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Beginners Guide

19++ THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT RAMSHORN SNAIL (I WISH I KNOW SOONER!!)

by Catherine Tran 12 Jun 2023 0 Comments

Ramshorn snails can be easily identified by the distinct shape of their shells, which are similar in shape to the horns of a ram. Ramshorn Snails are freshwater snails that can be found in many aquariums. Ramshorn snails are hardy and easy to care for whether you plan for them or not.

Are Ramshorn Snails Good for Aquariums?

Ramshorn snails are beneficial to your aquarium and are a great addition to your aquarium. They are great at helping you keep your tank clean. They spend most of their time looking for algae in their tank. They are effective cleaners for algae that accumulate everywhere in your tank. They will clean glass, plants, and decorations. In addition to clearing your tank's algae from all surfaces, Ramshorn Snails can also be found eating rotting leaves and leftovers from other tank mates.

 

Leopard-Ramshorn-Snails

 

Ramshorn snail care

Ramshorn snails are hardy and easy to care for. They can survive a wide range of temperatures and will spawn frequently in your aquarium. Ramshorn snails are not picky about their habitat. You don't need a lot of decorations or hiding places for your snails, but they do appreciate living plants. They are known to eat aquarium plants, but they usually don't bother them if they are well-fed.

Water temperature & pH

Ramshorn snails can survive a wide variety of water temperatures and can survive at 60℉ to 80℉. They require their water parameters to be around 7.0 to 7.5 pH.

Ramshorn snail size

Ramshorn snails are not large, but don't let their size fool you. These snails do not grow to impressive sizes, but they are a very useful addition to the home aquarium. They are usually only about 1 inch long when fully grown although some Ramshorn snail owners have reported they are getting a bit larger.

Leopard-Ramshorn-Snails

 

Food & Diet

Ramshorn snails are wonderful little creatures that remain active in their efforts to scour your aquarium for algae and food. It is interesting to watch as they move along the top, bottom, and sides of the tank. If you have an aquarium with plants, Ramshorn Snails are especially helpful as they will eat any dry leaves that fall off your plants. They will also eat dead fish but do not intentionally feed them dead fish as it will greatly affect your water quality and endanger the inhabitants.

Ramshorn Snail Size and Lifespan

Ramshorn snails usually live to be about 1 year old, but Ramshorn snail owners say they can live up to 3 years with proper care.

Request a tank

One of the many great things about Ramshorn Snails is that they don't need a lot of room to grow. A Ramshorn Snail can live well in tanks as small as 5 gallons. However, if you plan to keep more than one Ramshorn Snail, you will need a tank of at least 10 gallons. This will give them plenty of space to search without obstructing each other.

cherry-red-ramshron-snails

Tank setup

Setting up an aquarium for Ramshorn Snails is easy as they are not picky about what you put in their tank. However, they prefer a tank with lots of plants. Ramshorn snails seem to enjoy their time between plants, but if they are not fed properly, they will eat each other.

Ramshorn snail farming

Ramshorn snails are hermaphrodites. This means they have both male and female reproductive organs. This can cause quite a few problems if they are left unchecked for reproduction. Ramshorn snails, like other snails, spawn frequently. They will lay a nest of about a dozen eggs around your aquarium, but you may not even notice as they are usually well hidden. This can quickly become an issue as they will overwhelm tanks if left unchecked.

Ramshorn snail eggs

Ramshorn snails lay many clusters of eggs in small brown spots called spheres. These spheres have about a dozen transparent snail eggs inside. They protect the eggs and anchor them to the surface on which they are deposited to secure the eggs. Because the eggs are transparent, if you look closely, you will be able to see the small black snails inside while they are developing.

How often does a Ramshorn snail lay eggs?

Ramshorn snails reproduce very efficiently without any assistance. Once released into your aquarium, as long as conditions are optimal for them, you should soon see small clusters of eggs appear in your tank. They can lay several litters with dozens of eggs per day.

pink-ramshront-snails

How long does it take for Ramshorn snail eggs to hatch?

Ramshorn snails not only reproduce efficiently but also grow and develop very quickly. Ramshorn snail eggs take about 1 week to develop and hatch from their eggs. After hatching, they can forage and take care of themselves.

Not only do they grow fast, but they mature quickly as well as fully mature in just a few months. It's easy to see how they can quickly take over an aquarium if left unchecked for spawning.

Do Ramshorn Snail Eggs Need Water?

Ramshorn snails lay eggs in water, and therefore they must be in the water. If they are removed from the water, their protective coating will dry out and they will not bloom.

How to get rid of Ramshorn snail eggs

Ramshorn snails can be very beneficial to your aquarium, but they can quickly colonize and take up residence in your aquarium. This is because they are hermaphrodites and they can reproduce asexually. They waste no time settling in your tank and starting their breeding cycle. Ramshorn snails lay several clusters of about a dozen eggs per day.

Since they reproduce so efficiently, you'll want to consider a measure to control your Ramshorn Snail population. The first step in controlling the numbers in your aquarium is to locate the Ramshorn Snail egg blocks. Once you've located them, you can remove them with an aquarium vacuum, scrape them off with a thin piece of plastic, or let the fish in your aquarium eat them.

Remember that Ramshorn Snails can get into your aquarium by climbing on plants and decorations, so it's best to disinfect your new plants to destroy any eggs that might be attached. before you put them in your aquarium.

How do I care for Ramshorn snails?

Ramshorn snails are extremely effective in self-care. This self-sufficiency occurs from the moment they come out of the egg. They can take care of themselves. Baby Ramshorn snails only take a few months to mature and begin to reproduce.

Leopard-Ramshorn-Snails

How to Remove Ramshorn Snail

There are several ways you can get rid of the Ramshorn Snail in your aquarium. If you see an unwanted Ramshorn Snail in your aquarium, you can reach out and remove it. If the snails are small enough, you can use a gravel vacuum to suck them up.

Another way to get rid of Ramshorn Snails is to cut off their food supply. The reproduction of Ramshorn Snails largely depends on their food supply. If they have enough food, they will reproduce quickly. Remember that Ramshorn Snails will eat aquatic plants if they are not getting enough nutrients from their diet, so you may want to remove your aquatic plants and transfer them to another aquarium later. when dipping them in bleach to kill any Ramshorn Snail eggs that may be attached and hide among the leaves.

Ramshorn snails will also eat food left over from feeding your aquarium fish, so be careful to only feed your fish enough for them to fully consume so that the Ramshorn Snails have nothing left to eat.

Ramshorn snail disease

Ramshorn snails are a hardy species and do not have many illnesses or diseases that can affect them, but even if they are not affected by these diseases or illnesses, they can still get sick. Bring them into your aquarium to affect your fish. Although Ramshorn snails cannot be affected by the diseases they carry, they can also harbor parasites.

These parasites attach themselves to the skin of the Ramshorn Snail and they are called Skin Flukes. Tapeworms are often not identified because they are not easily seen and they can hide in snail shells. The tapeworm can also attach to fish in the aquarium. It is important to make sure to isolate any new snails before releasing them into your aquarium to ensure that they do not transmit any parasites to your fish.

cherry-red-ramshron-snails

Ramshorn snail tank mate

Ramshorn snails are small and slow. This makes them easy targets for hungry fish. It is for these reasons that you want to put them in an aquarium with fish that won't chase them for food. They do well with other docile snails like the mystery snail, and they do well with shrimp too. Smaller, non-aggressive fish such as Rasboras, Guppies, Danios, and Gouramis.

Given their spawn rate, you may want to add to a community tank that includes Ramshorn Snails a fish that will eat them or their eggs. This will help bring balance and control to your Ramshorn Snail count.

Ramshorn snails and Betta fish

Ramshorn snails and Betta Fish both have similar water parameter requirements, and they make excellent tank mates for Betta Fish. They do not get in the way of the Betta, and the Betta will eat their eggs if they find them. The only problem you might have with this pair is the overpopulation of Ramshorn Snails.

betta-male

 

betta-male

 

Cherry Red Ramshorn Snail

Pink Ramshorn snails are sometimes called Red Ramshorn snails when they are young. Pink Ramshorn snails are considered a rarer color and will cost more than other colors.

Leopard Ramshorn Snail

Leopard Ramshorn Snails have brown bark with different colored spots. They are so-called because the color resembles the pattern of leopard spots.

Brown snail

Brown Ramshorn snails can come in many different shades of brown. Varies from light reddish brown to dark mahogany. They can also have different skin colors. Even though they are brown, they can still be interesting and even beautiful to look at. Some Brown Ramshorn Snails will have a lighter brown color surrounding the darker brown outer shell that makes up most of the shell.

Black snail

The black Ramshorn snail is an Indonesian species of Ramshorn snail that is as hardy as its North American relatives. These snails have a black skin color with a black to brown spiral-shaped shell, sometimes with white spots. Aside from the color difference, Black Ramshorn Snails don't have much of a difference because they behave like the rest of the species.

Ramshorn Snail vs Mystery Snail

Both Ramshorn Snails and Mystery Snails can be great additions to your home aquarium and they are sometimes kept in the same tank as both have almost the same water parameters. Owners of Ramshorn Snails and Mystery Snails love them for their fun and calm nature as they don't cause any problems between them or your fish.

Both Ramshorn Snails and Mystery Snails will clean algae from your aquarium for you, but Ramshorn Snails do it much more efficiently. Mystery Snails will help clean the foundation, but not much else.

 

mystery-snails

 

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