Will Spixi Snails eat my live aquarium plants?

Generally, no. Spixi Snails are not avid plant eaters and will typically only consume decaying, dead, or dying leaves. Healthy plants are usually ignored in favour of algae, biofilm, and commercial foods.

Do they really eat Hydra?

Yes, Spixi Snails have a unique reputation in the hobby for consuming Hydra, a stinging polyp that can be problematic in shrimp tanks. While they might not eradicate a severe infestation overnight, they certainly help keep populations in check.

Why is my Spixi Snail's shell turning white and pitting?

Shell erosion is caused by water that is too soft or acidic. To stop the degradation, ensure your pH is above 7.2 and your GH is at least 8. Adding cuttlebone or calcium-rich invertebrate food will help strengthen new shell growth, though old damage will not heal.

How quickly do Spixi Snails reproduce?

They reproduce much more slowly than 'pest' snails like Ramshorns or Bladder snails. Because they require a male and female to mate, and lay relatively small clutches of eggs, their population is easy to manage in a home aquarium.

Can I keep them with other snails?

While they will coexist peacefully with most adult snails, Spixi Snails are known to occasionally predate on the egg masses and very small hatchlings of other snail species.

FreshwaterTropicalBeginner

Spixi Snail

Asolene spixi

The Spixi Snail is a peaceful, attractively striped aquatic snail known for its unique underwater egg-laying and useful scavenging abilities.

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Ideal Conditions

Temperature: 21 – 28 °C
pH range: 7.2 – 8
Hardness: 8 – 15 dGH
Adult size: 2.5 – 4 cm
Nano tank: 20 litres+
Lifespan: 2 – 3 years
Diet: Omnivore
Water flow: low to moderate
Preferred setup: Sand or fine gravel with aquatic plants, leaf litter, and hiding places.

About the Spixi Snail

The Spixi Snail (Asolene spixi), often referred to as the Zebra Apple Snail, is a beautiful and highly functional addition to the freshwater aquarium. Belonging to the Ampullariidae family, it shares ancestry with the larger and often destructive Mystery Snails, but differs significantly in both size and behaviour. Growing to a modest 4 centimetres, its shell features a striking contrast of dark brown or black spiral stripes over a yellow-to-white base. Unlike many apple snails that leave the water to deposit calcified egg clutches, the Spixi Snail lays gelatinous egg masses entirely submerged on aquatic plants or hardscape. They are excellent scavengers that spend their time patrolling the substrate and glass for uneaten food, decaying plant matter, and algae.

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Is it right for your tank?

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Where Spixi Snail comes from

Native range

South America, Paraná River basin

Countries / regions

Brazil

Habitat

Slow-moving rivers, ponds, and wetlands with abundant vegetation and sandy or muddy substrates.

Predominantly found in the southeastern and southern states of Brazil.

Similar species

Mystery Snail
Pomacea bridgesii
Rabbit Snail
Tylomelania spp.
Colombian Ramshorn Snail
Marisa cornuarietis

We’re adding more full species guides as the catalogue grows.

Compatible tank mates

Reviewed guidance based on this species' recorded traits.

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Cherry Shrimp
Neocaridina davidi
Peaceful invertebrates that will comfortably share the same parameters without competing for resources.
Great
Corydoras
Corydoras spp.
Gentle bottom-dwelling fish that completely ignore snails, making excellent community companions.
Great
Other Small Snails
Spixi Snails are known to occasionally eat the eggs or very small juveniles of other snail species, such as Ramshorn or Bladder snails.
Compatible with caution
Clown Loach
Chromobotia macracanthus
Loaches are specialised snail-eaters and will rapidly predate on Spixi Snails regardless of their shell size.
Not recommended
Dwarf Pufferfish
Carinotetraodon travancoricus
Pufferfish actively hunt snails and will nip at the exposed antennae and flesh of the Spixi Snail, eventually killing it.
Not recommended

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