How Many Snails In A 10 Gallon Tank Can You Keep?

If you have ever wondered “how many snails in a 10 gallon tank you can hold”, then you are not the only one! The moment you think of this, the following queries follow the list “how can you take care of fish tanks with snails, which snails would be perfect for your 10 gallon tank?” etc.

Usually, most people pet goldfish in their tank. But if you are a snail lover or looking to pet snails but confused about which snail to choose and how to take care, then you have landed in the right place. In this article, we’ll share all the information related to how many snails in a 10 gallon tank one can keep and how to choose the right one for your tank.

How Big Is A 10 Gallon Tank?

Fish tanks come in 3 different sizes. Small fish tank sizes are from  2-½ gallons to 15 gallons. Medium fish tank sizes start from 20 gallons to 45 gallons. And large fish tank sizes are from 50 gallons up to 225 gallons.

Most people use a 10 gallon fish tank which is 20 inches in length,10 inches in width and 12 inches in height. You can carry up to 37.9 liters of water. You might find it small, but it is not small or big. It is just the right size that uses less space, needs less care yet comes at an affordable price.

How Many Snails In A 10 Gallon Tank?

You can keep both saltwater and freshwater snails in a 10 gallon tank. But it entirely depends on the variety and the number of snails. A 10 gallon tank can hold up to 5 Mystery snails,  2 or less Assassin snails, 3-5 Nerite snails,  6-8 Land and garden snails, 1-2 Ramshorn snails and 2-3 Apple snails.

This does not mean you can drop any of the snails with every fish or pet different types of snails as you wish. You must be careful about which snails you choose and how you keep them. For that, you need to understand the types of snails.

Types Of Snails

There are many types of snails, especially for fish tanks. These species are shared in detail so that you may know about them and choose the right one for your tank.

1. Mystery Snails

Mystery snails are more popular than other snails as freshwater snails. These tiny snails are incredibly colorful and bright and grow up to an average length of 2 inches. You can store up to 4 snails in a 10 gallon tank.

But there are certain things you need to take care of :

• Keep the water temperature at 68°F to 84°F
• Keep pH levels: 7.6 to 8.4
• Maintain water hardness: 12 to 18 kH

Mystery snails’ favorite food is algae. But they also eat kale, spinach, zucchini, and cucumbers. But do not throw in more food that mystery snails can not consume, as it might tamper with the water and make them sick.

2. Apple Snails

Apple snails are a great addition to the fish tank and are not risky for fish or shrimp species. Moreover, they do not attack plants and stick to eating algae. So the answer to how many snails in a 10 gallon tank is 2-3 in case of apple snails.

These small size and beautiful color snails are suitable to store in any tank. But many people don’t prefer keeping them with fish because they leave more litter, increasing the weekly cleaning of fish tanks.

For apple snails, you need to make sure:

• Keep the water temperature at 64°F to 84°F
• Keep pH levels: 7.0
• Maintain water hardness: 8-18 dH

Apple snails mostly eat anything but specifically love lightly blanched vegetables.

3. Assassin Snails

Assassin snails mostly attack tiny, bigger-sized, and unwanted pest snails. That is why they are called assassin snails. These snails eat mystery snails and other types of snails and control the population of the fish tank.

Assassin snails do not grow more than 3 inches. For a 10 gallon tank, only 2 assassin snails are suitable. They might be minimal in number, but they will take care of your fish tank more than you.

Things you need to take care of:

• Keep the water temperature at 75°F to 80°F
• Keep pH levels: 7.0 – 8.0
• Maintain water hardness: 8–15 dGH

4. Ramshorn Snails

Ramshorn snails are not only very attractive but also clean algae off of glass, plants, and decorations. They keep your fish tank bottom clean.

The ramshorn snails are big in size. They can grow up to 4 centimeters which is why they need more space. If you are thinking, as ramshorn snails are big in size, how many snails in a 10 gallon tank can hold them? Then the answer is, you can keep up to 2 ramshorn snails in a 10 gallon fish tank.

To keep a ramshorn snail as a pet, you should keep some things in mind.

• Keep the water temperature at 70°F to 78°F
• Keep pH levels: 7.0 – 7.5
• Maintain water hardness: 5–15 dKH

5. Nerite Snails

Nerite snails are tiny in size and go perfect with fish tanks. Though they are freshwater aquarium snails, there are some saltwater varieties as well. They are popular for outstanding tank cleaning.

Wondering how many snails in a 10 gallon tank hold for nerite snails? The answer is 3-5 nerite snails. You can also hold up to 10-20 of them in a 10 gallon tank. However, you should not keep them together with fish.

For nerite snails,

• Keep the water temperature at 72°F – 78°F
• Keep pH levels: 7.0-8.2
• Maintain water hardness: 5-15 dKH

6. Turban Snails

The turban snail is a complete clean-up snail among all. Their shell resembles turban; hence they are called turban snails. These snails come from a class of algae-cleaning groups. Turban snails consume various algae, including slime, green hair algae, filamentous algae, and diatoms.

Things you need to take care of:

• Keep the water temperature at 72-78° F
• Keep pH levels: 8.1-8.4
• Maintain water hardness: 8–12 dKH

7. Turbo Snails

The turbo snail is mostly popular among marine aquarium lovers since it quickly cleans huge amounts of nuisance algae. They are a great solution if you have hair algae, as they ingest in large quantities.

The turbo snails will not grow more than 6 inches. They can even knock down decors and even rocks while looking for algae. If you are out of algae, you can offer them seaweed.

Things to take care of:

• Keep the water temperature at 72°F to 78°F
• Keep pH levels: 8.1-8.4
• Maintain water hardness: 8–12 dKH

8. Astrea Snails

Astrea snails are very helpful in controlling undesirable algae growth in fish tanks. These snails can help to control nuisance hair algae. They can grow up to a one-inch diameter. This means you can comfortably store 10 snails at a time in a 10 gallon tank.

Things you need to take care of:

• Keep the water temperature at 75°F to 80°F
• Keep pH levels: 8.1 – 8.4
• Maintain water hardness: 8-9.5 dKH

9. Cerith Snails

Cerith snails are undeniably excellent choices for fish tank pets. They mostly eat fish pellets, cyano, detritus worms, and film and hair algae. Though they are small in size, most of them are reported to be 2.5 cm. 10 snails of Cerith snails would be fine for a 10 gallon tank.

Keep in mind:

• Keep the water temperature at 73°F to 81°F
• Keep pH levels: 8.1-8.4

10. Rabbit Snail

Rabbit snails are a freshwater species that have a lot of heads. These snails add a different feel to your tank because of their good looks. They’re quite rare to be found. Very few people are lucky to have them.

If you get one, you might need to keep in mind:

• keep the water temperature: 68°F to 86°F
• Keep pH levels: 7.3 to 8.5
• Maintain Water hardness: 2 to 15 dKH

Best Snails For a 10 Gallon Tank

Among all the variety of snails, there are some species that are fit to keep in your 10 gallon fish tank.

• Assassin snails
• Astrea snails
• Turban snails
• Nerite snails
• Cerith snails
• Mystery snails
• Turbo snails

Worst Snails For a 10 Gallon Tank

Not all snails are good for fish tanks. There are some specific snails that can cause more trouble than benefit. Snails such as-

• Bladder snails
• Pond snails
• Malaysian trumpet snails

Advantages Of Snails In A 10 Gallon Tank

Pet snails have some crucial benefits if you have an aquarium and want to keep it as beautiful as the day you bought it. These benefits are listed below.

Eats Algae

Algae is a common issue in fish tanks. It is bound to occur. But if ignored, it can cause water pollution and an unsatisfactory environment and affect the tank’s aesthetics. So, snails are a perfect choice to help clean the algae from the fish tank. They will eat algae and control the level of water pollution.

Eat spest

Water snails, mostly assassin snails, eat pests and clear up the tan from algae. This makes the fish tank clear and lessens your necessity to clean the fish tank very often.

Keeps Tank Clean

Fishes usually make the water dirty if they are kept in the same water for too long. So to clean the water of a fish tank, snails can be of great help. They eat the leftovers keeping the tank clean for the fish.

You May Also Read: How Many Cory Catfish In A 20-Gallon Tank?

Frequently Asked Questions

Now, it’s time to answer some of the commonly asked questions about snails in a 10-gallon tank. Have a close look to clear your doubts.

How Many Assassin Snails In A 10 Gallon Tank?

Do not overthink how many assassin snails in a 10-gallon tank would be needed. As they are up to 3 inches long, only 2 snails would be perfect for a 10-gallon tank.

How Many Nerite Snails In A 10 Gallon Tank?

You can choose 15 horned nerite snails for a 10-gallon tank and 7 to 9 for zebra nerite snails.

How Many Land Snails In A 10 Gallon Tank?

Land and garden snails can grow up to 8 inches, so it is a better option to avoid them.

How Many Ramshorn Snails In A 10 Gallon Tank?

Adult ramshorn snails are nearly an inch in diameter. This allows you to keep 10 of them in a 10-gallon tank.

How Often Do Aquarium Snails Reproduce?

Aquarium snails usually reproduce once every 4–6 weeks. They have a reasonable rate of reproduction. If they get the right amount of food and environment, they can reproduce at a good rate. The duration might seem small, but they produce 5–600 eggs in a bunch depending on the species.

Do Snails Make A Lot Of Waste?

Snails play an important role in maintaining freshwater aquariums only if you choose the right type. Most snails dine on algae, dead plant material, dead fish, and other detritus. This makes them an excellent option to help you keep your tank clean.

Final Thought

There you go. We have enclosed how many snails in a 10 gallon tank you should keep and what type of snail could come in handy.

The rest depends on your judgment.

Let us know what you think about it in the comment section. It would be great to hear from you.