TankBud

Black devil snail

Faunus ater

Also known as Bicolor devil snail

FreshwaterSnail

Black devil snail (Faunus ater)
-serwacy01- · CC BY-SA 4.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
72–86°F
22–30°C
pH
6.5–7.5
Adult size
3.9 in
10 cm
Minimum tank
13 gal
50 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Solitary
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Easy
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Rare
Family
Pachychilidae
Origin
Southeast Asia

Overview

The black devil snail is a long, jet-black scavenger for the bottom of a community tank with hard water. It is easy to keep.

Did you know

The black devil snail is a harmless grazer that is safe with plants, despite its ominous name.

Caring for the black devil snail

Give black devil snails a tank of 13 gal (50 L) or more, which suits their adult size and appetite. A sandy or fine gravel bed and steady filtration match the flowing water they come from. One snail or several can share a tank.

Keep the water hard and well-mineralized so their tall shells stay strong. Hold it at 72 to 86°F (22 to 30°C) with a pH of 6.5 to 7.5. They also tolerate slightly brackish setups. Never use copper-based medicines or plant additives, which are toxic to snails.

Black devil snails spend the day grazing algae, biofilm and leftover food off the glass, wood and substrate. They are peaceful and ignore tank mates, so they mix well with community fish, shrimp and other snails.

This snail has separate sexes and breeds only in brackish or coastal water. Its young need brackish water to develop, so there are no records of it multiplying in a freshwater tank. A tank of them will never see the population explosion that pond snails are famous for.

Good to know

The black devil snail, Faunus ater, is the only species in its genus. It sits in the family Pachychilidae, the same broad group as many pointed river snails. Its slender, dark spire is among the longest of the aquarium snails. It carries a horny operculum, a trapdoor it pulls shut behind itself.

In the wild

The black devil snail lives in the lower reaches of rivers, estuaries and mangrove creeks across Southeast Asia. In those waters, fresh water meets a touch of salt.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The black devil snail is a peaceful, solitary species that keeps to the bottom. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does a black devil snail need?

A black devil snail needs at least 13 gal (50 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a black devil snail need?

A black devil snail is comfortable at 72–86°F (22–30°C) with a pH of 6.5–7.5.

What does a black devil snail eat?

A black devil snail grazes algae, biofilm and leftover food off the glass, wood and substrate.

How big does a black devil snail get?

An adult black devil snail reaches about 3.9 in (10 cm).

How does a black devil snail breed?

Black devil snails have separate sexes and breed only in brackish or coastal water, where their young can develop. They have not been recorded multiplying in a freshwater tank.

Related species