Malaysian Trumpet Snail
Melanoides tuberculata
Thiaridae
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 (6)
Possible with care (87)
Avoid (16)
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