| Common Name(s) | Rabbit Snail, Elephant Snail |
| Scientific Name | Tylomelania |
| Origin | Sulawesi, Indonesia |
| Temperature | 76-84 degrees Fahrenheit |
| Size | 2 inches |
| Minimum Tank Size | 29 gallons |
| Food & Diet | Scavenger vegetarians. Need Calcium |
| Lifespan | 1-3 years |
| Water pH | 7.2-7.5 |
| Tank Mates | Mystery Snails, Gold Inca Snails, Ivory Snails, Nerite Snails, Ramshorn Snails, Japanese Trapdoor Snails, and Malaysian Trumpet Snails. the Amano, Ghost, Red Cherry, Wood, and Viper shrimp |
| Breeding | eggs |
| Common Disease | Shell erosion, white shell |
A Rabbit Snail, often known as an Elephant Snail, can be a wonderful addition to an existing community tank. Rabbit snails are quite calm. They are by no means combative, and they exhibit a keen interest in their environment. In addition to being active at night, rabbit snails are also active during the day.
These animals will liven up your tank with their lengthy shells and unique faces. They’re also quite easy to care for and will assist you in cleaning your aquarium!
Rabbit Snails are a freshwater invertebrate that is relatively new to the fish-keeping world. They initially appeared on the market around 2007. As a result, they are still extremely rare. Those that are fortunate enough to own them, on the other hand, usually have nothing but positive things to say about them.
These creatures originated in Sulawesi, Indonesia. The title “Rabbit Snail” technically refers to a larger genus of freshwater snails. There are various distinct species to choose from. However, the majority of their care requirements remain the same.
Rabbit Snail Care
Caring for Rabbit Snails are relatively simple. Rabbit Snail care, like that of other freshwater snails, begins with keeping them in a healthy, stable, and established aquarium.
Temperature
The optimum tank temperature for Rabbit Snails is 76 – 84 Degrees Fahrenheit.
Water pH
It is important that the aquarium pH is 7.2 – 7.5 to avoid shell erosion of your Rabbit Snail.
Rabbis Snail Size
Rabbit Snail size, like that of other freshwater snails, varies with age. All else being equal, the older the Rabbit Snail is, the longer it will be. The majority of Rabbit Snails sold in stores are roughly 2 inches long. Smaller snails are not inherently ill; they just indicate that the snail is younger.
Food and Diet
A Rabbit Snail is a good scavenger, a voracious feeder, and they appear to be particularly fond of soft algae growing on hard surfaces. Rabbit Snails appear to be interested in eating decaying plant stuff that has fallen to the tank’s bottom. Their nutrition, however, should not be restricted to the naturally occurring things in a tank. Food supplements, particularly those high in calcium, should be given to a Rabbit Snail. In the beginning, hobbyists can try bottom feeder pellets, algal wafers, and fish flakes. Blanched green leafy vegetables such as lettuce and spinach, as well as blanched green zucchini, can also be used as food sources.
Will they eat aquarium plants?
A well-fed Rabbit Snail should not be interested in devouring live aquarium plants in general. Java Ferns are thought to be an exception. Hobbyists frequently mention that Rabbit Snails enjoy eating Java Ferns. Aside from Java Ferns, keeping Rabbit Snails fed a balanced diet of green leafy supplements and surrounding them with plants like Anubias with strong, resilient leaves should keep them quite safe.
Rabbit Snail Lifespan
The typical Rabbit Snail’s lifespan in captivity has been estimated to be between 1 and 3 years.
The snails’ life expectancy, like that of any other species in your tank, might vary depending on their quality of life. In ideal conditions, some specimens have even survived longer than three years.
Tank Size
A Rabbit Snail should be kept in tanks that are large enough and have enough water volume to maintain its life. As a result, tanks of 29 gallons and above are a suitable place to start. Keep in mind that Rabbit Snails, like other live species in a tank, produce waste, so prevent overstocking. Tanks should have plenty of hiding and exploring areas.
Tank Setup
When it comes to their surroundings, Rabbit Snails aren’t particularly fussy. They can survive in a variety of environments. They do, however, prefer natural habitats that closely resemble their natural habitat.
The water where these snails can be found in Indonesia is incredibly lush. As a result, the substrate is frequently strewn with rotting vegetation. It is usually preferable to have something similar in your tank.
Begin at the bottom of the tank with fine sand substrate. These snails enjoy burrowing. They frequently bury their entire bodies, leaving only their heads protruding!
Burrowing will be a lot easier with sand. It’s better for the snails than anything like gravel.
We recommend growing a wide range of plants throughout your tank. You may use any plant you like (even some floating ones). Snails will eat any leaves that fall off. Generally, you don’t have to worry about snails eating living plants.
Rabbit Snail Breeding
When a Rabbit Snail reaches a specific size, it begins to reproduce (about 1.5 inches). This will take roughly a year, more or less, with proper care and typical circumstances.
Using a spermatophore, the male fertilizes the female. The female holds the fertilized egg inside its “sack” like a kangaroo.
A tiny, creamy-white egg sack is the only thing the breeding Rabbit Snail leaves behind. The egg sack resembles a pencil eraser in size. A fully developed baby rabbit snail that has just emerged from the egg sack is insatiably hungry. The young Rabbit Snail will start searching the aquarium for soft algae or other foods almost right away. The perfect appearance of a baby Rabbit Snail’s shell is one of the nicest things to notice about them. Just a well-formed whorl from apex to aperture; no pit marks or scratches.
Rabbit Snail Male or Female
The two genders of Rabbit Snails coexist despite being identical. To have a good probability of breeding, you’ll need at least three snails. To encourage breeding, you must also ensure that they are well-fed.
Rabbit Snail Eggs
Rabbit Snails produce a flawless gelatinous “egg” that resembles a pearl.
A general concern about owning snails is their rapid rate of reproduction. This isn’t the case with Rabbit Snails. They have one young at a time and reproduce slowly, at least in comparison to other snails.
Inside her sack, the female carries the fertilized egg. It takes between 4 to 6 weeks to complete. The mother then creates a flawlessly gelatinous “egg” that resembles a pearl. The baby will then emerge from the sack after a few hours.
Disease & Problems
Not Moving
A Rabbit Snail may be dead or dying if it is stationary on the tank bottom, laying upside down, or floating.
Shell Damage
Unfortunately, mishaps sometimes occur, and a Rabbit snail’s shell can occasionally become damaged.
If the shell of your snail is cracked, you can use quick dry nail polish to cover the damaged region. You can put the snail back in the tank once the polish is dry.
More severe breaks can be fixed, although the procedure is tedious and not always successful.
Shell Erosion
Low pH results in snail shell erosion. A snail’s shell is made up of 98% calcium carbonate, which dissolves at low pH levels. The pH at which this will begin to dissolve is complicated and depends on other environmental factors like temperature, however in an aquarium environment, this normally begins to happen at around 7.6 pH. The speed at which the shell dissolves depends on the pH level.
Shell Turning White
The shells of Rabbit Snails frequently turn white as a result of deteriorating health brought on by constant stress, abrupt temperature fluctuations, and acidic water. That also occurs in tanks with high copper or low calcium concentrations. Snails occasionally become white from a lack of direct sunshine.
Rabbit Snail Tank Mates
A Rabbit Snail should be kept with other non-aggressive tank mates because of its slow movement and quiet demeanor. The following snails get along well with them: Mystery Snails, Gold Inca Snails, Ivory Snails, Nerite Snails, Ramshorn Snails, Japanese Trapdoor Snails, and Malaysian Trumpet Snails. Additionally, they get along with freshwater shrimp such as the Amano, Ghost, Red Cherry, Wood, and Viper shrimp. Rabbit Snails make excellent tank mates for Cory and Otocinclus Catfish.
Numerous little fish from community tanks may also make acceptable candidates, provided they don’t tend to pick at the snails.
Avoid rough and tumble kinds such as Cichlids, Crayfish, Crabs, Goldfish, and loaches, as they can easily devour, harm, or kill the snails.
Where can I find Rabbit Snail for sale?
Rabbit Snails can be purchased from local pet stores, online aquarium stores, or marketplace buy and sell websites. Rabbit Snail costs between 5 USD and 13 USD.
Rabbit Snail Colors and Types
- Golden Rabbit Snail
- Blue Rabbit Snail
- Orange Rabbit Snail
- Yellow Rabbit Snail
- Chocolate Rabbit Snail
- White Spotted Rabbit Snail
- Volcano Rabbit Snail
- Black Rabbit Snail
- White Rabbit Snail
- Triangle Rabbit Snail
- Giant Rabbit Snail
- Green Rabbit Snail
These types differ mostly in appearance, among other factors. Their shells range in texture from delicate porcelain-like to severely sculpted.
Whatever type they are, their primary body will be bright orange or yellow, with a dark shell. The chocolate shell might be black, brown, or dark. It might also include some dots or texture for a more sophisticated appearance.
Rabbit Snail vs Assassin Snail
Assassin snails cannot attack giant rabbit snails because of their size, which defends them from them.
Even so, let’s state that it’s extremely unlikely rather than impossible. Assassin snails choose smaller prey as well.
Beware; if they’re starving, they won’t have any choice but to choose larger prey. So, don’t base your decisions on size.
They are more than capable of attacking young rabbit snails, though. In these circumstances, you must use caution. However, if you put rabbit snails and assassin snails in the same tank, they won’t breed.
Rabbit Snail vs Mystery Snail
Mystery Snail is a good tank mate for Rabbit Snail. Mystery Snail tends to be more of an escape artist than Rabbit Snail. Both are easy to care for and eat algae. Mystery Snails have a lifespan of about one year.