- Common name: Waterhouse snail
- Scientific name: Notopala waterhousei
- Family: Viviparidae
- Geographical location: Australia (Central NT and Western Queensland)
- Size: up to 50mm in diameter
- Water conditions: not critical
We’ve had a few of these snails in one of our aquariums for almost a year now and we are still fascinated by them. They move fairly quickly (by snail standards) and are great fun to watch climbing up and down the glass. Waterhouse snails are one of the most suitable snails for the planted aquarium because they do not eat live plants instead preferring to feed on the bacteria, algae and detritus found in most mature aquariums. For this reason it is not recommended to place these snails into a newly setup aquarium as they may starve. Water quality is not of great concern however they do appear to fair a little better in water that is slightly hard with good oxygen levels. If the water is too soft they may have difficulty producing a shell. You may find snails marked ‘mystery snails’ at your local fish store that look similar to the Waterhouse snail but they are very different. Most mystery snails will eventually attack your live plants!!
Care should be taken when handling all snails so as not to crack their shells. It is a good idea to gently place the snail onto the substrate rather than plonking them into the aquarium from a great height. When initially placed into the aquarium Waterhouse snails will often close up shop and sit half buried in the substrate, sometimes for a week or more. This is normal behavior so let them be, they will be doing the rounds of the tank again in no time.
Waterhouse snails are not that common in most aquarium stores but can be purchased in Australia directly from Aquagreen.