Giant Colombian Ramshorn Snail (Marisa cornuarietis)
The Giant Colombian Ramshorn Snail (Marisa cornuarietis) is an attractive, large snail and is a popular addition to freshwater aquariums in which plants are not considered a prized centrepiece as these snails are, in fact, prolific plant-eaters. In addition, these snails are peaceful and will not pester other tank inhabitants. However, it would be best if you did not keep them with fish that eat snails or species that may attack them, such as the Clown Loach, Dwarf Chain Loach and other species of Botia Loach or Pufferfish.
Giant Colombian Ramshorn Snails have lungs, gills and an operculum. Their lungs enable them to survive in waters with low dissolved oxygen levels where many other species would die. In addition, their pretty shells and their scavenging skills make them popular with tropical fish keeping enthusiasts.
Because of the planispiral coiling, these shells resemble the Great Ramshorn Snail. However, they are not closely related to actual Ramshorn snails in the family Planorbidae; they are from the Apple Snail family.
Their shells are smooth, often unevenly striped, and vary from yellow to dark brown to darkish red, reddish-brown, to more vivid shades of both colours. The three to six dark spiral bands mainly located at the umbilicus can be dark brown or even black. Black and yellow mutations without a banding pattern are also comparatively common. Sometimes the shells can be divided into two parts, with one side being light and one being dark.
The snail's apparent soft parts of the body can be coloured white with a yellowish hue, golden or grey and black with coloured spots. These snails also have long tentacles and black eyes. The snail's upper side is often just beige, with the bottom being a darker brown colour.
| Quick Facts | |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Marisa cornuarietis |
| Year Described | 1957 |
| Other Names | Giant Ramshorn Snail, Giant Striped Apple Snail, Marisa Snail, Paradise Snail, Apple Snail, Golden Horn Marissa, Striped Ramshorn Snail, Stripehorn Snail, Hard Disk Snail. |
| Classification | Gastropoda |
| Order | Architaenioglossa |
| Family | Ampullariidae |
| Genus | Marisa |
| Origins | Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Honduras, Panama, Venezuela |
| Temperament | Peaceful |
| Aquarium Level | All Levels |
| Difficulty | Beginner - Intermediate |
| Shoaling | No |
| Diet | Omnivore |
| Reproduction | Egg-Layer |
| Lifespan | 2 - 3 years |
| Water Parameters | |
|---|---|
| Water Type | Freshwater |
| PH | 7.5 - 8.0 |
| GH | 7-25 |
| KH | 3-22 |
| TDS | 150 - 250 |
| Temperature | |
|---|---|
| 75 - 81℉ 23.9 - 27.2℃ | |
Photos of the Giant Colombian Ramshorn Snail
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Giant Colombian Ramshorn Snail (Marisa cornuarietis) Rare Freshwater Aquarium Snail Profile & Care
Natural Habitat
Giant Colombian Ramshorn Snails are native to Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Panama, Costa Rica and Honduras in South and Central America. These snails inhabit rivers, lakes, and swamps where they stay close to the water's surface and prefer calm, shallow waters with plenty of vegetation.
Even though these snails are able to tolerate relatively high levels of salt concentrations and are sometimes found in lightly brackish waters, they cannot reproduce in these conditions.
What to feed the Giant Colombian Ramshorn Snail
The Giant Columbian Ramshorn Snail feeds primarily on living and decomposing aquatic plants. However, they can also consume decaying animals, live eggs, and even other juvenile snails.
Giant Colombian Ramshorn Snails are relatively undemanding and will feed on various foods, including most aquatic plants and regular fish food such as pellets, wafers and flakes. In addition, these snails will also accept multiple small frozen fish foods and blanched vegetables.
However, remember that these snails will not 'clean' the tank, and they must receive a dedicated varied diet including calcium-enriched foods to ensure their shells will not corrode. In addition, the use of liquid calcium, cuttlefish bones, calcium pills and eggshells is encouraged for healthy shell conditions, especially when the water is relatively soft and acidic.
How to sex the Giant Colombian Ramshorn Snail
It is somewhat challenging to differentiate between male and female Giant Colombian Ramshorn Snails. However, males seem to have a rounder operculum and are light-beige in colour and possess small brown spots, while females have dark chocolate coloured bottom parts.
How to breed the Giant Colombian Ramshorn Snail
Breeding Giant Colombian Ramshorn Snails is simple as they are prolific breeders. All you need to do is make sure you have both males and females in the aquarium and feed them well. In our experience, they seem to lay more often when given green vegetables; blanched broccoli and green beans appear to be the best trigger.
Giant Colombian Ramshorn Snails are not hermaphrodites, meaning a single snail does not have both the male and female reproductive organs. Therefore, unlike most Apple Snails, they will lay their eggs in disk-shaped clutches below the water line on virtually any decoration or plant and generally the aquarium glass.
When first deposited, in our experience, anything up to 50 eggs about 2 to 3 mm in size are visible as small white spots inside a translucent, gelatinous mass. As the snails develop, they become more transparent and look like little spots attached to each egg's outside.
The incubation period is temperature-dependent and typically occurs within two weeks. The young snails will then lose themselves in the gravel and take care of themselves without any additional support.