Melanoides tuberculata
| Common Names: | Malaysian Trumpet Snail Malaysian Livebearing Snail |
| Salinity: | Freshwater |
| Distribution: | Originally from Southeast Asia, but probably intoduced to other tropical and subtropical regions. |
| Care: | Provide a tank of at least two gallons. A moderately deep substrate is appreciated as a place for these snails to hide. Rocks, driftwood, and plants for additional shelter are recommended but are not necessary. Do not keep these snails with invertebrate-eating fish such as puffers, large cichlids, and loaches. The Malaysian Trumpet Snail can be kept in groups. It will not harm aquarium plants or living fish, but it will scavenge on fish eggs and dead fish if the opportunity arises. As with all shell-bearing mollusks, care must be taken in regards to water chemistry to protect the snail's shell. Do not keep this species in acidic water, which will dissolve and damage the snail's shell. Moderately hard, alkaline water is best for this snail. Feeding calcium-rich foods will ensure a healthier shell, but this is not necessary. |
| Feeding: | Being a scavenger, the Malaysian Trumpet Snail will eat anything edible it finds in the tank and generally does not need to be fed. There is usually enough detritus, algae, and leftover food in most tanks to support a healthy population of Malaysian Trumpet Snails. They will eat any sinking foods and vegetables added to the tank. Specially formulated snail foods that contain added calcium are probably beneficial to these snails, but they are generally not needed unless breeding large amounts of snails is desired (generally as food for snail-eating fish). |
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| Potential Size: | Male: 3cm (1.2") Female: 3cm (1.2") |
| Comments: | This common aquarium snail is often found as a "hitch-hiker" on aquarium plants. They are often considered a beneficial addition to most aquariums, cleaning up leftover food and eating algae. During the day, they tend to hide in the substrate, so there are generally more Trumpet Snails in the aquarium than the amount generally visible at any given time. As one of their common names suggests, these snails give birth to live, fully-formed offspring. Unlike most other aquarium snails, however, Malaysian Trumpet Snails are not hermaphroditic and males tend to be larger than females. Females can reportedly reproduce without mating with a male. An overabundance of Malaysian Trumpet Snails, as with any aquarium snail, usually signals that the aquarist is overfeeding the tank. When the tank is fed a proper amount of food, these snails will develop a relatively low, stable population in the tank and will not be a nuisance. |
| Image Credit: | Natalie |
| Submitted By: | Natalie |
| Contributors: | Natalie |
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