🐌 Commercial Name
Red Ramshorn Snail
🔬 Scientific Name
Planorbella duryi (Red morph)
📦 Detailed Description
The Red Ramshorn Snail is one of the most attractive freshwater snails, distinguished by its transparent reddish shell that reveals the hemoglobin-rich body inside, giving it a striking red appearance.
It is highly beneficial in aquariums and self-sustaining aquatic ecosystems, where it helps clean algae, consume leftover food, and remove decaying plant matter, contributing to a healthier and more balanced environment.
🌿 Suitable Environment
- Freshwater only (aquariums or small ponds).
- Ideal temperature: 20 – 26°C.
- pH level: 7.0 – 7.8.
- Prefers medium to slightly hard water for proper shell growth; calcium sources such as cuttlebone are recommended.
- Not suitable for terrariums or paludariums, as it is a fully aquatic species.
🍽️ Diet
- Soft algae on glass and plants.
- Leftover fish food.
- Can be supplemented with lightly boiled vegetables such as zucchini or cucumber.
- Avoid overfeeding to prevent rapid population growth.
🛠️ Care
- Reproduces quickly by laying gelatinous egg clusters on glass and plants; monitor population and remove excess eggs when necessary.
- Peaceful and safe for community tanks with small, non-predatory fish.
- Extremely sensitive to copper-based medications or fertilizers.
⭐ Benefits
- Natural algae cleaner and leftover food recycler.
- Improves water clarity and reduces waste buildup.
- Supports ecological balance in freshwater systems.
- Easy to keep and care for, even for beginners.
⚠️ Possible Drawbacks
- Rapid reproduction may lead to unwanted population booms.
- May nibble on soft or weakened plant leaves if food is scarce.
- Dead shells left uncollected can affect the appearance of the aquarium.
⏳ Life Cycle
- Average lifespan is about 1 year, but can be longer under optimal care.
- Begins reproducing early and produces large numbers in a short time.
