Orange Poso Rabbit Snails

Quick facts

Identity

Also known as

Gold Rabbit Snail; Elephant Snail; Orange Sulawesi Snail

Environment

Freshwater

Native to

Indonesia (Sulawesi, Lake Poso and Malili Lakes system)

Habitat

Warm, clear, oxygenated, hard alkaline lake and shoreline waters over sand, mud, or volcanic substrate in the Sulawesi lake system

Sourcing

Wild-caught

Conservation

Not Evaluated

Care

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

1.5 – 3 in (3.8 – 7.6 cm)

Lifespan

2 – 4 yrs

Min tank

20 gal (76 L)

Growth rate

Slow

Placement

Bottom

Water

Temperature

78 – 84 °F (26 – 29 °C)

pH

7.0 – 8.5

GH

6 – 15 dGH

TDS

150 – 400 ppm

dKH

2 – 15 dKH

Flow

Low-Moderate

Behavior & compatibility

Social

Solitary · groups of 2+

Aggression to own kind

Low

Active

Night

Invert safe

Yes

Plant safe

With caution

Shrimp safe

Yes

Clean-up role

Algae, Biofilm, Detritus, Leftover food

Population boom risk

Low

Feeding & breeding

Diet

Omnivore

Foods

Pellets, Wafers, Vegetables, Algae, Biofilm

Breeding type

Livebearer

Breeding difficulty

Difficult

Sexing

Sexes are separate but not visually distinguishable; a group is needed for breeding since individual sex cannot be determined by sight

Target feeding

Beneficial

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Care guide

Overview

A yellowish-orange body extends from a long, spiraled shell as this snail cruises the substrate snout-down, probing sand and gravel for biofilm. It grows slowly to about 3 inches and needs warm, hard, alkaline water to keep its shell intact. Keep a mixed group of two or more, since sexes cannot be told apart, and avoid copper-based medications.

Care

This snail does best in a warm, well-established aquarium with hard, alkaline water and a soft sand or fine gravel substrate that will not injure its foot or trap its large shell. It spends most of its time slowly grazing along the substrate and hardscape, foraging for biofilm and leftover food rather than climbing glass or plants. Stable parameters matter more than precision here, since sudden swings in temperature or pH can stress a species adapted to the constant conditions of deep tropical lakes.

Feeding

Its diet is largely made up of algae, biofilm, and detritus grazed from surfaces, supplemented with sinking wafers, blanched vegetables such as zucchini or spinach, and occasional protein-based foods. Feeding should be offered daily since these are fairly large-bodied snails with a correspondingly bigger appetite than typical nano snails. In algae-poor tanks, supplemental feeding becomes essential to keep the shell and body in good condition.

Tank mates

Peaceful and non-aggressive toward fish, shrimp, and other snails, making it a suitable addition to most community setups that share its warm water requirements. It ignores tankmates entirely and is itself defenseless, so aggressive or nippy fish should be avoided. Good companions include other Sulawesi-compatible shrimp and peaceful community fish that tolerate warmer, harder water.

Breeding

Reproduction is ovoviviparous, with females releasing individual egg pods that quickly hatch into fully formed miniature snails rather than free-floating eggs or larvae. Only one or a few young are produced roughly every several weeks, so a mixed-sex group is required and population growth remains very slow. This slow rate means overstocking from breeding is essentially never a concern in home aquariums.

Health

Shell erosion and pitting can occur in water that is too soft or acidic, since the species requires calcium-rich, alkaline conditions to maintain healthy shell growth. It is highly sensitive to copper-based medications, which are lethal even in small trace amounts. Lethargy or refusal to feed often signals water that is too cool or parameters that have drifted outside its preferred hard, alkaline range.

Sources

1. Orange Giant Sulawesi Rabbit Snails - Aquatic Arts
2. Rabbit Snails (Tylomelania sp.) | Tropical Fish Keeping
3. Orange Rabbit Snail (Tylomelania gemmifera 'orange') - Aqua Imports
4. Orange rabbit snail (Tylomelania gemmifera) Aquarium Care | Atlarium

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