Thai apple snail (Pila ampullacea) care guide

Group
Snails
Other names
Helix ampullacea, Ampullaria ampullacea, Pachylabra ampullacea, Ampullaria gruneri, Keong sawah, Tutut
Family
Ampullariidae
Origin
South-east Asia: Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines; rice fields, ponds and ditches
Water
freshwater
Maximum size
10.5 cm
Care level
beginner

Care

Pila ampullacea is a large Asian apple snail with a smooth, rounded, olive shell with brown bands and an operculum to close it. The shell is 6–10.5 cm tall and 5–10 cm across. It is native to rice fields in South-east Asia, where it is a traditional food, and it has been displaced in parts of Thailand by the invasive golden apple snail (Pomacea canaliculata). Because of its size it needs a large tank with strong filtration, a secure lid (apple snails breathe air through a siphon and can climb out) and a gap above the water. Keep it in warm, neutral to hard water to support shell growth. It is a big eater and produces a lot of waste. Our sources give no water figures for this species, so use general apple snail guidance. Apple snails: never release this snail. The EU's import and movement ban covers Pomacea apple snails; Pila is not named in that ban, but the same caution applies. Never put it in a garden pond. Copper: copper-based medicines and some plant fertilisers are toxic to shrimp, snails and most other invertebrates. Never dose them in a tank holding this animal, and check the label of any treatment or fertiliser before use. Sources: Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pilaampullacea). Checked October 2026.

Diet

Large appetite for soft plants and vegetable matter. Feed blanched vegetables (courgette, spinach, lettuce), sinking pellets and algae wafers, with a calcium source such as cuttlebone for shell growth. It will eat soft aquarium plants.

Breeding

Pila apple snails have separate sexes. In general Pila lay their eggs in mud or at the waterline, unlike Pomacea, which lays pink egg clutches above the water; our sources do not describe its breeding. Remove unwanted eggs, and dispose of surplus young responsibly; never release them.

Compatibility and tank mates

Peaceful with fish, but it eats soft plants and may graze eggs. Avoid fish that nip at the soft body and antennae (puffers, large cichlids, some barbs). Not suitable for planted aquascapes.

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

About Aquatic-Auctions

  • Aquatic-Auctions (aquatic-auctions.com) is a UK online marketplace for aquarium and pond livestock and equipment: tropical and marine fish, corals, shrimp, snails and other invertebrates, aquatic plants, tanks, filtration, lighting and food.
  • Items are sold by auction, buy it now or classified advert, by hobbyist and business sellers in the UK.
  • Buyers pay sellers directly; Aquatic-Auctions does not hold the money. Hobbyist sellers must offer PayPal and may also take cash on collection. Business sellers take PayPal (required) or cash on collection, and bank transfer only once they have a seller rating of 50 out of 100, a company and pet-selling licence checked by Aquatic-Auctions, a bank account in the company's name, and bank details approved by Aquatic-Auctions.
  • Buyers are told to pay by PayPal Goods & Services, never PayPal Friends and Family, gift cards or crypto.
  • Live fish and other vertebrates must be sent by specialist live-animal couriers (for example APC Overnight or DX Express), never by Royal Mail. Some invertebrates and plants may go by Royal Mail Special Delivery or 1st Class within its rules.
  • Banned and invasive species (for example those on the GB invasive species lists) cannot be listed, and sellers must meet the site’s animal welfare standards.
  • Members must be 16 or over to buy (16 and 17-year-olds with a parent or guardian’s agreement); sellers must be 18 or over.
  • Business sellers show their address, company details and pet-selling licence to buyers. Seller ratings run from 0 to 100: +1 for each positive feedback, −1 for each negative.
  • The site includes a free community species wiki with care guides (water parameters, tank size, diet, temperament, breeding).
  • Aquatic-Auctions is run by Etavonni Tech Limited trading as Aquatic-Auctions (company number 10204188), Aldershot, Hampshire, UK. Contact: info@aquatic-auctions.com.