- Sku: 8644460
- Vendor: Squeaky's Aquatics
Japanese Trapdoor Snail (Viviparus malleattus)
The Japanese Trapdoor Snail (Viviparus malleattus) is the workhorse cleaner of ponds and unheated aquariums. Cold tolerant, completely plant safe, and armed with a hinged trapdoor that seals it inside its shell, it grazes algae and detritus year round in conditions most tropical snails cannot touch. Browse the rest of our freshwater invertebrates for more cleanup crew.
Please note: pricing is per snail, and shell color ranges from olive green to brown.
Care Guide
Trapdoor snails are nearly maintenance free. In a pond they live happily through winter, hunkering down below the ice line; in an aquarium they take anything from the 50s up to about 80°F. Give them hard, alkaline-leaning water for strong shells and let them work the bottom, where they plow gently through substrate eating algae, leftover food, and decaying plant matter. They are livebearers that produce a few well-developed young at a time, so they will never carpet a pond the way pest snails do.
Important: never dose copper-based medications in a tank or pond with snails or other invertebrates. Copper is lethal to them even at low levels.
Specifications
| Care Level | Beginner |
| Temperament | Completely peaceful |
| Max Size | About 2 inches |
| Minimum Tank Size | 5 gallons, or any size pond |
| Temperature | 50 to 80°F, winters over in ponds |
| pH | 7.0 to 8.4, harder water preferred |
| Diet | Algae, detritus, leftover food, sinking wafers |
| Reproduction | Livebearer, slow, will not overrun |
| Plant Safe | Yes, completely |
Compatibility
Perfect with goldfish, koi (large koi may mouth small snails), and every peaceful community fish, shrimp, and snail. Avoid dedicated snail eaters like loaches and puffers.
Recommended Tankmates & Supplies
- Striped Wizard Snail, a tropical cousin from the same trapdoor family
- FritzPond Clarifier to pair with your pond cleanup crew
- Our full freshwater invertebrate and live fish collections
FAQ
Can they really live outdoors year round? Yes. In an established pond they ride out winter dormant near the bottom and resume grazing in spring.
Will they overrun my pond? No. They are slow livebearers, not egg-laying pest snails, so numbers stay manageable.
Why has my snail not moved in days? Sealing the trapdoor and resting is normal, especially in cool water. Give it time before worrying.
Are they safe with pond plants? Completely. They clean leaves without eating them.
Have a question?
Japanese Trapdoor Snail (Viviparus malleattus)
