Spixi snail (zebra apple snail)

Care at a glance

The spixi snail is the striped apple snail that has taken the place of the banned Pomacea species in Europe: a yellow-and-brown banded shell of about three centimetres on a snail that glides actively over the substrate and glass by day. Unlike most apple snails it lays its eggs under water, in clear clumps on plants or glass.

It eats algae, leftover food and dead plant matter, but when hungry also soft plants and the eggs of other snails, and it is known for clearing hydra. Supplement with vegetable tablets or blanched vegetables and provide hard, calcium-rich water, otherwise the shell erodes. Do not combine with loaches, puffers or crayfish.

Good to know

• Eats or uproots live plants

Best not combined with

• Clown loachChromobotia macracanthus
• Yoyo loachBotia almorhae
• Zebra loachBotia striata
• Dwarf chain loachAmbastaia sidthimunki
• Pea pufferCarinotetraodon travancoricus
• Figure eight pufferDichotomyctere ocellatus
• Assassin snailAnentome helena
• Marbled crayfishProcambarus virginalis
• Electric blue crayfishProcambarus alleni

Related species

• Redclaw crayfishCherax quadricarinatus
• Red claw crabPerisesarma bidens
• Vampire crabGeosesarma sp.
• Giant freshwater shrimpMacrobrachium rosenbergii
• Japanese trapdoor snailViviparus malleatus
• Horned nerite snailClithon corona