You’ve likely seen some really interesting snails in your local fish store or pet stores. You’ve also probably read that goldfish will eat snails, so you’ve avoided bringing snails home to your goldfish tank. If this is the case, you should be pleased to know that there are quite a few snails that make excellent tank mates for goldfish. The best part about snails is that they come in so many colors, shapes, and activity levels that there’s at least one type of snail to suit every tank. Whether you want snails for algae control, breeding, or something different altogether, check out these reviews covering the best snails to pair with your goldfish.
Please note that not all freshwater snails are legal to own or sell in all areas, so check the laws in your area before purchasing a snail.
A Quick Comparison of our Favorites
Image Product Details
Mystery Snails
Easy to care for
Peaceful
Egg-layers
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Japanese Trapdoor Snails
Easy to care for
Cost-effective
Live up to 10 years
Check Price
Sulawesi Rabbit Snails
Peaceful
Large, rare, and unique
Easy to care for
Check Price
Nerite Snails
Peaceful
Egg-layers
Interesting shell patterns
Check Price
Cappuccino Spike/Black Devil Spike Snails
Active and fun to watch
Easy to care for
Peaceful
Check Price
The 10 Best Snails to Pair with Goldfish – Reviews 2023
- Mystery Snails Check Latest Price
Level of care: Easy
Max size: 5 inches
Reproduction type: Egg-layers
Requires mate to breed: Yes
Best quality: Active and fun to watch
These gentle giants are some of the largest freshwater snails available for home aquariums. Mystery snails are incredibly peaceful and are very active snails, making them fun to watch. They come in multiple solid shell colors, including ivory, magenta, blue, and black. Mystery snails are not hermaphroditic and require a male and a female to reproduce, so you’re unlikely to end up with unwanted egg clutches. If you do end up with eggs, they can easily be scraped out of the tank and frozen before throwing away to prevent development. Mystery snails love to eat and will happily eat snail food, algae wafers, fish food, fruits, veggies, and algae within your tank. They will not eat live plants unless they are dying, but they will eat dead plant matter, helping to keep your tank clean.
Level of care: Easy
Max size: 5 inches
Reproduction type: Egg-layers
Requires mate to breed: Yes
Best quality: Active and fun to watch
- Level of care: Easy
- Max size: 5 inches
- Reproduction type: Egg-layers
- Requires mate to breed: Yes
- Best quality: Active and fun to watch
Mystery snails are heavy bioload producers for snails, so they should only be kept in well-filtered tanks. Female mystery snails can hold sperm for at least 9 months, so if your female breeds at the pet store, you still may end up with eggs. A single clutch can produce dozens to hundreds of snails.
Pros
Easy to care for
Some of the largest freshwater snails
Peaceful
Active and fun to watch
Require male and female to breed
Egg-layers
Eggs are easy to spot and dispose of
Will eat algae, dead plants, and leftover food
Cons
Heavy bioload
Female can hold sperm for months
Clutches produce lots of snails
- Japanese Trapdoor Snails Check Latest Price
Level of care: Easy
Max size: 2 inches
Reproduction type: Live-bearers
Requires mate to breed: Yes
Best quality: Slow reproduction
Japanese trapdoor snails are a great pick for a cost-effective type of snail that will work hard to keep your tank clean. They’re available in multiple shell colors that tend to lighten in color the further up the shell you look. They love to eat algae and can happily survive in tanks or ponds, helping to keep things clean wherever they are. They can survive in and improve poor tank conditions, and they can thrive in cooler temperatures than many other snails. Like mystery snails, Japanese trapdoor snails are not hermaphroditic, and they do require a male and female to reproduce. They only breed a couple of times annually and will live-bear 5-20 babies per breeding. These snails can live up to 10 years of age, which is much older than many other snails.
Easy to care for
Some of the largest freshwater snails
Peaceful
Active and fun to watch
Require male and female to breed
Egg-layers
Eggs are easy to spot and dispose of
Will eat algae, dead plants, and leftover food
- Easy to care for
- Some of the largest freshwater snails
- Peaceful
- Active and fun to watch
- Require male and female to breed
- Egg-layers
- Eggs are easy to spot and dispose of
- Will eat algae, dead plants, and leftover food
Heavy bioload
Female can hold sperm for months
Clutches produce lots of snails
- Heavy bioload
- Female can hold sperm for months
- Clutches produce lots of snails
Level of care: Easy
Max size: 2 inches
Reproduction type: Live-bearers
Requires mate to breed: Yes
Best quality: Slow reproduction
- Level of care: Easy
- Max size: 2 inches
- Reproduction type: Live-bearers
- Requires mate to breed: Yes
- Best quality: Slow reproduction
These snails prefer soft, sandy substrate that allows them to burrow and forage. They do not do well with gravel and other rough substrates. They tend to be nocturnal, so you may not see them being very active during the day. Baby snails and smaller snails are likely to be eaten by goldfish, so you may need to monitor closely if you want a breeding population.
Pros
Easy to care for
Cost-effective
Peaceful
Require male and female to breed
Will eat algae, dead plants, and leftover food
More broad water parameters than most snails
Live up to 10 years
Cons
Need soft substrate
Usually nocturnal
May be small enough for goldfish to eat
- Sulawesi Rabbit Snails Check Latest Price
Level of care: Easy
Max size: 5 inches
Reproduction type: Live-bearers
Requires mate to breed: Yes
Best quality: Colorful and unique
If you’re looking for a slightly more expensive snail investment, look no further than Sulawesi rabbit snails. These unique snails have a bright orange foot and a face that slightly resembles that of a rabbit. They come in a variety of types with different dark shell colors, but all have long, spiral shells. They enjoy burrowing, but they do well in gravel and other rough substrates. They love to eat algae wafers, spirulina flakes, and fresh veggies, and will eat algae growing in the tank if they decide they’re hungry enough. They are not hermaphroditic and only have one or two offspring a couple of times annually, so you won’t end up overrun with Sulawesi rabbit snails.
Easy to care for
Cost-effective
Peaceful
Require male and female to breed
Will eat algae, dead plants, and leftover food
More broad water parameters than most snails
Live up to 10 years
- Easy to care for
- Cost-effective
- Peaceful
- Require male and female to breed
- Will eat algae, dead plants, and leftover food
- More broad water parameters than most snails
- Live up to 10 years
Need soft substrate
Usually nocturnal
May be small enough for goldfish to eat
- Need soft substrate
- Usually nocturnal
- May be small enough for goldfish to eat
Level of care: Easy
Max size: 5 inches
Reproduction type: Live-bearers
Requires mate to breed: Yes
Best quality: Colorful and unique
- Level of care: Easy
- Max size: 5 inches
- Reproduction type: Live-bearers
- Requires mate to breed: Yes
- Best quality: Colorful and unique
These snails are not guaranteed to help reduce algae in your tank and they are known to eat some live plants, especially Java ferns and other leafy green plants. They tend to be slower and less active than some other types of snails. Sulawesi rabbit snails can reach up to 5 inches in size, so they are best kept in large tanks.
Pros
Easy to care for
Peaceful
Require male and female to breed
Will eat algae, dead plants, and leftover food
Bright orange food and cute, rabbit-like face
Large, rare, and unique
Only 1-2 young per breeding
Cons
Premium price
Will eat some live plants
Slower and less active than some snails
Need large tanks
Easy to care for
Peaceful
Require male and female to breed
Will eat algae, dead plants, and leftover food
Bright orange food and cute, rabbit-like face
Large, rare, and unique
Only 1-2 young per breeding
- Easy to care for
- Peaceful
- Require male and female to breed
- Will eat algae, dead plants, and leftover food
- Bright orange food and cute, rabbit-like face
- Large, rare, and unique
- Only 1-2 young per breeding
Premium price
Will eat some live plants
Slower and less active than some snails
Need large tanks
- Premium price
- Will eat some live plants
- Slower and less active than some snails
- Need large tanks
It covers all you need to know about the ideal tank setup, tank size, substrate, ornaments, plants, and so much more!
- Nerite Snails Check Latest Price
Level of care: Moderate
Max size: 1-inch
Reproduction type: Egg-layers
Requires mate to breed: Yes
Best quality: Unique shell patterns
For the most varied and interesting shell patterns, look no further than nerite snails. These snails can have striped or spotted shells, with some even having markings that look like tire tracks. Most have smooth smells, but some varieties also have small spikes on the shell. They’re peaceful and are perfectly happy to live alone or in community tanks where the other inhabitants leave them alone. These snails are not hermaphroditic and will lay eggs in the tank, but nerite snails cannot successfully reproduce in freshwater. They require brackish water for the eggs to hatch. Nerite snails will happily eat tank algae, diatoms, algae wafers, and fresh veggies.
Level of care: Moderate
Max size: 1-inch
Reproduction type: Egg-layers
Requires mate to breed: Yes
Best quality: Unique shell patterns
- Level of care: Moderate
- Max size: 1-inch
- Reproduction type: Egg-layers
- Requires mate to breed: Yes
- Best quality: Unique shell patterns
Breeding nerites is extremely difficult, so they’re not great candidates for breeding at home. Unfortunately, they will still lay eggs, even in freshwater, leaving the whole tank bedazzled with nerite eggs, including other snail’s shells. They’re also very sensitive to water parameters and will not thrive if nitrates are above 20ppm.
Pros
Peaceful
Require male and female to breed
Will eat algae, dead plants, and leftover food
Interesting shell patterns
Egg-layers
Will not overpopulate freshwater tanks
Cons
Difficult to breed
Lay unviable eggs everywhere
Sensitive to parameters
- Cappuccino Spike/Black Devil Spike Snails Check Latest Price
Level of care: Easy
Max size: 5 inches
Reproduction type: Live-bearers
Requires mate to breed: Yes
Best quality: Fast and active
Cappuccino spike snails are a beautiful, somewhat rare variety of snail with long, pointed shells that feature gradient shades of brown and tan. When they are juveniles, they have dark brown to black shells that lighten with age. They are somewhat similar in appearance to Sulawesi rabbit snails, but they don’t get as large and they have a darker foot. Cappuccino spike snails are also fast and more active than their distant Sulawesi relatives. They’re peaceful and love to eat algae and decaying plant matter, but usually require dietary supplementation with invertebrate food, algae wafers, and fresh veggies.
Peaceful
Require male and female to breed
Will eat algae, dead plants, and leftover food
Interesting shell patterns
Egg-layers
Will not overpopulate freshwater tanks
- Peaceful
- Require male and female to breed
- Will eat algae, dead plants, and leftover food
- Interesting shell patterns
- Egg-layers
- Will not overpopulate freshwater tanks
Difficult to breed
Lay unviable eggs everywhere
Sensitive to parameters
- Difficult to breed
- Lay unviable eggs everywhere
- Sensitive to parameters
Level of care: Easy
Max size: 5 inches
Reproduction type: Live-bearers
Requires mate to breed: Yes
Best quality: Fast and active
- Level of care: Easy
- Max size: 5 inches
- Reproduction type: Live-bearers
- Requires mate to breed: Yes
- Best quality: Fast and active
Ideally, these snails should be kept in tanks with sandy substrate they can burrow in. They will not reproduce in freshwater environments and little is known about their breeding habits. They are known to sometimes eat live plants, especially tender and leafy green plants.
Pros
Easy to care for
Peaceful
Require male and female to breed
Will not overpopulate freshwater tanks
Will eat algae, dead plants, and leftover food
Active and fun to watch
Cons
Difficult to breed
Do best with sandy substrate
Known to eat tender and leafy plants
- White Wizard Snails Check Latest Price
Level of care: Moderate
Max size: 5 inches
Reproduction type: Live-bearers
Requires mate to breed: Yes
Best quality: Rarity
White wizard snails are also sometimes called white trapdoor snails. They are related to Japanese trapdoor snails but are prone to getting slightly larger and they are more shy. They will eat tank algae, but they’re not known to be very good at clearing algae problems. Interestingly, these snails can filter feed via their gills, which most snails cannot do, but this is not their primary form of feeding. They tend to be plant-safe and won’t eat live plants. They are not hermaphroditic and are slow to reproduce, so you shouldn’t end up with a tank overrun by them.
Easy to care for
Peaceful
Require male and female to breed
Will not overpopulate freshwater tanks
Will eat algae, dead plants, and leftover food
Active and fun to watch
- Easy to care for
- Peaceful
- Require male and female to breed
- Will not overpopulate freshwater tanks
- Will eat algae, dead plants, and leftover food
- Active and fun to watch
Difficult to breed
Do best with sandy substrate
Known to eat tender and leafy plants
- Difficult to breed
- Do best with sandy substrate
- Known to eat tender and leafy plants
Level of care: Moderate
Max size: 5 inches
Reproduction type: Live-bearers
Requires mate to breed: Yes
Best quality: Rarity
- Level of care: Moderate
- Max size: 5 inches
- Reproduction type: Live-bearers
- Requires mate to breed: Yes
- Best quality: Rarity
White wizard snails are rare, making them difficult to find, and they are usually a premium price. Their timid nature may make them a poor tank mate with especially rowdy or bully goldfish. They tend to be mostly nocturnal and may hide during the day. They should be kept in tanks with sandy substrate that allows for burrowing to prevent stress.
Pros
Peaceful
Require male and female to breed
Will eat algae, dead plants, and leftover food
Can filter feed
Plant safe
Slow to reproduce
Cons
Do best with sandy substrate
Shy and mostly nocturnal
Premium price
Rare and difficult to find
- Assassin Snails Check Latest Price
Level of care: Easy
Max size: 3 inches
Reproduction type: Egg-layers
Requires mate to breed: Yes
Best quality: Kill and eat pests
Assassin snails are interesting snails that are often “hired” for the exact job it sounds like they are; these snails are mostly carnivorous and are successful at hunting other snails and small animals, like detritus worms. Many people purchase assassin snails to help curb an overpopulation of “pest” snails. They feature an interesting shell pattern and reproduce slowly and in small numbers, so they shouldn’t replace pests in the tank with an overabundance of assassin snails. They are plant-safe and are usually safe to be kept with small invertebrates, like dwarf shrimp, if they kept are well-fed.
Peaceful
Require male and female to breed
Will eat algae, dead plants, and leftover food
Can filter feed
Plant safe
Slow to reproduce
- Peaceful
- Require male and female to breed
- Will eat algae, dead plants, and leftover food
- Can filter feed
- Plant safe
- Slow to reproduce
Do best with sandy substrate
Shy and mostly nocturnal
Premium price
Rare and difficult to find
- Do best with sandy substrate
- Shy and mostly nocturnal
- Premium price
- Rare and difficult to find
Level of care: Easy
Max size: 3 inches
Reproduction type: Egg-layers
Requires mate to breed: Yes
Best quality: Kill and eat pests
- Level of care: Easy
- Max size: 3 inches
- Reproduction type: Egg-layers
- Requires mate to breed: Yes
- Best quality: Kill and eat pests
These snails are, obviously, not usually considered to be safe to be kept with other snails. They usually can be kept with other assassin snails and large, fast snails, like mystery snails and cappuccino spike snails, because they are opportunistic and prefer easier prey. If they’re not kept well-fed, they will turn on larger snails and will begin eating slow-moving small animals. They do not eat rotting plants or algae in the tank.
Pros
Easy to care for
Kill pests in the tank
Require male and female to breed
Plant safe
Slow to reproduce
Interesting shell pattern
Cons
Not recommended to keep with other snails
Opportunistic
May eat small animals like dwarf shrimp
Do not help clean the tank
- Ramshorn Snails Check Latest Price
Level of care: Easy
Max size: 1 inch
Reproduction type: Egg-layers
Requires mate to breed: No
Best quality: Hardy
Ramshorn snails are adorable spiral-shaped snails that frequently hitchhike into tanks on live plants. They are hermaphroditic, can reproduce asexually, and will reproduce as long as there is a food source, so they are prone to taking over tanks. These snails are hardy and come in an array of colors and shell patterns. Their shells become more opaque and darken with age. There is a miniature ramshorn snail variety that usually don’t even reach ½-inch in size.
Easy to care for
Kill pests in the tank
Require male and female to breed
Plant safe
Slow to reproduce
Interesting shell pattern
- Easy to care for
- Kill pests in the tank
- Require male and female to breed
- Plant safe
- Slow to reproduce
- Interesting shell pattern
Not recommended to keep with other snails
Opportunistic
May eat small animals like dwarf shrimp
Do not help clean the tank
- Not recommended to keep with other snails
- Opportunistic
- May eat small animals like dwarf shrimp
- Do not help clean the tank
Level of care: Easy
Max size: 1 inch
Reproduction type: Egg-layers
Requires mate to breed: No
Best quality: Hardy
- Level of care: Easy
- Max size: 1 inch
- Reproduction type: Egg-layers
- Requires mate to breed: No
- Best quality: Hardy
Ramshorns do not have an operculum, or the covering that many snails have that allows them to close their shell. This makes them at risk for injury from overly curious fish. They are air-breathers, so they are sometimes known to escape tanks for air, but they will dry out if they don’t find their way back to the water. These snails are a good fit for goldfish tanks because goldfish will happily snack on them, keeping the population under control. Ramshorn snails are known to eat live plants sometimes.
Pros
Easy to care for
Peaceful
Will eat algae, dead plants, and leftover food
Goldfish usually will keep the population under control
Hardy
Cons
May eat live plants
Reproduce asexually and may take over tanks
At risk for injury from overly curious fish
May escape the tank
- Malaysian Trumpet Snails Check Latest Price
Level of care: Easy
Max size: 1 inch
Reproduction type: Live-bearers
Requires mate to breed: No
Best quality: Keep substrate turned
Malaysian trumpet snails have earned a reputation for being pest snails, but they can be very beneficial to tanks. They burrow and dig through the substrate, helping to keep the substrate turned and preventing gas pockets. Malaysian trumpet snails are great algae-eaters and will help clean up detritus and uneaten food. They usually do not reach a full inch in length, so goldfish are great for keeping the population under control.
Easy to care for
Peaceful
Will eat algae, dead plants, and leftover food
Goldfish usually will keep the population under control
Hardy
- Easy to care for
- Peaceful
- Will eat algae, dead plants, and leftover food
- Goldfish usually will keep the population under control
- Hardy
May eat live plants
Reproduce asexually and may take over tanks
At risk for injury from overly curious fish
May escape the tank
- May eat live plants
- Reproduce asexually and may take over tanks
- At risk for injury from overly curious fish
- May escape the tank
Level of care: Easy
Max size: 1 inch
Reproduction type: Live-bearers
Requires mate to breed: No
Best quality: Keep substrate turned
- Level of care: Easy
- Max size: 1 inch
- Reproduction type: Live-bearers
- Requires mate to breed: No
- Best quality: Keep substrate turned
These snails reproduce asexually and are live-bearers. They reproduce if there is an available food source and can quickly overtake a tank. There is little color difference among these snails, so some people find them a boring tank addition. They are frequent hitchhikers on plants.
Pros
Easy to care for
Peaceful
Help keep substrate turned
Will eat algae, dead plants, and leftover food
Goldfish will usually keep the population under control
Cons
Reproduce asexually and may take over tanks
Little color difference from snail to snail
Quickly reach reproductive maturity
Do best with sandy substrate
- Tadpole/Bladder Snails
Check Latest Price
Level of care: Moderate
Max size: 5 inch
Reproduction type: Egg-layers
Requires mate to breed: No
Best quality: Hardy
Tadpole snails are another so-called “pest” snail that reproduces asexually and can rapidly take over a tank with adequate food supply. They are frequently hitchhikers into tanks on live plants, but often are better suited for ponds due to their prolific reproductive rate. They are great at working to keep tanks clear of algae and detritus. They’re extremely hardy and can survive a large temperature range and in brackish water. This is another type of snail that is often kept under control by goldfish.
Easy to care for
Peaceful
Help keep substrate turned
Will eat algae, dead plants, and leftover food
Goldfish will usually keep the population under control
- Easy to care for
- Peaceful
- Help keep substrate turned
- Will eat algae, dead plants, and leftover food
- Goldfish will usually keep the population under control
Reproduce asexually and may take over tanks
Little color difference from snail to snail
Quickly reach reproductive maturity
Do best with sandy substrate
- Reproduce asexually and may take over tanks
- Little color difference from snail to snail
- Quickly reach reproductive maturity
- Do best with sandy substrate
Check Latest Price
Level of care: Moderate
Max size: 5 inch
Reproduction type: Egg-layers
Requires mate to breed: No
Best quality: Hardy
Level of care: Moderate
Max size: 5 inch
Reproduction type: Egg-layers
Requires mate to breed: No
Best quality: Hardy
- Level of care: Moderate
- Max size: 5 inch
- Reproduction type: Egg-layers
- Requires mate to breed: No
- Best quality: Hardy
These snails are egg-layers and will leave gelatinous egg sacs in multiple locations in the tank, which many people find unattractive. These sacs can be difficult to find and remove before they hatch. Tadpole snails are known to be invasive and should not be allowed into the natural environment, so if kept in ponds, they should not be at risk for flooding or escaping into the natural environment.
Pros
Hardy
Easy to care for
Peaceful
Will eat algae, dead plants, and leftover food
Goldfish will usually keep the population under control
Cons
Prolific asexual reproduction
Little color difference from snail to snail
Quickly reach reproductive maturity
Leave gelatinous egg sacs in the tank
Eggs can be hard to find and remove
Invasive
Hardy
Easy to care for
Peaceful
Will eat algae, dead plants, and leftover food
Goldfish will usually keep the population under control
- Hardy
- Easy to care for
- Peaceful
- Will eat algae, dead plants, and leftover food
- Goldfish will usually keep the population under control
Prolific asexual reproduction
Little color difference from snail to snail
Quickly reach reproductive maturity
Leave gelatinous egg sacs in the tank
Eggs can be hard to find and remove
Invasive
- Prolific asexual reproduction
- Little color difference from snail to snail
- Quickly reach reproductive maturity
- Leave gelatinous egg sacs in the tank
- Eggs can be hard to find and remove
- Invasive
Buyer’s Guide
Choosing the Right Snails for Your Goldfish Tank
Tank Size
When choosing a snail for your goldfish tank, you want to choose one that will happily live in the size of tank you have. Sulawesi rabbit snails can get very long and may be uncomfortable in a small tank that doesn’t allow them plenty of space to move. Mystery snails produce a heavy bioload, so adding a mystery snail to a small tank that’s overstocked with goldfish may add too much bioload to the tank.
Water Parameters
Most snails prefer neutral to alkaline water, but some prefer slightly acidic pH. When keeping snails, it’s a good idea to begin monitoring your GH and KH levels to ensure the water isn’t too hard or too soft for the snails you choose. You should also choose snails that have similar water parameter and temperature preferences to goldfish.
Plants
Not all snails are plant-safe! Some snails will eat live plants no matter how well-fed they are. Some plants, like duckweed, will likely recover from being snacked on by snails, but if you keep especially delicate or rare plants, be very selective with the snails you choose. Although, if you’re keeping delicate or rare plants with goldfish, you’re already taking risks!
Breeding
If you intend to breed the snails you choose, then you’ll need to select them with care. Goldfish will eat just about anything that fits in their mouth, which can make breeding snails difficult. If you want to breed snails that do not grow quickly, like mystery snails, then you’ll need to invest in a “grow-out” tank or breeder box that allows them to grow to a safe size before they’re out in the tank with the goldfish. Otherwise, your goldfish might eat all of your small snails before they have a chance to grow. A more heavily planted tank will increase the likelihood of survival, but you’ll need to choose the snails and plants carefully.
Conclusion
The best overall snails for goldfish tanks are mystery snails, with their colorful shells and fun personalities. Japanese trapdoor snails are a great pick for tight budgets and Sulawesi rabbit snails are the best premium choice when it comes to snails in goldfish tanks. These reviews cover the 10 best snails to pair with goldfish, but this isn’t an inclusive list of all freshwater snails in the aquatics trade. This is a great starting point for you to work your way out from to find the perfect snails to pair with your goldfish.
