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Mahogany trumpet snail

Melanoides maculata

Also known as Black trumpet snail, Spotted trumpet snail

FreshwaterSnail

Mahogany trumpet snail (Melanoides maculata)

Care at a glance

Temperature
72–82°F
22–28°C
pH
7.0–8.2
Adult size
1.6 in
4 cm
Minimum tank
5 gal
20 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Solitary
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Easy
Breeding
Livebearer · Easy
Rarity
Rare
Family
Thiaridae
Origin
Rivers of South and Southeast Asia

Overview

The mahogany trumpet snail is a peaceful burrowing snail that quietly works the substrate of a freshwater tank. It is easy to keep and a good choice for a beginner.

Did you know

The mahogany trumpet snail reproduces by parthenogenesis, like other trumpet snails, so females clone themselves and need no mate. A single snail carried in on a plant can seed an entire population.

Caring for the mahogany trumpet snail

Give the mahogany trumpet snail a tank of 5 gal (20 L) or more. Use a soft sand or fine gravel bed at least a couple of centimeters deep so it can dig. A planted tank suits it well.

It wants moderately hard, alkaline water at 72 to 82°F (22 to 28°C) and a pH of 7.0 to 8.2. Hard water keeps its cone-shaped shell solid and free of pitting.

It spends its time under the substrate, turning and aerating the sand as it feeds on detritus, leftover food and algae film. It works the bottom day and night. It will not harm plants, shrimp or fish, so it fits almost any calm community. It needs no company of its own kind.

Breeding is easy and needs no effort from you. It is a livebearer that drops tiny, fully formed young into the substrate. Populations build quickly wherever food is plentiful.

Good to know

The mahogany trumpet snail, Melanoides maculata, is a thiarid snail with a stout, patterned spire. It is a larger and darker relative of the common Malaysian trumpet snail. It is also sold as the black trumpet snail or the spotted trumpet snail.

In the wild

The mahogany trumpet snail lives in warm rivers and still waters across South and Southeast Asia. It burrows in soft beds of sand and silt.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The mahogany trumpet 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 mahogany trumpet snail need?

A mahogany trumpet snail needs at least 5 gal (20 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a mahogany trumpet snail need?

A mahogany trumpet snail is comfortable at 72–82°F (22–28°C) with a pH of 7.0–8.2.

What does a mahogany trumpet snail eat?

A mahogany trumpet snail feeds on detritus, leftover food and algae film as it turns over the sand.

How big does a mahogany trumpet snail get?

An adult mahogany trumpet snail reaches about 1.6 in (4 cm).

How does a mahogany trumpet snail breed?

The mahogany trumpet snail is a livebearer that drops tiny, fully formed young into the substrate. Breeding is easy, and populations build quickly wherever food is plentiful.

Related species