Mystery Snail

A large, colourful, plant-safe snail that clears algae and leftover food. Shells erode in soft, acidic water, so keep them hard and alkaline and add a calcium source. They can breathe air at the surface.

• Minimum footprint: 5 gallons; a 10+ gallon tank gives real swimming room.
• Preferred swimming zone: bottom of the water column.
• Happy alone or as a compatible pair; avoid crowding with conspecifics.
• Care level: easy.

• Temperature: 68–80°F
• pH: 7–8
• Hardness: 8–20 dGH (Hard)

Stable parameters matter more than perfect ones — aim for consistency before chasing an exact number.

peaceful

invertebratealgae-grazerhard-shellhard-watersurface-breather

An omnivore — offer a staple flake or pellet plus regular frozen or live foods (daphnia, bloodworm, brine shrimp) and some vegetable matter for balance.

• Neon Tetra
• Guppy
• Bronze Corydoras
• Harlequin Rasbora
• Zebra Danio
• Platy

A further 1 species pair with Mystery Snail as conditional — workable with the right tank and precautions.

• Angelfish — Occasional chasing or fin nipping is possible.
• Electric Blue Acara — Occasional chasing or fin nipping is possible.

Standard tanks at or above the recommended 10 gallons:

• 10 gallon 20 × 10 × 12″
• 15 gallon 24 × 12 × 12″
• 20 gallon High 24 × 12 × 16″
• All tank sizes

• Start from a 5 gallon minimum and plan the full group size before you buy.
• Activity level is low, which affects how much of the tank it uses and how much it adds to the bioload.
• Zoning matters: this species lives mostly in the bottom zone, so choose tank mates that occupy other levels.

Compatibility depends on tank size, water chemistry, temperament, and adult size. Run a full check against any species in our database.

• FishBase(Scientific Database, accessed 2026-09-20)
• SeriouslyFish(Specialist Publication, accessed 2026-09-20)
• Aquarium Forge editorial guidelines(Editorial Interpretation, accessed 2026-09-22)

Data reviewed: September 2026 · Data version: 2026.11
Editorial note: Minimum tank recommendations may vary by source and husbandry approach. Our figures synthesise the sources above for planning purposes.