Malaysian Trumpet Snail
Melanoides tuberculata
Also known as: MTS, Red-rim Melania
The tireless substrate burrower that aerates your gravel while you sleep.
About
The Malaysian Trumpet Snail (Melanoides tuberculata) is one of those creatures that divides the hobby straight down the middle. Some keepers actively seek it out, others wage endless wars trying to remove it. Native to freshwater habitats across Africa, the Middle East, and large parts of Asia, it has since spread to waterways on nearly every continent, a testament to just how adaptable it is. The shell is a narrow, elongated cone, typically brownish or grayish with variable mottling, and adults rarely grow much larger than an inch. What really sets this snail apart is its behavior: it spends daylight hours buried in the substrate, churning through the upper layers of gravel or sand and preventing the anaerobic pockets that can build up in neglected tanks. After lights out, the whole population seems to surface at once, which can be a surprise the first time you witness it. Reproduction is parthenogenetic, meaning females can produce young without males, so numbers can climb quickly if overfeeding is happening. Keep feeding in check and population levels tend to stay reasonable. For planted tanks especially, their substrate-working habit is genuinely useful, and they are a forgiving, low-maintenance addition for keepers at any level.
Similar species
Other invertebrate you might consider
Good tank mates
Species that tend to coexist peacefully with Malaysian Trumpet Snail
From the same region
Share the same natural habitat. Great for a biotope-themed tank
Frequently asked questions
- Is the Malaysian Trumpet Snail aggressive?
- The Malaysian Trumpet Snail is generally peaceful and suits a community tank with similarly calm tankmates.
- What does the Malaysian Trumpet Snail eat?
- The Malaysian Trumpet Snail is a herbivore. It needs a plant-based diet such as algae, blanched vegetables, or spirulina-based foods.