Aquarium Snails ∣ Types, Benefits & The Best Algae-Eating Snails

Planorbarius corneus is a European freshwater ramshorn snail found in ponds, lakes, marshes and slow-moving waters. Its large, planispiral shell and dark body make it a distinctive aquarium inhabitant...

The pimpled lace snail, Melanoides granifera, is a burrowing freshwater snail from the family Thiaridae. It spends much of its time in substrate, emerging to graze on biofilm, detritus and leftover fo...

The pink ramshorn snail is a freshwater planorbid recognized by its flat, coiled shell and pink to reddish body. The supplied name identifies it as Planorbella duryi duryi, a subspecies associated wit...

Taia naticoides is a freshwater, live-bearing snail sold under names such as piano snail. It has a rounded, banded shell and is valued as a grazer of algae and aquarium biofilm. The supplied photograp...

The piano snail, also sold as the brush algae snail, is a large freshwater operculate snail with a rounded, banded shell. Taia naticoides is associated with Southeast Asian freshwater habitats and is ...

The Orange Track racing snail, Vittina semiconica, is a freshwater nerite valued for algae grazing and its patterned orange shell. It is generally peaceful, plant-safe and suitable for established com...

The Orange Rock Snail is a trade name commonly used for orange-bodied Tylomelania, a group of freshwater snails associated with Sulawesi. Its dark, strongly ridged shell contrasts with the bright oran...

The orange red ramshorn snail is a freshwater planorbid recognized by its flat, coiled shell and brightly colored body. Planorbella duryi duryi is associated with freshwater habitats in the southeaste...

The Midnight Lady Snail is a dark, patterned nerite sold under the aquarium trade name Midnight Lady Schnecke. It is identified here as Vittina sp., because the exact species cannot be confirmed from ...

The ivory predatory snail, commonly sold as Clea helena, is a freshwater assassin snail from Southeast Asia. It has a strongly ribbed, ivory to yellow-brown shell and a mottled gray-brown body. This a...

The hedgehog snail, Brotia armata, is a large freshwater pachychilid recognized by its strongly ridged, spiny shell. It is a grazing and scavenging snail rather than a dedicated algae-control species,...

Melanoides tuberculata is a small, conical freshwater snail commonly known in aquaria as the Malaysian trumpet snail. It spends much of the day burrowing through substrate and becomes more active afte...

The green staghorn snail, Clithon corona, is a nerite snail valued for grazing algae and biofilm in freshwater aquariums. It is generally peaceful, plant-safe and unlikely to overpopulate in freshwate...

Geweihschnecke Tricolor is a trade name for a colourful horned nerite in the genus Clithon. Exact species identification is uncertain because several closely related Clithon species and colour forms a...

The Red Venom Geweihschnecke is a striking horned nerite sold for freshwater aquariums. Its dark shell, red-orange bands and small projections make it distinctive, although trade names and shell patte...

The Volcano Red Geweihschnecke is a small freshwater nerite-type snail sold under the scientific name Clithon sowerbianum. Its shell commonly shows red, orange, brown, and dark patterns, with horn-lik...