Turtle tanks have space for many things, such as plants, ornaments, and even other animals. A mate for your turtle can add to your tanks aesthetics, and help keep your turtle active.

However, there are a few things to consider before adding any other animal to a turtle tank. You should consider many factors, but keep in mind that a turtle will likely eat any small animal that you put in their tank. Today’s article will cover the best snails that you should add to your turtle tank.

Best Snails for Turtle Tank

The best snails for a turtle tank are mystery snails, apple snails, rabbit snails, black devil snails, ramshorn snails, and trumpet snails.

1. Mystery Snail

We can become obsessed with a mystery snail’s vibrant colors and patterns. This type of snail is used in contrast to a heavily-planted tank. You can actually buy these live snails on amazon for a good price.

It is low-maintenance and gets along with almost all species. They are also effective tank cleaners.

2. Apple Snail

An apple snail is a simple and dependable species that can be cared for by anyone. However, putting this snail in an aquarium is risky because it normally eats the plants and will likely hide from other animals. To keep their appetites in check, you can feed them plant-based fish food.

3. Rabbit Snail

Rabbit snails have a distinctive appearance that makes them very interesting. Their shells are much longer than those of many other aquarium snails, allowing them to grow to a maximum length of about 3-5 inches! As a result, they move much more slowly than a typical freshwater aquarium snail (which is hard to believe). You might pass by and see them start walking across the aquarium, only to discover that after half an hour, they’ve barely made any progress.

4. Black devil snails

The name comes from the fact that black devil snails are completely black, and because of this, they stand out in the tank. This snail is also known as the fastest aquarium snail. They can quickly travel from one end of the tank to the other.

5. Ramshorn Snail

The shell of a ramshorn snail is shaped like a horn. This distinguishes them from other species and enables them to be identified at a glance. The Ramshorn is an extremely active species. They can frequently be seen moving along the sides of the tank or climbing on whatever plants they can find. There’s just something about seeing them that keeps you interested!

6. Trumpet Snail

Trumpet snails are both loved and despised by aquarists. This is because of their ability to reproduce quickly and take over a tank. These snails require little upkeep and are easy to care for. You won’t have to worry about them thriving if everything in your tank is somewhat consistent. They are not bothered by other animals and prefer to be left alone.

Aside from snails, you can also put feeder fish in your turtle tank for food.

Are snails good for a turtle tank?

Snails are useful not only for aesthetic purposes but also for turtle tank maintenance. These small animals diligently search for organic debris and garbage that accumulates over time from dawn to dusk. Some snails are great at eating algae. This helps keep your tank clean while also reducing wear and strain on your filtering system.

They’re also very simple to keep up with. Aquarium snails require little care and have no desire to wreak havoc on their tankmates.

Do turtles eat snails?

Yes, turtles do eat snails. In the wild, snails are actually a portion of many aquatic turtle’s diets. Turtles prefer smaller snails that don’t have large shells.

Will your turtle eat a snail if you put it in their tank?

If the snail is an inch or smaller, there is a good chance your turtle will try to eat it. If you don’t want your turtle to eat your snails, you should make sure that you feed your turtle every day so that they don’t get hungry and pursue the turtle.

Feeder snails for turtles

The best feeder snails for turtles are ramshorn snails, apple snails, and pond snails. You can also feed your turtle these snails that you can buy on amazon that don’t have shells.

On a similar note, you should check out my article on the best feeder fish for turtles.

Conclusion

There’s simply no reason not to get a snail mate for your turtle when you consider the benefits and ease of care. Unless you already have an incompatible tank mate, there shouldn’t be anything stopping you. There are still many different kinds of snails to discover out there. You simply need to conduct additional research.