Mystery Snail

Geographical Origin and Habitat: Pomacea bridgesii is native to the Amazon River basin in South America, including Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, and Peru. It inhabits slow-moving rivers, swamps, ponds, and seasonal flooded grasslands rich in vegetation. It survives in low-oxygen waters using a respiratory siphon.

Taxonomy: Belonging to the family Ampullariidae (apple snails), this is a large freshwater snail growing to 4.5-6 cm in diameter. It features a globose shell with distinct whorls, a large muscular foot, and a tough operculum. It has a long breathing tube (siphon) that extends to the surface.

Social Behavior: Extremely peaceful, active, and curious. They are constantly moving around the tank, scaling glass and decorations. They do not bother fish or dwarf shrimp. They are famous for letting go of the glass and "parasailing" down to the bottom.

Coloration and Sexual Dimorphism: Available in many bright color morphs (golden, blue, ivory, purple, jade, magenta). Genders are separate (non-hermaphroditic), but sexing requires checking the presence of a sheath inside the mantle; they appear identical to the hobbyist.

Tank Setup: A tank of at least 30-40 liters per snail is recommended.

CRITICAL REQUIREMENT: Leave an air gap of 5-8 cm between the water surface and the lid. Females lay egg clutches above the water. The aquarium must have a tight, secure lid to prevent escapes.

Diet and Feeding: Voracious omnivorous scavengers. They eat leftover fish foods, sinking wafers, algae, detritus, and blanched vegetables (zucchini, carrots, spinach). Unlike some other apple snails, *P. bridgesii* will not eat healthy plants because their radula is too soft.

Water Quality: Requires moderately hard, alkaline water: temperature 20-28°C, pH 7.2-8.0, GH 8-20, and KH 5-12. Acidic water (pH below 7.0) dissolves their shell, causing erosion and pitting. Keep ammonia and nitrites at zero. Copper is highly lethal.

Compatibility and Tankmates: Safe with peaceful community fish (e.g. tetras, guppies, corydoras) and dwarf shrimp. Do not house with snail predators (puffers, loaches, Clea helena) or fish that nip at tentacles (like tiger barbs or aggressive bettas).

Aquarium Breeding: Easy if a male and female are present. The female crawls out of the water to lay a hard, pinkish-orange calcareous egg clutch. The clutch must remain humid but not wet; baby snails hatch and drop into the water after 2-4 weeks.

Risks and Diseases: Shell deterioration (pitting/thinning) due to calcium deficiency or acidic water. Climbing out of open tanks, leading to fall damage or dehydration. High sensitivity to copper-based treatments and medications.