Gemmifera rabbit snail (Tylomelania gemmifera) care guide

Group
Snails
Other names
Melania gemmifera, Orange-spotted rabbit snail, Yellow-spotted rabbit snail, Sulawesi rabbit snail
Family
Pachychilidae
Origin
Endemic to Lake Matano, Malili lakes, Sulawesi, Indonesia
Water
freshwater
Maximum size
4.7 cm
Temperature
26–30°C
pH
7.2–8.2
Hardness
3–8 dGH, 3–6 dKH
Minimum tank
60 litres
Care level
intermediate

Care

Tylomelania gemmifera is one of the rabbit snails of the Sulawesi lakes, known only from Lake Matano. It has a tall, tapering shell up to about 4.7 cm high and an operculum. In the hobby it is sold as the gemmifera or spotted rabbit snail, usually with a dark body speckled with yellow to orange spots and a dark shell; colour varies between animals. Tank set-up: a mature tank of 60 litres or more with a soft sand substrate, rocks and leaf litter. Rabbit snails spend much of the day ploughing through sand and grazing rocks. Lake Matano water is very clear, warm (27–31 °C) and slightly alkaline (around pH 7.4), with a low mineral content, so a warm tank with soft to moderately hard, slightly alkaline water suits it; cool water shortens its life. It shares this water with the cardinal shrimp, Caridina dennerli. Water: about 26–30 °C, pH around 7.2–8.2, with stable conditions. Avoid soft acidic water, which damages the shell. Role: a slow, peaceful scavenger that eats detritus, biofilm, soft algae, leftover food and decaying leaves. It generally leaves healthy plants alone, though very hungry snails may nibble soft plants. Copper: copper-based medicines and some plant fertilisers are toxic to shrimp, snails and most invertebrates. Never dose them in a tank holding this animal, check the label of any treatment or fertiliser, and use a separate hospital tank for fish. Sources: Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tylomelaniagemmifera); Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caridinadennerli). Checked October 2026.

Diet

Detritus, biofilm, algae and leftover food. Offer sinking pellets, algae wafers, blanched vegetables, and dried leaves such as Indian almond or beech. Provide calcium (cuttlebone, calcium-rich foods) for shell growth.

Breeding

Sexes are separate. From general hobby knowledge, Tylomelania are live-bearing: the female produces one large egg at a time, and a single, well-developed baby snail emerges from a white capsule. Breeding in a warm, stable tank is steady but slow, and the snails never overrun a tank.

Compatibility and tank mates

Peaceful and safe with shrimp, small fish and most plants. Ideal with Sulawesi shrimp that need the same warm water. Avoid puffers, loaches and assassin snails.

Last updated 8 October 2026. Community-edited care guide on Aquatic-Auctions.

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