05/02/2023
Following up on my post about usually free hitchhikers, we turn to the ramshorn snail. It's name is derived from the upright spiral shell resembling a rams horn. These snails are great tank cleaners and entertaining to watch, much like bladder snails, but a bit more on the hobbiest side. While tons of people still dismiss these aquatic hoovers as pests, they actually come in a variety of colors and shell patterns. Often called morphs, some of these outcomes are highly desirable, especially pink skin, blue shells, or the rarest morph: the ivory ramshorn, being all white. While some of these snails grow up to an inch in shell diameter, most stay around three quarters of an inch. Reproduction is still fueled by overfeeding like the bladder snail counterpart, but easily remedied by direct feeding and removing unconsumed food remains. With a low bioload you can sustain hundreds without crashing your tank, and extras can be fed to larger predatory fish. They are also commonly seen "parasnailing" or seemingly gliding across the water collumn magically. In my opinion, Ramshorns belong in every freshwater tank, especially in planted tanks to add a little character.
