Wandering Snail care guide
Wandering Snail (Radix balthica) — minimum tank 10 L, temperature 4-26 °C, pH 6.5-8.5.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Wandering Snail (Radix balthica) is a pond snail of the family Lymnaeidae, listed in the Aquairi knowledge base as a beginner-level species. Smaller European pond snail with rounded apex. Frequent hitchhiker on plants from temperate zones. Detritus and algae eater.
Taxonomy
- Family: Lymnaeidae
- Genus: Radix
- Scientific name: Radix balthica
- Common synonyms: Peregra, Marsh Snail
Habitat
Pond snails (family Lymnaeidae) are air-breathing freshwater pulmonates with a conical, dextrally coiled shell, common in still and slow waters of the temperate Northern Hemisphere. They are hardy generalist grazers of algae and detritus. In the Aquairi knowledge base this species is recorded from Europe.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 10 L (2.6 US gal)
- Adult size: 1-2 cm
- Temperature: 4-26 °C (39-79 °F)
- pH: 6.5-8.5
- GH: 4-20 °dGH
- KH: 2-14 °dKH
- Lifespan: 1-1 years
Diet
The species is a detritivore, grazing algae, biofilm and decaying matter from surfaces and substrate; in aquaria its diet is supplemented with algae wafers and blanched vegetables when natural growth is scarce.
Compatibility
The Aquairi knowledge base lists this species as peaceful. Suitable tank mates include Coldwater fish. It should be kept away from Pufferfish, Loaches.
Breeding
Reproduction is egg-laying, and aquarium breeding is rated easy.
Wandering Snail (Radix balthica) Breeding Guide
Overview
Radix balthica, the wandering snail, is a smaller European pond snail of the family Lymnaeidae, also known under the older name Lymnaea peregra. It is found across Eurasia and is a frequent hitchhiker on plants from temperate zones, feeding on detritus and algae.
Sexing
Like all Lymnaeidae the species is hermaphroditic, with separate genital openings, and can perform both self-fertilization and cross-fertilization with a general preference for outcrossing. During mating an individual takes the male role and overlaps onto another, and several snails may overlap so that some act as both male and female at once.
Egg-laying / Reproduction
Eggs are laid in gelatinous cords attached underwater to hard substrates such as rocks, wood and aquatic plants. Because the species is self-compatible, a single individual can reproduce, and populations show wide variation in selfing tendency.
Juvenile Care
The offspring develop within yolk-rich eggs and hatch directly as miniature versions of the parents; there is no free-swimming larval stage. Juveniles graze immediately on detritus and algae, so no special rearing setup is required.