Fresh water snails with their amazing characteristics

Freshwater snails can add to the beauty of your ponds and aquariums. These are believed to be quite peaceful and harmless creatures. These can grow up to 1-4 inches in size. You will not find problem keeping them as pets since they have very minimal requirements. Freshwater snails require low light level, temperatures of 68-85 degree Fahrenheit and a pH of 6.5-8.0. These are known by different genus names such as Pomacea and Ampullaria. However, these are also referred to as Ampullariidae or Pilidae.

If you consider the members of the Ampullariidae family you would often come across them as “apple snails”. These also include the snails which come under the category of Pomacea and Marisa. These freshwater snails have both gills and lungs as respiratory organs. With the help of their natural siphons, they can breathe in water. So if you keep them in aquarium, then it is important to provide open air space above the waterline to make sure that they can breathe.

Some of the most common freshwater snails that belong to this class include Pomacea bridgesi, Pomacea canaliculata and Marisa cornuarietis. Pomacea bridgesi snails have shells which differ in patterns and colors such as black, gold and ivory. Such type of snails generally feed on algae, vegetables, flake food, frozen foods and live foods.

Pomacea canaliculata is known for its deep sultures which are found between the swirls of the shell.  Their color may range from brown to yellow and they can also grow up to a size of 3 inches. It is not suitable to keep them with live plants in aquarium since these feed over them.  Hence they should be fed with proper vegetable-based food.

Marisa cornuarietis have shells that are similar to ramshorn and thus these are commonly known as Ramshorn Snails. They come in amazing color patterns such as yellow, cream, or reddish brown with dark brown or black stripes. They can be found in lakes, ponds and swamps and thus can be seen prefer to live in shallow water. These feed over dead and rotting plants, fresh plants, dead animals, algae, vegetables, fish food, frozen foods and live foods.

There is another family of freshwater snails which is popularly known as the Vivipariidae family. These are also referred to as the “mystery snails”. One of the members of this family is the Viviparus malleatus which is also commonly known as the Japanese Trapdoor Snail. Their shells have a color ranging between brown to gray. They basically feed on algae and do not harm the live plants. So you can keep them in your aquarium since they keep the algae growth under control. Besides algae they also feed on vegetables, fish food, frozen foods and live foods. These do not produce many younger ones so it would not be a problem in breeding them. Hence it is not a problem keeping these snails.

Thus freshwater snails are quite popular among the people. These can serve as the most amazing pets.