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White Hercules Snail
Brotia herculea
📍 Southeast Asia (Thailand, Laos)
The White Hercules Snail is a large, robust freshwater snail prized for its impressive size and striking white coloration. These are powerful detritivores that help maintain tank cleanliness by consuming algae, biofilm, and decaying matter. They are peaceful, slow-moving snails ideal for established aquariums with stable water parameters.
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Care Guide
Diet
White Hercules Snails are detritivores that graze on algae, biofilm, and decaying organic matter throughout the tank. Supplement with blanched vegetables (zucchini, spinach), sinking algae wafers, and calcium-rich foods to support shell health. Provide cuttlebone or calcium supplements in soft water to prevent shell erosion.
Behavior
These snails are nocturnal and spend most of their time grazing along the substrate and tank surfaces. They are slow-moving and relatively inactive during the day, becoming more active at night. They do not burrow but will hide in plants and decorations when stressed.
Breeding
White Hercules Snails are dioecious (separate sexes) and lay eggs above the waterline in small clusters on hard surfaces. Eggs hatch in freshwater without requiring brackish conditions, so populations can increase rapidly if conditions are favorable. Excess snails can be manually removed or controlled through feeding management.
Tank Mates
Both are peaceful detritivores that occupy similar ecological niches without competing aggressively
Small, peaceful fish that ignore snails and occupy mid-water zones
Peaceful, non-aggressive fish that coexist well with snails in planted tanks
Peaceful algae-eating fish that share similar grazing behavior and habitat preferences
Common Diseases
Shell Erosion / Calcium Deficiency
Pitted, thin, or crumbling shell; slow growth; pale coloration
Increase water hardness (GH 8-15+), add cuttlebone or calcium supplements, ensure pH above 6.5, perform regular water changes with mineral-rich water
Copper Toxicity
Lethargy, shell damage, retraction into shell, death
Immediately remove snail from copper-containing water; use copper-free medications and fertilizers; perform large water changes; avoid all copper-based treatments in snail tanks
Parasitic Infection (Flukes/Worms)
Excessive mucus production, shell damage, erratic movement, visible parasites on body
Quarantine affected snail; treat with copper-free anti-parasitic medication; maintain pristine water quality; increase water changes; remove and clean decorations
Bacterial Shell Disease
Discolored patches on shell, pitting, foul odor, soft spots
Improve water quality with frequent changes; increase calcium and hardness; remove decaying matter; maintain stable parameters; consider antibacterial treatment if severe
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Quick Facts
- diet
- Detritivore/herbivore consuming algae, biofilm, decaying plant matter, and sinking pellets
- lifespan
- 3-5 years
- max size
- 5 cm (2 in)
- tank size
- 20 gallons minimum
- temperament
- peaceful
Water it likes
- ph
- 6.5-7.5
- ammonia
- 0 ppm
- nitrate
- <20 ppm
- hardness
- 8-15 dGH
- temperature
- 72–79°F (22–26°C)