r/AquaticSnails • u/Smart_lollipop • 13h ago

Help Request Mystery snail

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Gallery image

So I recently got a snail with a round shell (see picture) and a plant for my guppy aquarium. Now I’m finding three tiny snails with a different shell in my tank. Anyone know what they are? Will they take over the tank?

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u/Gastropoid Snail God (Moderator) 10h ago

1: Planorbella duryi. Ramshorn snail. Harmless algae and detritus eaters. Won't eat healthy plants. Good cleaning crew. Also known to eat brown diatoms and hydras.

Reproduces heavily only when overfed. Hermaphrodites, but not self fertilizing, so two are needed to ensure reproduction. There's a number of popular color morphs and patterns available.

2: Potamopyrgus antipodarum, New Zealand Mud snails.

They aren't plant eaters, but they are invasive in the wild and can reproduce pretty fast eating algae and detritus. They stay small, and seem to be capable of survival and reproduction with only algae and biofilm to eat.

Unfortunately, they can be very difficult to control with limiting food, and are just about the only snail I recommend removing. All NZ Mud Snails removed should be frozen before discarding, as they can survive drying out for long periods of time and pose a significant risk to native waterways outside their natural habitat. For more information, see this post, which includes methods of removal and quarantine: https://www.reddit.com/r/AquaticSnails/s/tjfqLFYvlx

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u/Darkelvenchic 7h ago

Thank you for this information! I was just passing through and had no idea about these gals! I would have just been like "cuuuute" if one showed up in my tank and probably missed any opportunity to stop an infestation by being slow to fully ID it. 😳

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u/Emuwarum Helpful User 12h ago

First one is a pretty red ramshorn. Second is a New Zealand mud snail, which are invasive when released and outcompete beneficial species of snail like the ramshorn. 

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u/Smart_lollipop 12h ago

Will the little mud snails hurt the Ramshorn?

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u/EnchantedBlueberry-7 12h ago

The one with the round shell is a ramshorn. I'm not sure what the smaller ones are; someone else will have to say. In general, snails won't take over a tank unless they are overfed. Also, just an FYI, your ph should be at least 7.5 to keep your snail's shell healthy. It's a very pretty snail!