No photo yet
Sign in to submit the first photo
Black Rabbit Snail
Tylomelania cerea
📍 Sulawesi, Indonesia
Black Rabbit Snails are distinctive freshwater snails native to Sulawesi, Indonesia, characterized by their elongated black shells and prominent tentacle-like eye stalks. These peaceful, slow-moving snails are excellent algae grazers and detritivores, making them valuable additions to planted and community aquariums. They are moderately easy to care for but require stable water parameters and adequate calcium for shell health.
Care Guide
Diet
Black Rabbit Snails are primarily herbivorous and detritivorous, feeding on algae, biofilm, and decaying plant matter. Supplement their diet with algae wafers and blanched vegetables such as zucchini, spinach, and cucumber. They will also consume leaf litter and driftwood, which aids digestion and provides natural grazing opportunities.
Behavior
Black Rabbit Snails are nocturnal and spend most of the day hidden among plants, substrate, and decorations, becoming more active during evening and night hours. They move slowly across surfaces while grazing and are known for their distinctive tentacle-like eye stalks. These snails are solitary and do not require companions, though they can coexist peacefully with other non-aggressive species.
Breeding
Black Rabbit Snails are dioecious (separate sexes) and breeding in captivity is difficult and rarely occurs. They lay eggs in small clusters on hard surfaces, but larvae development in freshwater is inconsistent. Most captive populations are sustained through collection from the wild rather than successful breeding programs.
Tank Mates
Both are peaceful detritivores that occupy similar ecological niches without competition
Small, peaceful fish that do not threaten snails and occupy different water zones
Peaceful and slow-moving; generally ignore snails but monitor for occasional aggression
Both are algae grazers and peaceful bottom dwellers that coexist harmoniously
Provides grazing surface, shelter, and biofilm production for snail nutrition
Hardy plant that provides cover and grazing surfaces without being consumed
Common Diseases
Shell Erosion / Calcium Deficiency
Pitted, thin, or crumbling shell; slow growth; lethargy
Increase water hardness (8-15 dGH minimum), add cuttlebone or calcium supplements, ensure pH 7.0-8.0, perform regular water changes
Parasitic Flukes
Excessive mucus production, shell damage, reduced feeding, lethargy
Quarantine affected snails, perform 25-50% water changes, treat with anti-parasitic medication (avoid copper), maintain water quality
Bacterial Shell Infection
Discolored patches on shell, soft spots, foul odor, shell deterioration
Improve water quality, increase aeration, perform frequent water changes, remove decaying food promptly, quarantine if severe
Copper Toxicity
Lethargy, retraction into shell, reduced feeding, death
Avoid all copper-based medications and fertilizers, use copper-free plant treatments, perform large water changes if exposure occurs, use activated carbon in filter
Community Photos
0 photosPhotos are added when members log a tank with this species and upload a photo in their tank journal. Add your own tank to contribute.
No photos yet — add a tank with Black Rabbit Snail to be the first!
Sign in to vote.
Tips from the community 💡
0 tipsReal experiences, care advice, and keeper notes. Finn learns from these too.
Sign in to share your experience.
No community tips yet — be the first to share your knowledge!
Quick Facts
- diet
- Herbivore/Detritivore - algae wafers, blanched vegetables (zucchini, spinach), biofilm, leaf litter, decaying plant matter
- lifespan
- 3-4 years
- max size
- 4 cm (1.6 in)
- tank size
- 10 gallons minimum
- temperament
- peaceful
Water it likes
- ph
- 7.0-8.0
- ammonia
- 0 ppm
- nitrate
- <20 ppm
- hardness
- 8-15 dGH
- temperature
- 75–82°F (24–28°C)