Ramshorn snail (Planorbella duryi) care guide

Group

Snails

Other names

Helisoma duryi, Seminole ramshorn, Red ramshorn snail, Blue ramshorn snail, Pink ramshorn snail, Leopard ramshorn snail

Family

Planorbidae

Origin

Native to Florida, USA; introduced in Hawaii, Nigeria, central Europe and in Britain and Ireland in heated waters

Water

freshwater

Temperature

18–28°C

pH

7–8.2

Hardness

8–15 dGH, 4–8 dKH

Minimum tank

10 litres

Care level

beginner

Care

Planorbella duryi, the Seminole ramshorn, is the ramshorn snail most often sold in aquarium shops. It has a flat, coiled shell, typically about 2–3 cm across in the hobby. Wild snails are brown, but breeders have produced red, orange, pink, blue, green, purple and leopard-spotted forms; red forms show the red blood through a pale shell. It was formerly called Helisoma duryi. Tank set-up: easy and undemanding in almost any freshwater tank, including small ones, as long as the water is not soft and acidic. It lives in most freshwater habitats in Florida, from streams to ponds. In Britain and Ireland it has only established in heated waters, so it is a warm-water snail. Water: about 18–28 °C, neutral to alkaline water with enough hardness for shell growth. Role: a good clean-up snail that eats dead and decaying plants, leftover fish food, dead fish and algae. It is useful in shrimp tanks and planted tanks, and generally leaves healthy plants alone. Because it breeds quickly, numbers reflect how much food is going in: a sudden boom usually means overfeeding. 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/Planorbelladuryi). Checked October 2026.

Diet

Algae, biofilm, decaying plants, dead animals and leftover food. Supplement with sinking pellets, algae wafers and blanched vegetables if needed. Add calcium (cuttlebone, hard water) for shell health.

Breeding

Hermaphrodite: every snail can lay eggs, and any two can mate, though a single snail can also self-fertilise. Eggs are laid in flat, clear jelly masses on glass, plants and decor, and hatch in about three weeks into tiny snails. Breeding is very easy and fast; control numbers by feeding less and removing egg masses.

Compatibility and tank mates

Peaceful; safe with fish, shrimp and healthy plants. Eaten by puffers, loaches, assassin snails, some cichlids and gouramis, which can be used to control numbers.

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