Species description

Care, breeding and tankmates

Invertebrate profile

Diet

Biofilm grazer

They are apex aquatic herbivores with a relentless appetite for virtually all living plant matter. They will completely decimate a planted aquarium in a matter of days, eating everything from delicate stems to tough anubias. Their diet must be heavily subsidized with huge amounts of lettuce, carrots, and dense sinking pellets.

Ecological role

Scavenger

In their native habitat, they rapidly clear choked waterways of dense vegetation. In an aquarium setting, their massive food intake translates into an equally massive bioload. They require aggressive, oversized filtration and frequent water changes to prevent the water quality from rapidly deteriorating.

Shock sensitivity

High

This species is extraordinarily hardy and highly adaptable to poor conditions in the wild, even surviving in polluted or low-oxygen waters. In the aquarium, they rarely suffer from shock unless subjected to extreme, instant temperature changes. Despite their hardiness, maintaining stable, clean water ensures their best health and lifespan.

Calcium and minerals

High

Generating and supporting their massive, golf-ball-sized (or larger) shells requires extraordinary amounts of calcium. The aquarium water must be maintained at a high pH and GH to prevent the shell from eroding under its own weight. Copious dietary calcium via specialized foods and cuttlebone is absolutely essential.

Molting

Shell growth

As gastropods, they do not molt; they continuously expand their shell outward from the opening. Healthy, rapid growth often results in distinct, thick ridges or channels along the shell whorls. Poor water quality or low calcium will immediately cause the new shell growth to become thin, brittle, and deformed.

Reproduction

Variable

They reproduce prolifically when a male and female are present. The female will crawl far above the water to lay massive, bright pink, highly visible egg masses that look like raspberries. To control their population, aquarists must simply remove and crush or freeze these easily identifiable egg clutches before they hatch.

Compatibility & tankmates

Peaceful

Despite their destructive tendencies towards plants, they are peaceful towards fish and other invertebrates. They can be safely housed with medium to large peaceful fish like goldfish or larger tetras. They are highly incompatible with planted tanks and aggressive snail-eating fish like large cichlids or pufferfish.