Coming Soon — Ramshorn Snails
Something new is coming to the Jack's Aquatics range. Ramshorn Snails are joining our UK bred, mineral supported lineup — and they're worth knowing about.
What Are Ramshorn Snails
Ramshorn Snails (Planorbidae) are a family of small freshwater gastropod molluscs, named for their distinctive flat, coiled shell that resembles the curve of a ram's horn. They are widely distributed across freshwater habitats globally and have been a fixture in the aquarium hobby for decades — valued for their hardiness, their biological function and their usefulness as a live feed organism.
Unlike the coiled upright shell of a Bladder Snail or the elongated conical structure of a Malaysian Trumpet Snail, the Ramshorn's shell sits flat — a tightly wound spiral that makes them immediately recognisable and distinctive within a tank.
All Ramshorn Snails joining the Jack's Aquatics range are UK bred and mineral supported — the same standards applied to every piece of livestock we produce. Never imported, never wild caught.
Their Role in a Freshwater System
Ramshorn Snails are active detritivores and algae grazers, meaning they consume decaying organic matter, biofilm, algae and uneaten food. In a functioning freshwater system they contribute to the breakdown of waste material that would otherwise decompose and contribute to ammonia load.
Their grazing behaviour is visible and active — they move across glass, substrate, decor and plant surfaces with purpose, making them a genuinely functional addition to a freshwater setup rather than simply an ornamental one.
What Eats Ramshorn Snails
Ramshorn Snails have a thinner, flatter shell than Malaysian Trumpet Snails, making them more accessible to a wider range of predatory species. This is part of what makes them a valuable addition to a live feed rotation alongside Bladder Snails and MTS.
- — Puffer fish of all sizes — the soft, accessible shell suits smaller puffer species particularly well
- — Loaches — clown loaches, yoyo loaches and botia species are natural snail hunters
- — Predatory cichlids — particularly Central American and West African species
- — Assassin Snails — Clea Helena will hunt and consume Ramshorn Snails readily
- — Freshwater crabs and crayfish
- — Turtles and terrapins
The Ramshorn's flatter, thinner shell sits in a different resistance category to MTS — offering predators a varied feeding experience across different shell structures, textures and sizes within the same rotation.
Why They Belong in a Live Feed Rotation
A varied live feed rotation provides predators with different prey sizes, shell resistances, movement patterns and nutritional profiles — more closely replicating the natural prey diversity a predatory fish would encounter in the wild. Ramshorn Snails bring a distinct shell structure and movement profile that neither Bladder Snails nor Malaysian Trumpet Snails replicate.
For puffer keepers in particular, the variety of shell resistance across Bladder Snails, Ramshorns and MTS within a single feeding programme provides more comprehensive beak wear than any single species alone.
Ramshorn Snails are on their way to the Jack's Aquatics store. Watch this space — UK bred, mineral supported and never imported.
Jack — Jack's Aquatics · Medway, Kent
UK Bred. Mineral Supported. Never Imported. — jacksaquatics.co.uk