Snailed It! Your Hub for Aquatic Snail Care

A useful reference for popular aquatic snails and their tank size minimums! For the minimums alone, scroll to the "Conclusion" section :) Mystery Snails Tank Size Minimum: 10 gallons* They start out tiny, but they can reach 2 inches! *While a mystery snail on its own can live in a 5 gallon, I do not recommend housing them in one. Spending their days exploring and roaming, these snails do best in a spacious environment that can accommodate their inquisitive personalities. They're highly social creatures, and they benefit from the company of fellow mystery snails. (It's not strictly necessary to house them with another mystery, but in my experience, they very much appreciate having a companion.) In addition, mystery snails produce a lot of waste, and it is much more work to maintain the bioload in a 5 gallon tank than it is in a 10 gallon tank.  Summary: while one mystery can live in a 5 gallon tank, mystery snails flourish in 10 gallons and above. They also benefit gre...

I always say that calcium is the key to optimal snail shell health, but...how does one actually go about supplementing it? Sure, there's suggestions on supplies to use; yet, there's not often much clarification about how to use them. When I first began snailkeeping, I was totally lost when it came to calcium supplementation.  Little lady is thrilled about all this calcium! For my beginner snailkeepers, this simple guide will show you four easy ways to ensure your aquatic snail is getting all the calcium they need.  Before we begin, I personally recommend supplementing calcium in both water and diet.  With that, let's dive in! (Note: I am not sponsored by any brands I mention, nor am I affiliated with any sources I recommend. Thank you!) Cuttlebone A delightful tortoise enjoying some cuttlebone. Credit: Richard Mayer, de.wikipedia, (CC BY-SA 3.0)   Snails require calcium carbonate to promote healthy shell growth. Cracked shells are a common sign of inadequate calcium...

  "What is this arm on my snail? Is he okay?" Among the most frequent questions I come across regarding aquatic snails include questions about anatomy — and rightfully so! Snails have very funky anatomy, sometimes mystifying both beginner and long-time snailkeepers. While we still have yet to fully understand how aquatic snails function, there's thankfully much that we do know. Today, I'll break down the components of aquatic snail anatomy, focusing on the mystery snail.  The mystery snail encompasses the anatomical structure present in each freshwater aquatic snail, hence my focus on this specific species. Lola, the master of balance! Siphon That question asked at the beginning usually pertains to the mystery snail. What is that little tube? Most initially guess either parasite or genitalia. You'll be relieved to know that it's neither. This is their siphon! I'll include this video I uploaded to my Instagram account for a fun summarization: My Siphon Vide...

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 guidel...

A young golden mystery snail exploring Whether you already own a mystery snail or are planning on buying one, this guide offers comprehensive answers and guidelines for optimal mystery snail care. I'll also share advice and suggestions regarding pitfalls I fell into as a beginner aquatic snail owner. With that, let's dive in! (Note: I am not sponsored by any brands I mention, nor am I affiliated with any sources I recommend.) Tank Size Mystery snails can easily reach around 2 - 3 inches in diameter. They love to roam, climb, and parasnail (more on that later), so it's important that you choose an environment that allows them the space to do so freely. The general rule of thumb is 5 gallons per mystery snail.  In my experience, you can comfortably house up to four in a 10 gallon tank. However, if you are just beginning, I would recommend housing only two in a 10 gallon, as this will give you time to adjust to the bioload they produce (they produce a lot of waste very quickly...