Mystery Snail care guide
Mystery Snail (Pomacea bridgesii) — minimum tank 40 L, temperature 18-28 °C, pH 7-8.5.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
The Mystery Snail (Pomacea bridgesii, also published as Pomacea diffusa) is a large freshwater apple snail from the Amazon basin. It is the plant-safe apple snail in trade and should not be confused with the invasive plant-eating Pomacea canaliculata. Captive colour morphs include gold, blue, ivory, black, magenta and jade.
Taxonomy
- Family: Ampullariidae
- Genus: Pomacea
- Scientific name: Pomacea bridgesii
- Common synonyms: Spike-Topped Apple Snail, Pomacea diffusa
Habitat
Native to slow-moving rivers, oxbow lakes and flooded forests of the Amazon basin. The species breathes atmospheric air through a siphon and can survive temporary drying by sealing the operculum.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 40 L (10.6 US gal)
- Adult size: 4-6 cm
- Temperature: 18-28 °C (64-82 °F)
- pH: 7-8.5
- GH: 8-18 °dGH
- KH: 4-12 °dKH
- Lifespan: 1-3 years
Diet
A scavenger that feeds on detritus, biofilm, soft algae, decaying vegetation and uneaten fish food. Supplement with sinking pellets, blanched vegetables and calcium sources (cuttlebone) to support the large shell.
Compatibility
Peaceful and plant-safe in the great majority of planted tanks. Suitable tankmates are calm community fish (tetras, rasboras, Corydoras) and dwarf shrimp. Avoid loaches, pufferfish, crayfish and the predatory Assassin Snail.
Breeding
Distinctive: females climb above the waterline and deposit a hard pink clutch of eggs on the cover glass. Allow a 5-7 cm air gap above the water. Clutches are easily removed if breeding is not desired.
Breeding the Blue Mystery Snail
Overview
The Blue Mystery snail is a color variant of Pomacea bridgesii, an apple snail (family Ampullariidae). It breeds readily in freshwater but has a distinctive above-water egg-laying strategy that the tank setup must accommodate.
Sexing
The species is gonochoristic, so a male and a female must both be present for reproduction. Apple snails possess both a gill and a lung, plus a tubular siphon to breathe air, which allows the female to leave the water to deposit her clutch.
Egg-laying & the Air Gap
Females deposit eggs above the water line, typically on the glass walls above the waterline, the lid, driftwood, or emergent vegetation. Apple snail egg clutches are calcareous and recognizable by their light pink color; laying them out of water protects them from aquatic predators. Because the clutch is laid out of water, an air gap above the surface and a covered tank are essential, since submerged eggs do not develop normally.
Eggs & Young
A single egg-laying event can produce as many as two hundred offspring, though not all eggs are necessarily fertilized. The eggs take 2-4 weeks to hatch. Hatchlings risk being eaten if they share the tank with fish. The species cannot tolerate conditions below about 10 °C (50 °F).
Ivory Snail Breeding Guide
Overview
The ivory snail is a white-to-cream color form of the spike-topped apple snail, Pomacea bridgesii, a South American freshwater snail of the family Ampullariidae. Its native range includes Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay and Peru. It is a tropical species and cannot tolerate conditions below 10 C (50 F).
Separate Sexes
Pomacea bridgesii is gonochoristic, meaning a male and a female must both be present for reproduction; it is not a hermaphrodite. Reliable visual sexing is difficult, so keeping a group improves the chance of having both sexes.
Eggs & Young
Unlike most aquarium snails, mystery snails lay their eggs above the water line. The female leaves the water and deposits an egg clutch above the surface, where the eggs need air to develop. A single egg-laying event can produce as many as two hundred offspring, although not all eggs are fertilized. The eggs take 2-4 weeks to hatch, after which the young drop into the water.
Common Challenges
Maintaining an air gap between the water surface and the cover lets the female lay clutches successfully; a tank filled to the brim leaves no laying site. Stable warm conditions are important, since the species does not survive temperatures below about 10 C.
Mystery Snail (Pomacea bridgesii) Breeding Guide
Overview
Pomacea bridgesii is an apple snail of the family Ampullariidae, distinct from the invasive Pomacea canaliculata. It is gonochoristic, meaning a male and a female must both be present for reproduction. The species was formerly confused with Pomacea diffusa.
Sexing
Because the sexes are separate, a breeding group must contain at least one male and one female. Reliable external sexing is difficult, so keepers commonly maintain a small group to ensure both sexes are present before clutches appear.
Breeding Setup
- Keep both a male and a female together, as fertilization cannot occur otherwise.
- Leave an air gap between the water surface and a secure lid so the female can crawl above the waterline.
- Provide stable parameters within the species range to support shell and egg-shell formation.
Egg-laying / Reproduction
Egg clutches are deposited above the water surface rather than underwater; in aquaria females attach them to glass walls, the lid, driftwood or emergent vegetation. A single egg-laying event can yield as many as two hundred offspring, and the eggs take two to four weeks to hatch. Not all eggs are always fertilized, so hatch rates can vary.
Juvenile Care
When the clutch hatches, the juveniles drop into the water and begin grazing on detritus and biofilm. Hatchlings risk being eaten if they share an aquarium with fish, so a separate rearing space improves survival.