What tank size does a Malaysian Trumpet Snail need?

A Malaysian Trumpet Snail needs an aquarium of at least 10 litres (2.6 US gallons) with a footprint at least 20 cm (7.9 in) long — for this species, swimming length matters as much as raw volume.

What water parameters does a Malaysian Trumpet Snail need?

Malaysian Trumpet Snail does best at 18–30 °C (64.4–86 °F), pH 7–8 and a general hardness of 5–20 °dGH.

What group size does a Malaysian Trumpet Snail need?

Malaysian Trumpet Snail is a social species — keep a group of at least 2 so natural behaviour emerges and stress stays low.

Is the Malaysian Trumpet Snail suitable for beginners?

Yes — Malaysian Trumpet Snail is one of the easier species to keep and forgives typical first-tank mistakes, as long as the aquarium is cycled and maintained.

Species library

Malaysian Trumpet Snail

Melanoides tuberculata

Thiaridae

InvertsDifficulty: ●○○○○Data: well-established

📷 Benutzer Buchling · CC BY-SA 3.0 · resized · Wikimedia Commons

Malaysian Trumpet Snail — Melanoides tuberculata — 📷 Benutzer Buchling · CC BY-SA 3.0 · resized · Wikimedia Commons

About

The Malaysian trumpet snail is a slender, cone-shelled burrowing snail prized for aerating and turning over the substrate, which prevents anaerobic pockets and helps release detritus for filtration. Largely nocturnal, it hides in the sand by day and emerges at night. It is a parthenogenetic livebearer — females clone themselves without mates — so a single snail can seed an entire colony, and populations expand rapidly wherever excess food accumulates in the substrate.

Care

Best over a sand or fine-gravel bed it can burrow through; tolerates a very wide range of freshwater (and brackish) conditions, preferring harder alkaline water. Livebearing and parthenogenetic, so it reproduces explosively when overfed; copper-sensitive.

Diet

Substrate detritivore consuming detritus, decaying matter and leftover food while aerating the sand. Plant-safe; requires no targeted feeding, with population tracking available detritus.

Tankmate compatibility

Gets along with (35)

Possible with care (161)

Acei Cichlid African Butterfly Cichlid Agassiz's Cory Agassiz's Dwarf Cichlid Assassin Snail Auratus Cichlid Bamboo Shrimp Banjo Catfish Betta (Siamese Fighting Fish)Black Neon Tetra Black Phantom Tetra Black Ruby Barb Black Skirt Tetra Blackline Rasbora Bleeding Heart Tetra Blood Parrot Cichlid Blue Acara Blue Dolphin Cichlid Blue Tiger Shrimp Boesemani Rainbowfish Bolivian Ram Borleyi (Redfin Hap)Borneo Sucker Brevis Shell Dweller Brichard's Teleogramma Brichardi (Fairy Cichlid)Bristlenose Pleco Bronze Corydoras Buenos Aires Tetra Buffalohead Cichlid Bumblebee Cichlid Butterfly Hillstream Loach Celestial Pearl Danio Checkered Barb Cherry Barb Chocolate Cichlid Clown Pleco Cobalt Blue Zebra Cochu's Blue Tetra Cockatoo Dwarf Cichlid Colombian Ramshorn Snail Congo Dwarf Cichlid Congo Tetra Convict Cichlid Cylindricus Cichlid Cyprichromis Demasoni Cichlid Denison Barb Discus Doctor Fish Dogtooth Cichlid Dojo (Weather) Loach Dwarf Chain Loach Dwarf Flag Cichlid Dwarf Gourami Dwarf Petricola Catfish Electric Yellow Lab Elephantnose Fish Ellioti Cichlid Elongate Mbuna Emperor Tetra Even-spotted Synodontis Festivum (Flag Cichlid)Firemouth Cichlid Five-bar Cichlid Flame Tetra Glass Catfish Glowlight Tetra Golden Dwarf Cichlid Golden Julie Golden Pencilfish Golden Tetra Green Discus Green Neon Tetra Harlequin Rasbora Head-and-Tail-Light Tetra Honey Gourami Hongi Cichlid Japanese Trapdoor Snail Johanni Cichlid Julii Cory Kenyi Cichlid Keyhole Cichlid Kissing Gourami Kribensis Lambchop Rasbora Lemon Cichlid Lemon Tetra Leopard Danio Little Corydoras Macmasteri Dwarf Cichlid Maingano Cichlid Marlieri Cichlid Masked Julie Medaka Ricefish Molly Moonlight Gourami Multifasciatus Shell Dweller Neon Tetra Ocellatus Shell Dweller Otocinclus Panda Corydoras Paraguay Eartheater Peaceful Betta Peacock Cichlid Pearl Gourami Peppered Corydoras Polka Dot Loach Port Cichlid Powder Blue Cichlid Purple Emperor Tetra Pygmy Corydoras Rainbow Cichlid Rainbow Shark Red Empress Red Rainbowfish Red Whiptail Catfish Red Zebra Cichlid Red-Tail Shark Redhead Cichlid Regan's Julie Reticulated Hillstream Loach Rosy Barb Rosy Tetra Rummynose Tetra Rusty Cichlid Sailfin Molly Salt and Pepper Cory Sand-sifting Xenotilapia Saulosi Cichlid Scissortail Rasbora Serpae Tetra Severum Siamese Algae Eater Silver Moony Similis Shell Dweller Skunk Cory Sparkling Gourami Star Sapphire Sterbai Corydoras Striped Kribensis Sulawesi Cardinal Shrimp Sunshine Peacock Sveni Eartheater Swordtail T-Bar Cichlid Taiwan Reef Cichlid Thai Micro Crab Thick-lipped Gourami Threadfin Acara Threadfin Petrochromis Threadfin Rainbowfish Three-spot Gourami Turquoise Rainbowfish Umbrella Dwarf Cichlid Vampire Shrimp White Cloud Mountain Minnow Yoyo Loach Zebra Danio Zebra Mbuna Zebra Pleco

Avoid (75)

Adonis Pleco African Butterflyfish Altum Angelfish Angelfish Bala Shark Black Moor Goldfish Calvus Cichlid Cardinal Tetra Checkerboard Cichlid Chili Rasbora Chocolate Gourami Clown Killifish Clown Loach Comet Goldfish Common Goldfish Common Pleco Compressiceps Cichlid Crystal Red Shrimp Cuckoo Catfish Demon Eartheater Diamond Tetra Duboisi Tropheus Dwarf Pea Puffer Dwarf Rasbora Electric Blue Ahli Ember Tetra Endlicheri Bichir Fantail Goldfish Featherfin Squeaker Figure-8 Puffer Frontosa German Blue Ram Goby Cichlid Golden Wonder Killifish Green Spotted Pufferfish Green Terror Heckel Discus Iridescent Shark Jack Dempsey Jaguar Cichlid Jewel Cichlid Koi Kuhli Loach Livingstoni Malawi Eyebiter Malawi Hawk Marble Hatchetfish Oranda Goldfish Ornate Bichir Oscar Paradise Fish Peacock Bass Pictus Catfish Pike Cichlid Ranchu Goldfish Red Devil Red Terror Reticulated Flying Fox Rostratus Rosy Red Minnow Royal Pleco Ryukin Goldfish Sailfin Pleco Salvini Cichlid Shubunkin Goldfish Silver Arowana Spotted Hoplo Strawberry Rasbora Striped Raphael Catfish Telescope Goldfish Texas Cichlid Tropheus Uaru (Triangle Cichlid)Venustus (Giraffe Cichlid)Wolf Cichlid

Computed by the AquaSage engine for a spacious reference tank — always check the full verdict for your exact setup in the calculator.

Telling males from females

There is no reliable way to sex this species by eye. That is the honest answer, not a gap in our data.

All the methods, with diagrams

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Frequently asked questions

What tank size does a Malaysian Trumpet Snail need?: A Malaysian Trumpet Snail needs an aquarium of at least 10 litres (2.6 US gallons) with a footprint at least 20 cm (7.9 in) long — for this species, swimming length matters as much as raw volume.
What water parameters does a Malaysian Trumpet Snail need?: Malaysian Trumpet Snail does best at 18–30 °C (64.4–86 °F), pH 7–8 and a general hardness of 5–20 °dGH.
What group size does a Malaysian Trumpet Snail need?: Malaysian Trumpet Snail is a social species — keep a group of at least 2 so natural behaviour emerges and stress stays low.
Is the Malaysian Trumpet Snail suitable for beginners?: Yes — Malaysian Trumpet Snail is one of the easier species to keep and forgives typical first-tank mistakes, as long as the aquarium is cycled and maintained.

Sources

Water & tank

Temperature18–30°C

Optimal temp.22–27°C

pH7–8

Hardness (GH)5–20°d

Carbonate (KH)3–15°d

Adult size2.5 cm

Min. volume≥ 10 L

Min. tank length≥ 20 cm

Group size≥ 2

Swimming zoneBottom

TemperamentPeaceful

Water typeBrackish-tolerant

FlowLow

Lifespan~2 yrs

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