Wandering snail
Ampullaceana balthica
FreshwaterSnail
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 50–84°F
- 10–29°C
- pH
- 6.5–8.0
- Adult size
- 0.8 in
- 2 cm
- Minimum tank
- 11 gal
- 40 L
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Social behavior
- Solitary
- Swim level
- Bottom
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Breeding
- Egg layer · Medium
- Rarity
- Common
- Family
- Lymnaeidae
- Origin
- Europe
Overview
The wandering snail is a small freshwater snail and a decent cleanup animal for a community tank. It is easy to keep.
Did you know
The wandering snail breathes with a true lung rather than gills, unlike many aquarium snails. It crawls up to the waterline now and then to gulp air. Breathing air lets it survive in low-oxygen water that would stress gill-breathing species.
Caring for the wandering snail
Keep the wandering snail in at least 11 gal (40 L). It needs no special social setup and does its own thing along the bottom and over the glass and plants. It is peaceful and safe with community tank mates.
It does fine over a wide temperature range, from 50 to 84°F (10 to 29°C), with a pH of 6.5 to 8.0. It grazes algae, biofilm and decaying plant matter. Normal feeding in the tank keeps it well fed, so it usually needs no extra food unless algae is scarce.
Each wandering snail is a hermaphrodite and carries both sex organs. It lays gel-like egg clutches on hard surfaces and reproduces readily. Numbers can climb fast in a nutrient-rich tank.
Good to know
The wandering snail, Ampullaceana balthica, is a freshwater pond snail in the family Lymnaeidae. It has a thin, pointed shell. Like most pond snails, it has a short life, generally about a year.
In the wild
The wandering snail is a European native of ponds, ditches, lakes and slow streams, often in cooler water than tropical tanks run. It is adaptable and turns up in a wide range of still and slow-moving habitats.
Weekly picks
Tank mates
The wandering 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.
Neocaridina shrimp
Neocaridina davidi
Freshwater1.6 in (4 cm) · 5 gal (19 L)59–84°F (15–29°C)
Guppy
Poecilia reticulata
FreshwaterBrackish2.4 in (6 cm) · 10 gal (38 L)64–82°F (18–28°C)
Neon tetra
Paracheirodon innesi
Freshwater1.5 in (3.8 cm) · 11 gal (40 L)70–77°F (21–25°C)
Fourspotted toothcarp
Phallichthys quadripunctatus
Freshwater1.4 in (3.5 cm) · 11 gal (40 L)68–86°F (20–30°C)
Green panchax
Aplocheilus blockii
Freshwater2 in (5 cm) · 11 gal (40 L)72–82°F (22–28°C)
Mango loach
Physoschistura mango
Freshwater1 in (2.5 cm) · 11 gal (40 L)68–77°F (20–25°C)
Common questions
What size tank does a wandering snail need?
A wandering snail needs at least 11 gal (40 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.
What temperature and pH does a wandering snail need?
A wandering snail is comfortable at 50–84°F (10–29°C) with a pH of 6.5–8.0.
What does a wandering snail eat?
A wandering snail grazes algae, biofilm and decaying plant matter. It eats well in a tank with normal feeding and usually needs no extra food unless algae is scarce.
How big does a wandering snail get?
An adult wandering snail reaches about 0.8 in (2 cm).
How does a wandering snail breed?
Wandering snails are hermaphrodites, and each one carries both sex organs. They lay gel-like egg clutches on hard surfaces and reproduce readily, so numbers can climb fast.
Related species
2.4 in (6 cm)5 gal (20 L)64–75°F (18–24°C)Great pond snail
Lymnaea stagnalis
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