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Rabbit Snails (Tylomelania) are a popular addition to many fish tanks, and also in snail only aquariums. This colourful snail is peaceful but active, and breeds at a relatively slow rate compared to some freshwater snails. And as an easy-care snail, the Rabbit Snail has many endearing qualities.
The Rabbit Snail is also distinctive in looks and fun to watch. There are different colour varieties of Rabbit Snail to choose from. But the ‘orange’ variety is probably the one you’ll see most often in Pet Stores and Aquatic Dealers depending on where you live.
But no matter which colour variation you choose their care needs are the same.
Originating from Sulawesi in Indonesia these snails get their name from their floppy antennae which makes them look rabbit-like.
Fully gown at around 3-5 inches (7.62-12.7 cm) with 3-4 inches (7.62-10.16 cm) being the average size. Which means that Rabbit Snails are not a small aquarium snail. But they’re not giants either. Although you will need to take their size into account if you only have a small aquarium.
Rabbit Snails can live to approximately 3 years old in a well maintained aquarium. Although 1-2 years is about the average lifespan.
And unlike a lot of freshwater aquarium snails, which are omnivorous and eat both vegetable and meat protein, Rabbit Snails are herbivores. So they prefer to eat vegetable/plant type matter.
You now have a brief overview of the Rabbit Snail.
But what about the more in-depth questions that you’re bound to ask if you’re thinking about, or are already keeping, Rabbit Snails in your aquarium?
Below is a list of frequently asked questions about Rabbit Snails.
Just click on the links to take you straight to the answers. Or read as you scroll through the post to get the bigger picture.
- What Do Rabbit Snails Eat?
- What Kind Of Tank Water Do Rabbit Snails Prefer?
- What Type Of Substrate Is Best For Rabbit Snails?
- Do Rabbit Snails Need A Planted Tank?
- Do Rabbit Snails Need A Light?
- Do Rabbit Snails Need A Heater?
- Which Fish Make Good Tankmates For Rabbit Snails?
- Is My Rabbit Snail Male Or Female?
- How Do Rabbit Snails Breed?
Let’s get started on your in-depth care guide to keeping Rabbit Snails
Tip: Rabbit Snails are also known as Elephant Snails because of their long wrinkly faces. Their downward pointing mouth resembles an elephant’s trunk. So it’s easy to see where this nickname came from.
1. What Do Rabbit Snails Eat?
A lot of aquarium snails are omnivores that eat both meaty protein and vegetation. However, the Rabbit Snail is a herbivore. So it’s diet consists of plant based foods.
Rabbit snails do well just eating the algae that grows naturally in your aquarium. They’ll also eat the biofilm that builds up on the tank glass and tank decorations too. But whether this alone will be enough for them will depend on how much algae and biofilm your tank produces on a regular basis. If there’s not enough to sustain your Rabbit Snail population you will need to top up the food supply.
Here’s some of the foods that you can offer to your Rabbit Snails
- Algae Wafers
- Sinking Pellets
- Courgette (Zucchini)
- Broccoli
- Green Leafy Vegetables (e.g. Kale, Lettuce, Savoy Cabbage, Spinach)
Rabbit Snails will also clean up decaying plant leaves from the bottom of the tank. And despite being considered primarily herbivorous they will also eat left over fish flakes, even if the flakes contain meaty protein amongst the ingredients. Basically, the Rabbit Snail is a scavenger and will eat what’s available at the time.
Note: Although Rabbit Snails are great at clearing up leftovers it’s still important not to overfeed the tank. Decaying leftovers will pollute the water making the tank an unhealthy environment.
Tip: When feeding vegetables to your Rabbit Snails it’s best to soften them first by simmering/microwaving. Leave the vegetables to go cold before adding them to the tank.
Remember to remove any uneaten vegetables after a few hours to help keep the tank water clean.
Using a glass/acrylic aquarium feeding bowl is a great help in stopping the majority of food going all over the tank. While it won’t stop all of the food escaping it will help to keep most of it in place. Which helps to make clearing away the leftover food a lot easier.
It also creates a good focal point for watching your Rabbit Snails feed.
Will Rabbit Snails Eat My Aquarium Plants?
Even though Rabbit Snails are herbivores and love to eat ‘greenery’ they’re not known as aquarium plant eaters. They will eat decaying leaves but generally leave healthy plants and new growth alone.
The only exception to this that I’ve come across is the Java Fern. I’ve read several comments from people that have found their Rabbit Snails snacking on the leaves.
Although I have a Rabbit Snail I don’t have any Java Fern in any of my aquariums. So I can’t speak from personal experience about Rabbit Snails and Java Fern. But like a lot of things in the aquarium hobby each person’s experience can vary.
If you do find that your Rabbit Snails are eating your Java Fern it’s a good idea to swap it for a different type of plant. You could go for a coarser, less juicy plant, to discourage the snails from eating it.
But, in general, your aquarium plants should be safe from being eaten by your Rabbit Snails.
2. What Kind Of Tank Water Do Rabbit Snails Prefer?
Harder water is better for Rabbit Snails because it contains a higher level of calcium. Calcium is important for keeping a snail’s shell strong and durable. However, Rabbit Snails can tolerate, and thrive in, different types of water in the home aquarium as long as there is plenty of calcium in their diet.
If you live in a soft water area there are ways to increase the water hardness.
Here’s a few things often used to increase aquarium water hardness
- Crushed Coral
- Cuttlebones
- Limestones
- Liquid Aquatic Water Hardening Additives
Note: If your Rabbit Snails are sharing a tank you need to take the water quality needs of their tankmates into account too. It’s another case of finding a happy medium.
Luckily the tap water where I live is on the harder side of the scale. And my Rabbit Snail is doing well. He’s active, feeds well and is growing. I have to admit that I’ve grown extremely fond of my Rabbit Snail. And because he is thriving I’ll soon be buying more Rabbit Snails to join him in the tank. I’m also hoping that they will breed.
As with all aquatic life good quality water is important. And keeping the water parameters stable is important too. This is where regular tank maintenance comes in.
Weekly partial water changes and monthly tank maintenance are the best ways to keep the tank water healthy. And not overfeeding, or overstocking your tank, is a great help with water quality too.
Tip: It’s important to use a tap water conditioner on tank setup and for all subsequent water changes. Use an aquarium water treatment product that neutralizes chlorine, chloramines and other substances found in tap water that can be harmful to aquatic life.
Two popular aquarium water treatments are Prime by Seachem and API Tap Water Conditioner (links will take you to Amazon).
What Flow/Current Do Rabbit Snails Like?
As far as I’m aware Rabbit Snails are not particularly fussy about the speed of the flow/current in an aquarium. I’ve certainly not come across any information about a preference so far.
I suppose this makes sense because in any native habitat the flow/current isn’t going to be consistent. Which means the inhabitants of any native habitat have to adapt to regular changes in current to survive.
Because Rabbit Snails are not fussy about flow it’s not something that you need to worry about too much if you’re adding them to an existing aquarium setup (unless it’s a really fierce flow maybe?). If you’re setting up a Rabbit Snail only tank you could always go for a moderate flow/current to be on the safe side.
My Rabbit Snail is in a community tank where the filter flow is a moderate waterfall effect. And he’s doing well so far. I’m going to monitor his progress and if he continues to do well I will get him some companions.
3. What Kind Of Substrate Is Best For Rabbit Snails?
Although the Rabbit Snail is adaptable it does better on finer substrates. Coarse or rough substrates are more likely to cause damage to the snail. The reason for this is that Rabbit Snails like to burrow. So fine gravel or sand are best, with sand in particular being the ideal.
There are different grades of sand and some are finer than others. Very fine sand can be sucked up into, and block, the filter intake. It is also more likely to be sucked out by your gravel vacuum when you carry out your tank maintenance. So a slightly more coarse sand is definitely an option.
Smooth surfaces in general are good for the Rabbit Snail. So when you’re choosing tank decorations it’s worth bearing this in mind. The smoother the surface the easier it will be for your Rabbit Snails to move around the tank. They’ll also be able to move faster too!
I added my Rabbit Snail to an established tank with other snails and Platy fish. Fortunately, the gravel in the tank is a fine one. It did take my Rabbit Snail about 10 minutes or so to move around without getting bits of gravel stuck to his foot. But he soon figured it out and started exploring his new home. Which is impressive after being born and reared in a bare-bottom tank at the Aquarium Dealer’s store.
Tip: When keeping Rabbit Snails it’s a good idea to have a fairly deep level of substrate so they have enough depth to burrow into.
Tank Layout For Rabbit Snails
Taking into account that smooth surfaces are better for Rabbit Snails here’s a few ideas for what you can include in your Rabbit Snail tank.
- Sand /Fine Gravel Substrate (less chance of injury)
- Smooth Pebbles (help the snail to move around the tank)
- Smooth/Tall Tank Decorations (Rabbit Snails love to climb)
- Caves/Secluded Areas (for hiding and resting in)
- Leaf Debris (e.g. Catappa Leaves create hiding places and a source of food)
The main point is to avoid sharp/rough edges on things that might cause injury. I have noticed that my Rabbit Snail is a little clumsy. So I can see why shell damage is common. Although minor shell damage naturally repairs itself over time serious injury can be fatal.
Keeping everything in the tank smooth and Rabbit Snail friendly will help to prevent losses due to injury.
4. Do Rabbit Snails Need A Planted Tank?
There are several reasons why Rabbit Snails benefit from having a live planted tank.
- Live plants provide sheltered areas and hiding places
- Floating plants can be used to soften the light and create shady areas
- Fallen/decaying leaves provide a source of food
- Live plants help to filter/clean the tank water
- A planted tank looks good and gives the snails areas to explore
As I mentioned earlier Rabbit Snails have a reputation for eating Java Fern so it’s not a good choice for your snail aquarium. Another tip when it comes to choosing plants is to buy robust varieties such as Anubias.
Rabbit Snails will climb on anything in the aquarium in their search for food so the plants need to be strong ones. More delicate plants are likely to bend, snap off, and become damaged. Put simply they may not survive for long in a Rabbit Snail tank.
Can You Use Artificial/Fake Plants In A Rabbit Snail Tank?
If you don’t want to keep live plants in your Rabbit Snail aquarium it’s perfectly fine to use artificial/fake ones instead. You won’t get the filtering benefit of live plants, or the decaying leaves as a food source, but artificial/fake plants do have their benefits.
Artificial/fake plants still provide places to explore and shelter in. They can also create areas of shade in a tank that has brighter lighting. And fake plants can look realistic depending on which ones you buy. They can make your Rabbit Snail tank look good too.
Whether to go for live or artificial/fake plants is a matter of personal choice. So I’ll leave the final decision up to you. There’s plenty of choice, like these ones here available on Amazon.
Tip: If you’re using artificial/fake plants in your Rabbit Snail tank choose sturdy ones with smooth edges to avoid potential damage to your snails.
5. Do Rabbit Snails Need A Light?
Although Rabbit Snails prefer subdued lighting it’s still beneficial to have a light in their tank. Regular changes in light levels help to replicate the natural cycle of day and night. An aquarium light is also important for the healthy growth of live plants and also the lighting needs of their tankmates. Plus, a light makes your tank look better too.
All these things need to be taken into account when it comes to lighting the tank that your Rabbit Snails live in. It can be a a bit of a balancing act to get the light right for everyone in the tank but it’s worth a little effort.
If your plants and other tank inhabitants need a brighter light than your Rabbit Snails do, you can create shaded areas. Use plants (live or fake), caves and/or leaf litter, to create secluded places.
So as long as your tank light isn’t glaringly bright you should be able to keep everyone happy.
6. Do Rabbit Snails Need A Heater?
Rabbit Snails prefer warmer temperatures with a general range of 20-28 Degrees Celsius (68-82.4 Degrees Fahrenheit). But they also do well in slightly cooler tanks. The ambient temperature of the room their tank is in will help you to decide whether or not to heat the tank. There are other factors too when it comes to adding a heater to a Rabbit Snail tank.
Here’s a few reasons why you might need to add a heater to your Rabbit Snail tank
- Your Climate – If you live in a cold climate, and your heating is off for most of the day due to work and other commitments, you may have to use a heater in your Rabbit Snail tank.
- Tank Housing – If you house your Rabbit Snail tank in an outhouse, shed, or other unheated building, you might have to install a tank heater for use during the colder months of the year.
- Tank Mates – If your Rabbit Snails live in a community tank with other types of snails, fish and/or shrimp you need to take their tankmates needs into account to. Finding a temperature range that suits all will keep everyone happy and healthy. And heating the tank can help you to do this.
- Plants – Depending on which live plants you have in the tank, you may need a heater to keep the temperature right for them to flourish.
My Rabbit Snail lives in an unheated, indoor temperate tank. My home heating is running for most of the day. So the ambient temperature of the room keeps the tank at a minimum of 18 Degrees Celsius (64.4 Degrees Fahrenheit) in the daytime, even during the winter months. It does drop a little at night. During the warmer months the tank temperature is considerably higher.
This goes to show that Rabbit Snails are adaptable. But nonetheless, they won’t do well if the water temperature is too cold. So it’s worth keeping an eye on the tank temperature and adding a heater if things get too chilly.
Tip: Rabbit Snails love to climb up the glass sides of the tank. To stop them from escaping you need to have a tight fitting lid on their aquarium. It’s the easiest way to avoid unnecessary losses.
7. Who Makes A Good Tankmate For Rabbit Snails?
Because the Rabbit Snail can be vulnerable to attack their tankmates need to be from peaceful and community minded species.
Here’s a few ideas for suitable Rabbit Snail tankmates
Snails
- Nerite Snails (all kinds)
- Malaysian Trumpet Snails
- Mystery Snails
- Ramshorn Snails (incredibly fast breeders!)
Shrimp
- Amano Shrimp
- Cherry Shrimp (all colours)
- Ghost Shrimp
- Wood/Bamboo Shrimp
Fish
- Small Livebearers (e.g. Platy, Guppy, Molly, Endler)
- Tetra
- Rasbora
- Danio (smaller species)
- Catfish (e.g. Dwarf Corydoras, Otocinclus)
There are lots of other possibilities too, such as the Gourami and White Cloud Mountain Minnow. But I don’t want to give you a never ending list to choose from. The lists above should be helpful though if you’re considering adding some tankmates to your Rabbit Snail aquarium.
Tip: Avoid aggressive carnivorous fish, shrimp and snails such as Cichlids, Oscars, Crayfish and Assassin Snails. Although Assassin Snails will probably only eat the babies, the others will eat the adult Rabbit Snails too.
8. Is My Rabbit Snail Male Or Female?
The simple answer to this question is that you can’t tell if your Rabbit Snail is male or female. There’s just isn’t any distinguishable features on a Rabbit Snail to give this away. Which means that if you want your Rabbit Snails to breed you’ll need at least 3 or more in your tank to get the best chance of having both sexes.
So despite the fact that I have been referring to my Rabbit Snail as ‘he’ my snail may well be a ‘she’. I really have no way of knowing for sure.
9. How Do Rabbit Snails Breed?
Unlike some aquatic snails Rabbit Snails need both a male and a female to produce young. The male and female come together to produce one creamy white fertilized egg at a time. The egg is a little bit smaller than a pea. And each egg usually carries one perfect replica of the parents. Although twins do happen occasionally.
The female Rabbit Snail carries the fertilized egg for between 4-6 weeks before releasing it. Once the egg is released it takes, on average, another hour or so for the baby Rabbit Snail to emerge from the egg. Although some Rabbit Snail keepers say they have known it to happen a lot faster than that.
Rabbit Snails are born hungry. So as soon as they are free from their egg sac they start looking for food. Soft algae and biofilm are their first choice but they will eat whatever they can find.
How Big Are Rabbit Snails When They Are Born?
A single Rabbit Snail, depending on species, will be approximately 3-6mm (0.118-0.236 inches) when they emerge from their egg sac. If they are twins they will be about half of that size each. So despite not being a small aquarium snail as adults, the babies are tiny.
Their rate of growth does vary and some will grow faster than others. But as long as there’s a plentiful food supply, and good tank conditions, they will do well.
The new arrivals won’t start breeding in their own right until they reach about 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) or thereabouts. To get to this size and stage of life can take almost a year or more.
When it comes to aquatic snails all of this makes the Rabbit Snail a relatively slow breeder. But it does mean that they’re unlikely to overpopulate your tank in a short time. Which is good news if you want to keep your Rabbit Snail population under control.
Before You go I’ve got another couple of tips for you about caring for your Rabbit Snails.
Tip 1: Rabbit Snails, like most other invertebrates, can’t tolerate copper. Copper can be harmful, even deadly to Rabbit Snails. So avoid any tank medications and foods that contain copper.
Tip 2: Rabbit Snails can go for more than 24 hours before needing to sleep. So if your Rabbit Snail is completely inside its shell at the bottom of the tank, and hasn’t moved for hours, don’t assume it has died. It could just be taking a well earned rest.
Most of all, enjoy keeping these entertaining aquarium snails.