Waterhouse Snail - Medium

Waterhouse Snail

Australia is known for having some of the harshest conditions out in the wild with blistering heat, and monsoon rainfall and this can often be a difficult environment for life to thrive. However, the native Waterhouse snail defies all of these difficulties and makes for a great hardy, evolutionarily tough, and prolific algae eater for almost any aquarium. Much like the mystery snails that are commonly known worldwide for their large size, the Waterhouse snail is Australia’s largest freshwater snail species getting to the size of a ping pong ball. Found through the freshwater systems of the Northern Territory, these snails often go through droughts and intense weather changes which have allowed them to develop some unique features. Waterhouse snails can survive for extended periods of time out of the water because of a tight closing, trapdoor-like plate near the opening of the shell, they are also part filter feeders taking food that is suspended in the water column and eating off the surface with their mouth.

Waterhouse snails make for a great addition to both large and small aquariums because of how great they are as a utility species. They eat a wide range of algae including cyanobacteria which aquatic snails are not commonly known for doing, the algae-eating benefits and hardiness make them great for beginners and well-seasoned aquarists. Aesthetically these snails are super interesting with a creamy, golden shell which can also be an earthy brown that has slight blotches and stripes. Waterhouse snails also have an awesome body colour with a translucent bluish-grey base along with a speckling of bright red and yellow. They are a true eye-catcher of a snail because of their large size and interesting mix of colours. 

Being a native snail found in warm climates it is best to keep the Waterhouse snail in a temperate range of 20-28 degrees, they do also appreciate well-oxygenated water due to them having gills. Waterhouse snails are also totally planted safe and will actually eat dying aquatic plant leaves, that way your plants always look clean. They are also peaceful snails that will totally mind their own business in the aquarium so it's almost a must-have species in a community aquarium.  There is often a misconception that snails will quickly become a pest in the aquarium but they only reproduce and thrive in accordance with the food levels in the aquarium. If there is ever a concern with the number of snails, you see in your aquarium it is usually a sign to feed less or do a good clean of detritus. Where most snails lay eggs, the Waterhouse snails differ once again by releasing fully formed baby snails, the females actually incubate and hatch the eggs under a part of her shell. Males and females are not easily differentiated so if you are considering breeding these snails it may be best to get a small group of 3-4. 

Tank Recommendations for your Waterhouse Snail
Waterhouse snails often max out at around 4cm tall and wide which is the rough size of a common ping pong ball. They also have a relatively low bioload in the aquarium due to their diet and digestion so the bare minimum aquarium volume you could happily house one of these snails with other tank mates would be around 30 liters. Aquatic snails move relatively fast for a snail but you won’t ever find them swimming in the water column, they will effortlessly glide across your glass and aquascape whilst they chomp away at algae.

The aquascape or substrate is not a concern for these snails however they will like water with a higher PH for the health of their shell. This however can be maintained through their diet which will be discussed further down.

Suitable Tank Buddies

The size and hard shell provide the Waterhouse snail with decent protection however they are best to be kept in a community aquarium as larger predatory fish might pick at their softer fleshy body or break through the shell.  

Usually Compatible

Rams-horn snails, tetras, dwarf cichlids, barbs, betta, goldfish, and essentially all peaceful community aquarium fish. 

Sometime Compatible

Fire mouth cichlids, severum, red tail shark, and semi-aggressive species may overly pester the snail.

Rarely Compatible 

Jaguar cichlids, fahaka pufferfish, predatory catfish.

Feeding your Waterhouse snail

In a well-established aquarium, the Waterhouse snail will not need much feeding however a common issue is that the tank may not have enough self-sustaining food like algae or detritus. In newer tanks, it would always be recommended to throw in an algae wafer to ensure that snails have some food.