- Name:
Japanese Trapdoor Snail
- Family: Vivipariidae
- Species: Snail
- Scientific Name: Viviparus malleattus
General info about Japanese Trapdoor Snail
Japanese Trapdoor Snails are famous among recreational and professional pond and water gardeners worldwide. Japanese Trapdoor Snails are one of the few snail varieties that can over-winter well and survive in harsher northern climates. Also, this snail has a reputation of being a very tranquil, non-aggressive soft algae eater. They are a great asset in helping keep algae under control in your pond and water garden as they groom plants, planting-pots, and water garden rocks and walls.
The Japanese Trapdoor Snail originates from ponds and slow-moving streams with some vegetation and a muddy substrate. The Japanese Trapdoor Snail will keep your pond plants groomed with minimal damage to the plants. They also clean up the sides of ponds and water gardens, feeding on uneaten fish food and decaying debris on the pond floor. In order for your algae eating snails to have a positive effect on algae growth, a minimum of 10 snails per 50 sq feet will be needed, and farm ponds will need to have at least 200 pond snails to have any positive effect at all.
Japanese Trapdoor Snails are named for their operculum, which is a tough plate that protects the snail by forming a seal at the edge of the snail's shell when its soft body is retracted inside. These snails' shells are spiral-shaped, but they vary significantly in appearance - no two snails look exactly alike! Each snail has slightly different coloration and patterns. Shell color range can include varying shades of black, dark green, or olive green, as well as varying shades of dark brown, reddish brown and light brown. Shell colors can be solid or have different colors within the range, and it is not uncommon for shells to have large areas of white on the spire close to the apex. The texture is relatively smooth compared to the texture of some other snails like Rabbit Snails. A Trapdoor Snail shell texture is slightly grooved resulting from the snail’s growth lines.
One of the best things about Japanese Trapdoor Snail care is that it is relatively simple. A Japanese Trapdoor Snail is adaptable to a wide range of water conditions, so keeping them in a tank with traditional community tank parameters should not be a problem. This means it is important to add the snails to a stable, cycled, established tank that is otherwise healthy. Though hardy, sudden shifts in water parameters can stress the snails and cause them harm. So the key is to try to keep things on an even keel. Water conditions between 6.5 - 8.0 pH level and a temperature range between 68° - 85° F is recommended.
Another Japanese Trapdoor Snail care issue involves filter intakes. Hungry snails often graze across filter intakes in search of food. Sometimes, they find themselves caught in the slats. In many cases, the snails are unable to wiggle their way free. Attempts to remove them often end up with serious or fatal injuries. So when keeping these snails, it is a good idea to keep filter intakes covered with a course sponge filter for safety.
Since Japanese Trapdoor Snails don’t have a siphon like Gold Apple Snails, they do not go to the water surface to take air. However, the tank should be covered to the extent possible. Trapdoor Snails can accidentally escape from a tank, become injured and die. Also, it is important to make sure snails are added to a tank with the aperture facing down. This way, they do not have to turn over to start moving about the tank.
A Japanese Trapdoor Snail can be kept in small tanks like a 10-gallon aquarium, or larger sizes. Just keep in mind that snails, like other organisms, add to the tank waste being produced, so avoid overstocking. Japanese Trapdoor Snails can be kept in tanks with clear quick moving water, or tanks on the murkier side. But either way, make sure the tank is well sufficiently filtered, properly oxygenated, and has the ability to supply enough naturally occurring soft algae for them to eat in between feedings. Japanese Trapdoor Snails can be very active in low light settings as well as at night, so be sure to have the tank set up with plenty of places for them to explore. As mentioned earlier, they adapt to a wide range of parameters so Japanese Trapdoor Snails can do well in community tanks as well as in snail tanks and shrimp tanks.
Japanese Trapdoor Snail Diet & Nutrition
Japanese Trapdoor Snails are great little scavengers and algae eaters. They will spend hours moving about the tank looking for food to eat. But while they will help keep a tank clean by eating leftovers, their diets should include food specifically for them. Japanese Trapdoor Snails seem to be very interested in fish flakes, bottom feeder tablets, pellets, and other foods rich in Calcium. Japanese Trapdoor Snails are excellent at keeping your tank and any live plants free of algae with minimal damage to the plants.
Japanese Trapdoor Snails may also like to eat a variety of fresh vegetables. Experimenting with blanched spinach, zucchini and lettuce may be a good start. Offer the snails fresh vegetables one at a time, in small amounts, and observe what happens. Leave the vegetable in the tank for a day or so. If the snail is not interested within 24 hours, remove the vegetable and try another. More often than not, hobbyists will find what the snail likes after a couple of tries.
In addition to supplements and fresh vegetables, Japanese Trapdoor Snails are very interested in eating soft algae from hard surfaces, especially at night. So be sure to leave some algae growing on the glass for the snail to feed. In addition to naturally occurring algae, Japanese Trapdoor Snails may also be interested in algae wafers
Breeding & Spawning Japanese Trapdoor Snail
Japanese Trapdoor Snails are able to breed in freshwater aquariums. It is generally not a problem compared to other freshwater snails, like Malaysian Trumpet Snails or Pond Snails. Japanese Trapdoor Snail reproduction occurs less frequently, and they are not likely to overrun a tank. These snails are live-bearing; so they don't lay hard eggs on the surface. They only breed a couple of times a year and will not take over your ponds like other nuisance egg-bearing snails can and will.
Caution with Japanese Trapdoor Snail
Its necessary to keep Ammonia and Nitrite levels at 0 ppm, and Nitrate levels low with regular partial water changes. Also, Japanese Trapdoor Snails should not be exposed to Copper as it can be fatal to them. And be sure to check any plant fertilizers used to ensure they are shrimp and snail-safe.
Original Detail
| Name | Species | Family | Scientific Name | More Detail | Added by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese Trapdoor Snail | Snail | Vivipariidae | Viviparus malleattus | Japanese Trapdoor Snails are famous among recreational and professional pond and water gardeners worldwide. Japanese Trapdoor Snails are one of the few snail varieties that can over-winter well and survive in harsher northern climates. Also, this snail has a reputation of being a very tranquil, non-aggressive soft algae eater. They are a great asset in helping keep algae under control in your pond and water garden as they groom plants, planting-pots, and water garden rocks and walls. The Japanese Trapdoor Snail originates from ponds and slow-moving streams with some vegetation and a muddy substrate. The Japanese Trapdoor Snail will keep your pond plants groomed with minimal damage to the plants. They also clean up the sides of ponds and water gardens, feeding on uneaten fish food and decaying debris on the pond floor. In order for your algae eating snails to have a positive effect on algae growth, a minimum of 10 snails per 50 sq feet will be needed, and farm ponds will need to have at least 200 pond snails to have any positive effect at all. Japanese Trapdoor Snails are named for their operculum, which is a tough plate that protects the snail by forming a seal at the edge of the snail's shell when its soft body is retracted inside. These snails' shells are spiral-shaped, but they vary significantly in appearance - no two snails look exactly alike! Each snail has slightly different coloration and patterns. Shell color range can include varying shades of black, dark green, or olive green, as well as varying shades of dark brown, reddish brown and light brown. Shell colors can be solid or have different colors within the range, and it is not uncommon for shells to have large areas of white on the spire close to the apex. The texture is relatively smooth compared to the texture of some other snails like Rabbit Snails. A Trapdoor Snail shell texture is slightly grooved resulting from the snail’s growth lines. Trapdoor Snails are quite large as adults and can grow up to 2 inches in length, making them one of the largest freshwater snails in the aquarium hobby. They are a very peaceful animal and should not be housed with any animals that would like to make a meal of them. Recommended tank mates are other types of snails (Nerite snails, Mystery Snails, Sulawesi Snails, etc.), dwarf shrimps (such as Blue Velvet shrimp, Sakura Red Cherry Shrimp, Bee Shrimp, etc.). They can also be kept with small to medium-sized, non-aggressive fish.
Snails can live for about 1 to 5 years, and maybe a bit more. It is also common for Japanese Trapdoor Snails to die soon after being introduced to their new home. Possible reasons for sudden death can include stress associated with being transported from the store, the shift in water parameters between the display tank and the home tank, or simply the snail itself.
One of the best things about Japanese Trapdoor Snail care is that it is relatively simple. A Japanese Trapdoor Snail is adaptable to a wide range of water conditions, so keeping them in a tank with traditional community tank parameters should not be a problem. This means it is important to add the snails to a stable, cycled, established tank that is otherwise healthy. Though hardy, sudden shifts in water parameters can stress the snails and cause them harm. So the key is to try to keep things on an even keel. Water conditions between 6.5 - 8.0 pH level and a temperature range between 68° - 85° F is recommended. Another Japanese Trapdoor Snail care issue involves filter intakes. Hungry snails often graze across filter intakes in search of food. Sometimes, they find themselves caught in the slats. In many cases, the snails are unable to wiggle their way free. Attempts to remove them often end up with serious or fatal injuries. So when keeping these snails, it is a good idea to keep filter intakes covered with a course sponge filter for safety. Since Japanese Trapdoor Snails don’t have a siphon like Gold Apple Snails, they do not go to the water surface to take air. However, the tank should be covered to the extent possible. Trapdoor Snails can accidentally escape from a tank, become injured and die. Also, it is important to make sure snails are added to a tank with the aperture facing down. This way, they do not have to turn over to start moving about the tank. A Japanese Trapdoor Snail can be kept in small tanks like a 10-gallon aquarium, or larger sizes. Just keep in mind that snails, like other organisms, add to the tank waste being produced, so avoid overstocking. Japanese Trapdoor Snails can be kept in tanks with clear quick moving water, or tanks on the murkier side. But either way, make sure the tank is well sufficiently filtered, properly oxygenated, and has the ability to supply enough naturally occurring soft algae for them to eat in between feedings. Japanese Trapdoor Snails can be very active in low light settings as well as at night, so be sure to have the tank set up with plenty of places for them to explore. As mentioned earlier, they adapt to a wide range of parameters so Japanese Trapdoor Snails can do well in community tanks as well as in snail tanks and shrimp tanks. |
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