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Tylomelania sp.

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#1 · (Edited)
Family: Pachychilidae

Common Name: Rabbit Snail

Origin: The Rabbit snail comes from the island Sulawesi in Indonesia, the majority of species originating in mountain lakes including Lake Poso and the Malili lake system.

Compatibility/Temperament: Rabbit snails are large, slow moving snails which seem to leave other individuals alone. It will burrow into sand, climb walls, and over and around wood, decor, plants, and other items you may have in the aquarium. These snails have long antennae, which are very tempting for curious fish, such as bettas, to take a bite. Generally, it seems that most fish that are compatible with snails will leave the rabbit snail alone. Rabbit snails will occasionally munch on plants, though they will generally leave them alone if they've got enough nutrition from other sources.

Rabbit Snail Diet

The rabbit snail will eat some algae off the walls and decor in a tank, but this is not enough for them to live off of. They need to be supplemented with fresh vegetables and algae wafers.

Size

Rabbit snails can reach approximately 3 inches as an adult, and though some are born at less than half a centimeter long, some can be as large as 2 cm when first born.

Minimum Tank Suggestion

5 gallons for one, 10 gallons for a small group (4-6)

Ideal water parameters for Rabbit Snail

5-15 GH; 5-15 KH 74-82 degrees Farenheit (some species seem to be more active in warmer temperatures) pH of 7.2-8.6

Description

Tylomelania snails come in a variety of colors. From yellow bodied with a dark brown shell, to incredible stripes of color, this is a truly beautiful genus of snails. Their long snouts and antennae are always wiggling, and their funny faces even appear to be smiling at times.

The rabbit snail will sometimes climb the walls of a tank, and other times will simply scoot across the bottom with their powerful foot. Their large shells can be quite heavy, and sometimes they will fall, and possibly chip their shells.

They appreciate a sand substrate as they love to bury their snouts in the sand in search of food, an as mentioned earlier, tend to fall off the walls of the tank, and crack their shells on rougher substrate, such as gravel.


Rabbit snails reproduce sexually, though a female can retain genetic material from a male for quite a long time (six months or more at times), and continue to bear young. Rabbit snails lay a single egg approximately every three weeks. The "shell" of the egg is eaten away by the mother from the outside, and the baby from the inside. Once the shell is eaten away, the single baby snail emerges as a tiny, fully formed miniature of the adult snail. The baby can be around half a centimeter long, though some species are born as large as 2cm.

Sexing this snail is difficult, so if you intend to breed, a group of 4-6 individuals will help to ensure you have some of each gender.

Contributing Members

The following members have contributed to this profile: djembekah, Olympia
 
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