Basic Snail Care
Snails require a PH of 7.0 or higher, otherwise their shells will deteriorate. Your water must also be free of copper, as copper is an invertebrate-killer. With that in mind, snails are very easy to care off, and benefit your aquarium by eating algae and cleaning up excess food. They can be fed just about anything, but algae wafers, veggies and other foods that are high in calcium helps build strong shells.




Pond Snail
Physa sp.
Max size: 0.6"
Eats plants: Yes
Legal status: Legal

This is usually the snail that is referenced with the term "pest snail".


Malaysian Trumpet Snail
Melanoides tuberculata
Max size: 1.2"
Eats plants: No
Legal status: Legal

A very useful aquarium snail that can burrow into the substrate and aerate it. Some however consider it a pest because it's a very prolific livebearer which can multiply in numbers faster than any other snail. Other species of Melanoides are also traded as Malaysian Trumpet Snails, but care is basically the same.


Ramshorn Snail
Planorbarius corneus
Max size: 1.2"
Eats plants: No
Legal status: Legal

A popular snail which has been bred into a variety of colors such as red, blue, orange and pink. Sometimes "spotted" or "leopard" Ramshorns are sold, but these are simply young "regular" Ramshorns, as this species carry spots as young, which fade away as they grow.


Columbian Ramshorn Snail
Marisa cornuarietis
Max size: 2"
Eats plants: Yes
Legal status: Illegal to transport across state lines

Despite the similar name and appearance, the Columbian Ramshorn Snail (also known as the Giant Ramshorn) is unrelated to the Ramshorn Snail. They have an appetite for plants as well as smaller snails. The Columbian Ramshorn can also live in low-end brackish water, and will not breed under these conditions.


Mystery Snail
Pomacea bridgesii
Max size: 1.5"
Eats plants: No
Legal status: Permit required to transport across state lines. Illegal to keep in some states

Probably the most popular freshwater snail, and for good reason. They're plant-safe, come in many different colors and lay their eggs above the water, which makes population control very easy.


Trapdoor Snail
Viviparus sp.
Max size: 1.2"
Eats plants: No
Legal status: Legal

A rather lazy snail which prefers sub-tropical temperatures. It's a livebearing species which only breeds about twice a year, and is not very prolific.


Asolene Spixi
Asolene spixi
Max size: 1"
Eats plants: No
Legal status: Illegal to transport across state lines

An increasingly popular snail with a yellow-and-black striped pattern. These snails can crossbreed with the Columbian Ramshorn Snail, which results in a plant-eating, snail-eating hybrid. Unfortunately, many snail breeders failed to separate these two species and as a result, many Asolene spixis being sold today are descended from hybrids.


Nerite Snail
Neritidae family
Max size: 1.2"
Eats plants: No
Legal status: Legal

There are many species of Nerite snails, but few are freshwater and they're fairly uncommon in the fishkeeping hobby. These snails require hard, alkaline water and are extremely hard to breed. The upside? They are absolutely unrivaled when it comes to eating algae.