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Mystery Snail
Pomacea bridgesii
Animalia›Mollusca›Gastropoda›Ampullariidae
📍 South America (widely kept)
Mystery snails are large, attractive freshwater snails that come in a range of shell colours from gold to blue-grey. They are peaceful algae grazers and scavengers that will clean up uneaten food and detritus. They have a trap door (operculum) that allows them to seal the shell, surviving brief periods out of water.
Care Guide
Diet
Mystery snails are omnivorous scavengers that primarily feed on algae, detritus, and decaying plant matter. Supplement their diet 2-3 times weekly with blanched vegetables (zucchini, spinach, lettuce) and high-quality sinking pellets or algae wafers. They will also consume uneaten fish food and dead plant material, making them excellent cleanup crew members.
Behavior
Mystery snails are nocturnal and peaceful, spending much of the day resting and emerging at night to forage. They move slowly across surfaces and plants, and will retreat into their shells when disturbed or stressed. These snails can survive brief periods out of water using their operculum (trapdoor), and may occasionally leave the water to explore or lay eggs.
Breeding
Mystery snails breed readily in captivity and lay distinctive egg clutches above the waterline on tank walls, plants, or decorations. Eggs hatch in 2-4 weeks depending on temperature and humidity. Remove clutches if you wish to prevent population explosions, as a single clutch can contain 50+ snails.
Tank Mates
Peaceful algae eaters with identical water requirements and non-aggressive behavior
Small, peaceful fish that won't disturb snails and thrive in similar water conditions
Peaceful invertebrates with compatible water parameters; avoid if snails are aggressive toward shrimp
Peaceful, non-predatory fish that occupy different water zones and won't harm snails
Compatible snail species with identical care requirements and peaceful coexistence
Common Diseases
Shell Erosion
Pitting, holes, or thinning of the shell; white spots or chalky appearance
Increase water hardness (calcium) through cuttlebone, crushed coral, or calcium supplements; maintain pH 7.0-7.5 and perform regular water changes
Parasitic Infections
Lethargy, refusing food, excessive mucus production, or visible parasites on body
Quarantine affected snail; perform 25% water changes every 2-3 days; avoid copper-based treatments which are toxic to snails
Bacterial Infections
Foul odor from shell, discolored or rotting tissue, inability to retract into shell
Improve water quality through frequent water changes; remove decaying food and waste; maintain optimal temperature and pH
Starvation
Extreme lethargy, visible weight loss, failure to emerge from shell
Increase feeding frequency and variety; ensure adequate algae growth or supplement with algae wafers and blanched vegetables daily
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Varieties
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Tanks keeping this 🐟
Kept by 1 hobbyistCommunity tanks featuring Mystery Snail.
Quick Facts
- diet
- Omnivore – algae, detritus, blanched vegetables, sinking pellets
- breeding
- Lays egg clutches above the waterline; easy to remove
- lifespan
- 1–3 years
- max size
- 6 cm (2.4 in)
- tank size
- 5 gallons minimum per snail
- temperament
- Peaceful
Water it likes
- ph
- 7.0–7.5
- ammonia
- 0 ppm
- nitrate
- <20 ppm
- hardness
- 8–18 dGH
- temperature
- 64–82°F (18–28°C)