Malaysian Trumpet Snail

Melanoides tuberculata, also known as the Malaysian Trumpet Snail, Malayan Trumpet Snail or MTS in short, which is native to Southeast Asia to East Africa, is a nocturnal freshwater snail that prefers to stay in the substrate and plows through it in search of food. Thanks to the snail, the substrate gets loosened up, well ventilated and freed from organic waste, which is why the Trumpet Snail is considered the “earthworm of the aquarium”. The elongated shell of this pretty snail is about 3 cm long. It is also light brown in color and often has a dark brown pattern.

Care in the aquarium

The easy-to-care for and robust Malaysian Trumpet Snail can be kept in aquariums of 20 liters or more. If the water values ​​are poor – for example due to an increase in nitrite – it begins to crawl up the panes of the aquarium and is therefore a very good indicator of problems in the tank. Due to its peaceful nature and its useful properties as a water indicator and natural scarifier, which prevents harmful gases from forming in the substrate and supplies the soil with nutrients for the plants, the Malaysian Trumpet Snail can be put without hesitation in planted aquariums. As with most species of snails, medium to hard water is ideal, as the shell can be damaged if the water is too soft. It also prefers a soil substrate that is not too coarse, such as sand, soil or fine gravel, through which it can easily dig.

Feeding

The Malaysian Trumpet Snail is a classic leftover recycler and feeds on biofilm and algae growth as well as detritus (dead plant material, carrion, leftover food). In the aquarium it can be fed a wide variety of commercial (snail) food, green food and leaves, but it usually finds enough food in the substrate.

Sexual characteristics and breeding