The flat ramshorn snail, sometimes known as the native ramshorn, it is a small native species of ramshorn snail only growing to a maximum of 2 cm . They are great algae grazers and will graze algae from rocks, glass and plants (they won't eat live plants) as well as scavenging detritus and left over fishfood. Being a native species it can easily survive UK winters outdoors but can also be kept in coldwater and tropical aquariums. Snails make up an essential part of a pond or aquarium ecosystem and make an excellent addition to a wildlife pond.
Flat ramshorn snail (Planorbis planorbis)
The flat ramshorn is hardy and can survive in a wide range of conditions. It is very easy to keep, although like most aquatic snails the flat ramshorn snail can be sensitive to acidic water (low ph) . They can easily survive from scavenging and don't need any additional food, especially if being kept in an outdoor pond, but if you want to put extra food in for them they can be fed algae wafers, bloodworm pellets , shrimp pellets or fishfood. They are hermaphrodites and easy to breed. It lays small clusters of 3 to 30 eggs at a time on glass, rock and leaves. While it is a common beleif that snails will over populate your pond or aquarium this will only happen if if there is a massive surplus of uneaten food and can be a good indication of over feeding.
