How Do Aquarium Snails Give Birth?

Aquarium snails are popular choices to maintain aquarium ecology because they help clean detritus from the bottom of tanks without disturbing fish eggs. Malaysian trumpet snails and trapdoor snails are two types of aquarium snails that give birth live in freshwater tanks. Most other species hatch from eggs. Apple snails, for example, are often found in aquarium tanks and they give birth via egg-laying.

  1. Aquarium Snails

    • In an aquarium environment, you can use snails to control dead plant matter. They are popular in fish breeding aquariums because snails do not eat the eggs or fry. The snails will eat the dying plants, but they also may reproduce quickly. If they begin to crowd out the fish, you can place a piece of lettuce in the tank to draw them out and remove them from the main tank.

    Apple Snails

    • Apple snails are a tropical freshwater species that are used in aquariums. A female snail can mate and then retain the sperm for months, so even if you only have a solitary female apple snail, you may still get a clutch of eggs laid in the aquarium. They will hatch in two to four weeks. Apple snails live for approximately 12 months in cooler temperatures, but can live up to 10 years if they are in a warm, humid environment.

    Malaysian Trumpet Snails

    • Malaysian trumpet snails are shy and live in aquarium gravel. They come out in the dark of night, but generally owners won't see them. They feed on the detritus of excess fish food and other waste that falls to the bottom of the fish tank. All Malaysian trumpet snails are female and give birth to live babies. The snails grow to approximately an inch in length.

    Trapdoor Snails

    • The trapdoor snail is also a live breeding animal, but unlike the Malaysian trumpet snail, it has male and female genders, so you cannot breed them without a pair. The trapdoor only has a few young at a time, so it replenishes itself slowly; this is one snail that you don't have to worry about overrunning your tank. It is an omnivorous snail and will eat decaying plants, algae, and excess fish food in an aquarium.