Ramshorns! Your Definitive Guide to Your Spirally Friends

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In my last post, I touched on the basics of ramshorn snail care. As I received a request to delve into their diet, I'd like to take the time to do so today. While I haven't owned them myself, I am very familiar with their care and needs after extensive research (I'm planning to buy some soon though!). I mention this just to note that I can't speak from personal experience, so any recommendations I make are based on research and second-hand accounts. I'll provide links to some of my sources below. Anyway, ramshorn snails are beautiful and lively additions to any tank. How are they best cared for? Let's dive in.


credit: Eric A. Olson, Wikimedia, (CC BY-SA 2.5)

(Note: I am not sponsored by any brands I mention, or any sources I recommend. Thanks!)

Tank Size

Ramshorns are best suited to tanks 3 gallons and above. 

Tank Setup and Decor

Pretty much anything goes! Live plants, silk plants, cute little pirates — the sky (or lid) is the limit! Of course, the same guidelines apply here as they would with any other aquatic pet. If you opt for artificial plants instead of live plants, check that they're soft and smooth. Jagged edges can cut your snail's foot. Similarly, be wary of painted ornaments, as the paint can chip off and leech into the water. 

Ramshorns, like most aquatic snails, love to climb and investigate every nook and cranny. Snails thrive with plants/decorations because of the stimulation they provide. They're not picky either, meaning they'll easily flourish in nearly any tank and with nearly any setup. As for substrate, gravel or sand works fine. I always recommend sand since it's gentle on the snail's foot and shell (should they fall). However, as long as the gravel isn't sharp or jagged, that works just fine. 

Even this Malaysian trumpet snail appreciates a little foliage!


You don't need to worry about ramshorns chowing down on your plants, as their interest primarily lies in algae and decaying plant matter. If you see them eating your plants, check the spot they're nibbling at  — it's very likely that they're eating a part of the plant that is wilting.

To sum up: as long as there's stuff for them to climb, ramshorns are happy campers in tanks 3 gallons and above.

Diet

As mentioned in the last section, the diet of a ramshorn snail consists of algae, decaying plant matter, and leftover fish food. Most fish foods are fine, but be wary of foods with high levels of copper, as this proves fatal to invertebrates like snails. As long as the copper is towards the end of the ingredients list, it's generally too low to be harmful. 

look at that little face! credit: Quatermass, AquariumWiki, (CC BY-SA 3.0)


Bottom-feeder pellets are a good way of supplying your snails with protein. You can also feed them blanched vegetables, such as cucumber, kale, and zucchini. 

As their diet is similar to that of mystery snails, I can speak to my experience with certain brands and foods.

Foods I feed my general snail population include:
  • Aqueon Shrimp Pellets (sinking pellets)
  • Hikari Algae Wafers
I've had great success with these foods. They contain calcium (but still be sure to supplement more in water or other foods) and protein, essential nutrients for healthy shell growth.

Be sure to remove uneaten food after three hours to prevent water spoilage.

Water Parameters and Temperature



credit: Quatermass, AquariumWiki, (CC BY-SA 3.0)


Ramshorns do best in temperatures between 70 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit (or 21 to 25 degrees Celsius). The most important aspect of temperature is stability. Avoid large fluctuations. A heater provides consistent warmth if you don't live in a tropical climate. As for water parameters, they ideally should measure around these guidelines:

  • pH: 7 - 8 (lower pH causes shell erosion)
  • Ammonia: 0
  • Nitrite: 0
  • Nitrate: >20 ppm
  • gH: 8 - 12 dGH (140 - 210 ppm)
  • kH: 8+ dKH (70 - 140 ppm)
gH and kH are important to keep track of, as if they are too low, this results in shell erosion. I'll link an in-depth yet simple explanation of what gH and kH are below.

Behaviors

Snails gonna snail. Sometimes, there's no telling what exactly a snail is up to. Thankfully, there are some common ramshorn snail behaviors that can easily be clarified and explained. If you see your ramshorns flipped over and skating underneath the surface of the water, don't panic. This is totally normal behavior: it's most likely tied to survival, as if they sense the water's surface being disrupted, they know that predators are nearby, and so make their escape. I wonder if it might also have to do with biofilm — after all, it's a whole buffet at the top of the water.

Peaceful creatures, ramshorn snails spend their days eating, foraging, and exploring. 

Mating Behaviors and Eggs

Ramshorn snails are hermaphrodites, meaning they can reproduce sexually or by self-fertilization (which is only done if no other ramshorns are available, as this results in weaker offspring). When mating, one ramshorn mounts the other. The resulting eggs are laid in a clear, jelly-like sac; as for the eggs themselves, they range from white to brown. 

credit: Quatermass, AquariumWiki, (CC BY-SA 3.0)


It takes between two to five weeks for these eggs to hatch, depending on the temperature. Babies can reach their adult size (usually around 4 centimeters) within six weeks. They start out as white, but gain color as they grow.

According to Quatermass, this baby is no more than 2 mm in width. Credit: Quatermass, AquariumWiki, (CC BY-SA 3.0)


Tankmates

Thanks to their peaceful disposition, ramshorn snails can be kept with other snails, shrimp, or fish, as long as the fish are non-aggressive.

Conclusion

Ramshorn snails can thrive in tanks 3 gallons and above and in a variety of setups. They love having things to climb on, and they will spend their days doing so. Shell colors include blue, red, pink, brown, and leopard (spotted shell). Local Fish Stores or chain pet stores may carry them. They are also sold online at websites such as eBay, Amazon, or even Reddit's r/aquaswap. These peaceful little snails are a worthy addition to anyone's tank.

Links


Shoutout to Quatermass on the AquariumWiki for his amazing photos!