Ramshorn Snails are colourful, peaceful freshwater snails that are prized for their beautiful spiral shells and excellent clean-up abilities. Available in a growing range of colours including Red, Blue, Pink, Leopard, Ivory and other selectively bred varieties, they make a fantastic addition to planted aquariums, shrimp tanks and community aquascapes.

Why You'll Love Ramshorn Snails

• Beautiful spiral shells available in many colours
• Excellent consumers of algae, biofilm and leftover food
• Completely peaceful and shrimp safe
• Perfect for planted aquariums and nano tanks
• Easy to breed and maintain healthy colonies

Creating the Ideal Home

Tank Size

Ramshorn Snails can be kept in aquariums from as little as 10 litres, making them ideal for nano aquariums, shrimp tanks and larger community setups alike.

Temperature

Most Ramshorn Snails thrive between 20–28°C, making them suitable for the majority of tropical freshwater aquariums.

Water Quality

• Ammonia: 0 ppm
• Nitrite: 0 ppm
• Nitrate: ideally below 20 ppm
• pH: approximately 7.0–8.2

Stable water conditions with adequate calcium help maintain strong, healthy shells. Soft or acidic water may gradually cause shell erosion.

Calcium Requirements

Like all freshwater snails, Ramshorn Snails require calcium and other minerals to develop healthy shells. A balanced diet and mineral-rich water help prevent pitting, cracks and poor shell growth.

Aquascaping

Ramshorn Snails thrive in planted aquariums with driftwood, rocks and plenty of surfaces for algae and biofilm to develop. Mature aquariums naturally provide the best grazing opportunities.

Feeding

Ramshorn Snails constantly graze throughout the aquarium but should also receive supplementary feeding, particularly in very clean aquariums.

• Algae wafers
• Quality snail foods
• Blanched zucchini
• Blanched spinach
• Sinking vegetable-based pellets
• Biofilm and soft algae

A varied diet supports healthy shell development, colour and breeding.

Suitable Tank Mates

Ramshorn Snails are peaceful and compatible with almost all community aquarium inhabitants.

• Freshwater Shrimp
• Tetras
• Rasboras
• Danios
• Corydoras
• Otocinclus
• Peaceful Gouramis
• Other peaceful snails

Avoid Puffers, many Loaches, Crayfish and other snail-eating fish.

Popular Ramshorn Varieties

• Red Ramshorn
• Blue Ramshorn
• Pink Ramshorn
• Leopard Ramshorn
• Ivory Ramshorn
• Brown Ramshorn
• Gold Ramshorn
• Mixed Colour Ramshorns

Ramshorn Snail FAQs

Do Ramshorn Snails eat algae?

Yes. Ramshorn Snails graze on soft algae, biofilm and decaying plant matter, helping keep aquariums tidy. They will not usually remove stubborn algae such as black beard algae or mature green spot algae.

Do Ramshorn Snails eat healthy plants?

Healthy aquarium plants are generally left alone. Ramshorn Snails primarily feed on algae, biofilm and decaying plant material.

Will Ramshorn Snails overpopulate my aquarium?

Their population naturally reflects the amount of food available. Overfeeding fish often leads to larger snail populations, while controlled feeding usually keeps numbers stable.

Can Ramshorn Snails live with shrimp?

Yes. Ramshorn Snails are among the best companions for freshwater shrimp and are commonly kept in shrimp breeding aquariums.

Are Ramshorn Snails hermaphrodites?

Yes. Ramshorn Snails are hermaphroditic, meaning each individual has both male and female reproductive organs. They still generally require another Ramshorn Snail to reproduce, and eggs are laid in clear jelly-like clusters on hard surfaces.

Are Ramshorn Snails good for planted aquariums?

Absolutely. They help recycle waste, consume algae and biofilm, and are considered one of the most useful clean-up crew members for planted aquariums.