Mystery snails, also known as apple snails, are a popular type of freshwater snail kept by aquarists. Their attractive shells and peaceful temperament make them a great addition to many tanks. But with their growing popularity comes questions about how many can safely be kept together in different sized aquariums. So how many mystery snails can live happily in a standard 10-gallon tank?
Quick Answer
The general rule of thumb is 2-3 mystery snails per 10 gallons of water. This stocking density provides enough space for them to thrive while leaving room for tank maintenance. However, the actual number that can be housed depends on additional factors like tank mates, filtration, and more.
How Much Space Do Mystery Snails Need?
Mystery snails are relatively inactive and slow-moving creatures that only grow to about 2 inches in size. They spend much of their time gliding along hard surfaces grazing on algae. They do not need a lot of swimming space. Here are some general guidelines for how much room they need:
- Snails under 1 inch shell diameter – Need around 2 gallons each
- 1-2 inch adult snails – Require 5 gallons each
So in a 10-gallon tank, 2-3 average sized adults could comfortably live together with adequate space to move around. However, limiting factors like tank mates and aquascape options should also be considered.
Aquascape Considerations
Mystery snails enjoy crawling over smooth surfaces and grazing on algae and biofilm. Having enough hard decor and plants for them to explore and feed on is key. A 10-gallon tank heavily packed with decor and substrate may only have room for 1-2 snails before they are competing for food and movement space. Plus, they produce a significant amount of waste, so an overload could quickly pollute the water.
Leave plenty of open areas on the glass, rocks, driftwood, and plant leaves for your snails to graze. A good rule is to cover less than 50% of a 10-gallon’s footprint with decor and substrate to leave room for snails to navigate.
Water Parameters
Mystery snails are sensitive to poor water quality and fluctuations in parameters like pH, hardness, and nitrates. Even with only a few snails, these levels can easily become problematic in a small tank without enough water changes. Test kits are essential to monitor conditions.
Target ranges for mystery snails:
- pH: 7.6-8.4
- Temperature: 68-84°F
- Hardness: 125-250 ppm
- Nitrites: 0 ppm
- Nitrates: <20 ppm
A 10-gallon may only handle 2 adult snails before their bioload causes spikes in nitrates and other pollutants between weekly water changes. Adding more means even more frequent maintenance to maintain safe parameters.
Tank Mates
What other fish or invertebrates are housed in the aquarium also determines how many mystery snails it can support. Tank mates have their own space and resource needs that place additional limits on the ecosystem.
Peaceful Community Fish
Most small peaceful community fish pose no threat to mystery snails and do not compete for food. Some good tank mate options include:
- Tetras
- Rasboras
- Danios
- Hatchetfish
- Guppies
- Endler’s livebearers
- Corydoras catfish
A 10-gallon tank could house around 1 mystery snail along with a small school of nano fish like ember tetras. The bioload of the fish must be accounted for to prevent overstocking.
Shrimp
Many shrimp species do well with mystery snails, such as:
- Red cherry shrimp
- Ghost shrimp
- Amano shrimp
- Bamboo shrimp
However, the snails may munch on delicate plants the shrimp rely on for food and shelter. Providing leafy greens can prevent this. A 10-gallon could house a mystery snail along with 5-10 small shrimp.
Other Snails
Mystery snails are peaceful and get along with most other freshwater snail species. Some compatible options include:
- Ramshorn snails
- Nerite snails
- Malaysian trumpet snails
- Japanese trapdoor snails
Avoid housing mystery snails with aggressive or carnivorous snails that may attack them like assassin snails or cone snails. Also beware of potential cross-breeding if you mix apple snails and ramshorns.
2-3 different snail species could co-exist peacefully in a 10-gallon tank together.
Crayfish and Puffers
Avoid housing mystery snails with any fish or invertebrate that may view them as food. This includes most puffer fish and crayfish. These aggressive tank mates should never be paired with mystery snails and drastically limit how many can safely be added to a tank.
Filtration
Proper filtration is essential in a 10-gallon housing multiple mystery snails. Their large bioload produces lots of ammonia, nitrates, and waste that must be removed to prevent dangerous parameter spikes.
Canister filters and hang-on-back filters rated for at least twice the tank’s volume are ideal. Aim for a filter with a flow rate of around 80-100 gallons per hour for efficient water turnover. Adding supplemental air stones can also help gas exchange.
Maintain the filter regularly by rinsing media in tank water to remove gunk and prevent flow reduction. Adding activated carbon or ammonia absorbing resins can help remove nitrate build-up between water changes.
Feeding
While mystery snails graze on algae and biofilms naturally, supplementary feeding is important to provide proper nutrients. Blanched vegetables like zucchini, spinach, and kale make excellent additions 1-2 times per week. Calcium-rich foods are also critical for shell health.
Supplement their diet with:
- Unsweetened calcium-fortified algae wafers
- Blasting calcium supplements over their food
- Cuttlebone
- Liquid calcium additive
Only feed as much as your snails will consume in a few hours to avoid dirtying the water. Remove any uneaten bits promptly. Overfeeding risks spikes in ammonia and nitrates that can be dangerous in a 10-gallon.
Water Changes
Frequent water changes are a must to control waste in a small tank with a high snail bioload. Aim to change out 25-50% of the water 1-2 times per week. Use a gravel vacuum to remove debris from the substrate with each change.
Test parameters frequently between changes to ensure ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates remain at safe levels below 20 ppm. PH and hardness should also be monitored and stabilized as mystery snails are very sensitive to fluctuations.
At each water change, use a snail-safe dechlorinator and temperature match the new water to the tank to prevent shocks. Small daily top offs may also be needed to replace evaporated water and maintain stable parameters.
Breeding Mystery Snails
If you plan to breed mystery snails, the number that can be housed in a 10-gallon will need to be significantly reduced. Each clutch can contain 100-200 eggs, so reproduction must be carefully managed.
Start with just 1 male and 1 female to monitor breeding frequency. Remove egg clutches promptly to prevent uncontrolled population explosions. Limit tank decor to leave room for growing babies that hatch 3-4 weeks after laying.
Have a plan in place to rehome excess offspring that outgrow the tank’s capacity. Upgrading to a larger tank may eventually be needed to sustainably breed mystery snails and maintain a balanced ecosystem.
Signs of Overcrowding
Even with the best care, trying to push the limits on mystery snail stocking often ends in disaster. Watch for these signs of overcrowding and instability:
- Rapid algae/plant consumption
- Fights over food
- Stacking or piling on top of each other
- Water quality deterioration
- Increased mortality
- Lethargy and loss of appetite
Immediately reduce snail numbers or upgrade tanks if you notice these warning signs before losses occur.
Conclusion
When stocking mystery snails in a 10-gallon tank, the general recommendation is 2-3 snails as long as filtration, maintenance, and diet needs are met. Limiting factors like tank mates, decor, and breeding must be factored in as well when determining capacity.
Providing adequate space, food, water quality, and supplemental calcium are key to keeping mystery snails healthy in this size tank. With the proper setup, these interesting invertebrates can thrive and make a fun addition to a nano aquarium.
