TankBud

Mystery snail

Pomacea diffusa

Also known as spike-topped apple snail, White mystery snail, Ivory mystery snail, White apple snail

FreshwaterSnail

Mystery snail (Pomacea diffusa)
Imperial Tropicals · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature
70–79°F
21–26°C
pH
6.5–8.0
Adult size
2 in
5 cm
Minimum tank
5 gal
19 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Solitary
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Easy
Breeding
Egg layer · Medium
Rarity
Rare
Family
Ampullariidae
Origin
South America

Overview

The mystery snail is a peaceful grazer that suits almost any calm community tank. It is an easy snail to keep.

Did you know

Unlike almost every other aquarium snail, the mystery snail lays its eggs out of the water. The eggs sit in a hard pink clutch stuck above the surface.

Caring for the mystery snail

Keep one or two mystery snails in 5 gal (19 L) or larger, though one snail is happy alone. They roam the glass, plants and substrate. Give them gentle flow and live or artificial plants to climb. They breathe air through a siphon as well as a gill, so leave a gap between the water and the lid.

Mystery snails are adaptable and settle in at 70 to 79°F (21 to 26°C) with a pH of 6.5 to 8.0. Keep the water moderately hard, with enough calcium to build a smooth, strong shell. Very soft or acidic water pits and erodes the shell. Never add copper, which is toxic to snails.

They are plant-safe grazers that clean up algae, biofilm and uneaten food. Feed algae wafers and blanched vegetables, along with a calcium source. Mystery snails are peaceful and ignore their tank mates.

The sexes are separate, and breeding them is of medium difficulty. A female climbs above the waterline to lay a firm, calcium-rich clutch of eggs on the glass or lid. The young hatch in two to four weeks and drop back into the water. If you do not want more snails, remove the clutch a day or two after it appears.

Good to know

The mystery snail is Pomacea diffusa, an apple snail in the family Ampullariidae, sometimes called the spike-topped apple snail. It has a rounded, often patterned shell and an operculum. It is unusual in having both a gill and a lung, plus a long breathing siphon.

In the wild

The mystery snail comes from the Amazon basin of South America. It lives in warm, slow and often murky waters thick with plants and leaf litter.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The mystery 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 mystery snail need?

A mystery snail needs at least 5 gal (19 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a mystery snail need?

A mystery snail is comfortable at 70–79°F (21–26°C) with a pH of 6.5–8.0.

What does a mystery snail eat?

A mystery snail grazes on algae, biofilm and uneaten food, and it is safe with plants. Feed it algae wafers and blanched vegetables, along with a calcium source.

How big does a mystery snail get?

An adult mystery snail reaches about 2 in (5 cm).

How does a mystery snail breed?

A female mystery snail climbs above the waterline to lay a firm clutch of eggs on the glass or lid. The young hatch in two to four weeks and drop back into the water.

Related species