Malaysian Trumpet Snail (Melanoides Tuberculata)
Malaysian Trumpet Snails are a peaceful, tropical freshwater species of aquarium snail. They can adapt to a wide variety of water parameters, and they make an excellent clean up crew as they remove algae, waste and debris. Often they will burrow within the substrate and surface to consume food and organic waste. They are usually most active at night.
This species of snail can be a desirable addition to the aquarium but can also quickly turn into a nightmare when they start reproducing out of control in your tank.
They display an elongated cone-like shell on their backs. This spiral shell comes in several colours and patterns with the most prominent being beige with dark brown. The common name Red-rimmed Melania comes from the show of reddish spots on the body.
Malaysian Trumpet Snails head is pressed, they have a pair of tentacles with eyes at their bases, the mouth is at the front of the head, and it also has a trapdoor and papillae attached to the mantle end.
They make an excellent clean up crew as they remove algae, waste and debris. Often they will burrow within the substrate and surface to consume food and organic waste.
| Quick Facts | |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Melanoides Tuberculata |
| Other Names | Red-rimmed Melania |
| Family | Thiaridae |
| Genus | Melanoides |
| Origins | Thiaridae |
| Temperament | Peaceful |
| Aquarium Level | All Levels |
| Difficulty | Beginner |
| Shoaling | No |
| Diet | Detritivo |
| Reproduction | livebearer |
| Lifespan | 1 - 3 years |
| Water Parameters | |
|---|---|
| Water Type | Freshwater |
| PH | 6.5 - 8.0 |
| GH | 6 - 15 |
| KH | 1 - 12 |
| TDS | 100 - 300 |
| Temperature | |
| 71 - 77℉ 21.7 - 25℃ | |
Natural Habitat
Malaysian Trumpet snails occupy a variety of habitats, ranging from weakly saline close to sea-level to the freshwater of higher altitudes.
They are native to Asia and Africa. At present, the species is established in almost all regions between Florida and northern Argentina, and the USA, including the West Indies, as well as Venezuela, Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil, Peru, Brazil, and Paraguay.
The Malaysian Trumpet snail inhabits slow, stagnant water, and they thrive in regions impacted by humans. They settle in stable waters such as lakes, irrigation canals, ponds, ditches, lakes, city drains, dams, rivers, streams and lakes.
These snails are also found in Northern Australia, European Mediterranean countries and environments consisting of hot springs in Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia.
Other Snails of interest
What to feed the Malaysian Trumpet Snail
You are not required to feed the Malaysian Trumpet Snails as they feed on algae, bacteria, microalgae, leftover fish or shrimp food and dead or decaying organic matter that is in the aquarium.
How to Sex the Malaysian Trumpet Snail
It can be challenging, practically impossible to differentiate males from females unless you are a professional biologist.
The male's tissue seems to be a dark wine-red colour, whereas the female's tissue has significantly less red when viewed through the adapical shell. The females are also larger than the males.
How to Breed the Malaysian Trumpet Snail
Breeding Malaysian Trumpet Snails is very easy and effortless, they reproduce very quickly and in large numbers in the aquarium, especially if food is abundant and the water is warm.
Malaysian Trumpet Snails are not egg layers but instead, give birth to live miniature versions of themselves. Usually, a female will drop 1 to 91 babies; however, large Malaysian Trumpet snail females can produce up to 200 plus, young snails.
To avoid overpopulating your tank with these pest snails it is advisable to maintain your tank removing any excess food waste etc.