Japanese Trapdoor Snail – Viviparus Viviparus

Common names: Japanese Trapdoor Snail

Scientific name: Viviparus Viviparus

Average Adult Size: 2.5inches / 6cm

Place of origin: Europe

Typical tank setup: Lots of plants and wood for grazing and providing cover with slow moving water.

Recommended min. aquarium capacity: 10 imperial gallons / 45 litres

Compatibility: Community snail, but could be seen as food by large fish

Temp: 72 – 80 Deg F / 22 – 26 Deg C

Water chemistry: ph 7-7.6 Tolerable of a wide range of conditions.

Feeding: Lymnaea Stagnalis’s primary diet is vegetation found in their habitat. They feed on pond and aquatic plants so providing these if keeping these snails is essential.

Sexing: These snails are very hard to sex. For breeding purposes it is best to buy a group.

Breeding: Breeding these snails is relatively easy given a good supply of food and maintaining water quality. They often breed in the home aquarium but generally not at the prolific rate of other snails. These are also livebearer snails, giving birth to live young.

Additional Information: The Japanese Trapdoor Snail is a great species of snail to have, not only do they do a good job of cleaning your aquarium of algae and waste, they also don’t breed as frequently as other snails which means you can control their population much easier. It is however important to remember that these are merely a helping hand in cleaning your aquarium and are not by any means an alternative to aquarium maintenance by the hobbyist.

Author: Sina Shakiba