet are the cause of darker shell colorations. For example, if you have a blue snail, he will have a dark foot. However, an ivory snail will have a light foot. The dark foot of the blue snail is what gives him the blue coloring through the ivory shell. When a snail dies, his body is removed from his shell. When the body is removed, the shell is the ivory color. The dark coloring gives the ivory shell the blue appearance.

These snails do not get quite as big as canas but can reach the size of a walnut. Their habitat should allow for at least 3-5 gallons per snail. These snails are also plant safe. They have been blamed for the eating of some plants as they have been caught in the act. However, what is actually seen are the snails cleaning up dead plant debris, doing their best to keep their home clean.

Brigs are legal to ship across state lines with the appropriate permits. They have not yet been banned for ownership as they do not pose a threat on local plant life.

This type of snail also lays eggs above the water level, but in contrast to the pink eggs of the canas, brigs lay a mass of eggs of a more whitish color. The laid clutch can be removed to control the snail population.

Marisa cornuarietis

Marisa cornuarietis is also known as the Marisa, the Giant Ramshorn, or the Columbian Ramshorn. They come in two color varieties; wild striped, and gold. The foot of the Marisa can be either dark or light. This snail can obtain a size of around an inch and a half in diameter. This snail has a different shape than what is seen in the cana or brigs. The shell of the Marisa is spiraled in a flatter pattern giving them the ramshorn appearance.

They can be known as plant eaters. Many Marisa keepers have kept the snails in planted tanks without problems, but on the other hand, others have not been so successful. It may depend on the particular type of plant, as many Marisas prefer to munch on the softer leaved plants.

These snails have also been placed on the list of banned snails when shipped across state lines. While they don’t pose the threat of the canas, they do have the potential for destroying plant life.

Space for these guys closely resembles that of the brigs with about 3 – 5 gallons required for each. Their eggs are laid within the water in masses surrounded with a jelly-like substance. These eggs can be removed by scraping them off the inside of the tank wall, plant life, décor and equipment.

Asolene Spixi

The Asolene Spixi snail is a smaller snail that reaches the size of a marble. They have a light colored shell base with dark striping. Most spixi resemble each other with some slight variations among the stripes.

Spixis can be plant eaters when young but most adults will leave plant life alone. The amount of damage to plants as a result of hungry young snails is typically minimal as they leave small chew marks around the edges of the leaves. Space for spixis should allow at least 2 gallons per snail.

Spixis have not yet been placed under restrictions, but the potential is there. They are closely related to the Marisa which could be the sole reason to put them on the list. Many Marisa/spixi crosses exist and can lead to confusion between the two different types of snails. But because they stay small and are plant safe as adults, they may avoid this restriction in the future.

These snails also lay their eggs in a mass surrounded by a jelly-like substance. They are laid in the water, attached to anything in the tank. Clutches can be removed easily by scraping them off tank walls, plant life and equipment.

Planorbidae

Planorbidae, or European Ramshorns, are very small snails. They attain a size of about a half inch in diameter at most and come in several color forms such as red, brown, speckled brown and the recently discovered blue.

This type of snail is often used as food for snail eating fish. Their softer shells are easy for the fish to crush and their small bodies provide appropriately sized meals. However, they do make great pet snails as well. They stay small and are harmless to the home aquarium.

European Ramshorns are plant safe. Often times the addition of new live plants into the aquarium also brings new snails. These guys are excellent hitchhikers, clingy to live plants that are transferred from tank to tank. Egg clutches are often the culprits for new populations of these snails. A plant is purchased and added to the tank without the owner ever knowing that there are egg clutches attached.

These are small masses with many eggs inside. They can be difficult to see but population can be controlled by removing them when scraping insides of tank walls, plant life, décor and equipment.

These snails are not under any restrictions and are legal to transport across state lines.

Physa Acuta

Physa Acuta are known as pond snails or pest snails. This very small snail is typically a shade of gray in color.

They are also known for hitchhiking on live plant life, making their way into the home aquarium. Multiplying quickly, the number of snails can be controlled by eliminating egg clutches laid in the water on tank walls and décor.

Physas are used frequently as food for snail eating fish such as Clown loaches and puffers. Many times, fish keepers who have trouble controlling the population of these snails will add one of these types of fish to keep them under control.

However, although many see them as a pest, they are basically harmless to the aquarium. They are plant safe and work as the other snails do in keeping the excess material and debris cleaned from the substrate.

There are no restrictions on this type of snail.

Melanoides tuberculata

Melanoids tubercalata is a common type of snail found in fish tanks. They are referred to as MTS, short for one of the following two names: Melanoids tubercalata Snail or Malaysian Trumpet Snail. Color forms range from crème or brown or black to a striped variety.

This is a live bearing snail that reproduces very easily. A single snail can be responsible for hundreds within a few short months. Not only are they live bearing but they are hermaphroditic, therefore it only takes one to start a colony.

This snail is extremely hardy. Reports have been made that the snails can live in brackish conditions. Stories have also been told about the tank that was disassembled, placed in a garage and refilled several months later only to find that the MTS population was ready to re-establish itself. The shells of the MTS are thick and strong, making them inappropriate as food for snail eating fish. The largest of puffers are able to crush the shell, while other fish simply swallow them whole.

However, adding a snail eating fish to the tank won’t always control this population. It has been reported that the fish have been observed eating the snails whole, only to have the snail be passed out of the digestive system alive and well.

MTS are beneficial to the aquarium. They spend most of the hours of the day and night under the substrate, keeping it turned and stirred to help prevent gas pockets from building up. In small tanks with a large colony of hundreds of snails, problems do not often arise as they do stay small, produce a relatively small amount of waste and are only visual a few hours of the day.

There are no restrictions on these snails as they are completely plant safe.

There are many other subspecies of aquatic snails but covered here are the most popular and readily available. Using the basics covered here you will do well in choosing the type that is best for you, your location and your current tank set up.