Snails
Janitors with shells, peaceful and unhurried. Algae-grazing livebearers that help keep aquariums, patio tubs, and outdoor ponds tidy, one slow lap at a time.
I sell two freshwater snails: Japanese Trapdoor Snails, a cold-hardy cleanup crew that can stay outdoors all year, and Blueberry Snails, a warm-season grazer with a deep blue-purple shell. Both are peaceful livebearers that will not overrun a tank, and both ship live on Mondays with my live arrival guarantee.
Freshwater snails for tanks, tubs, and ponds
A good cleanup crew keeps a tank clearer and does real work between water changes. I raise two peaceful, livebearing species: Japanese Trapdoor Snails (Sinotaia quadrata), which graze algae and leftover food and are hardy enough to overwinter outdoors, and Blueberry Snails (Viviparus sp.), prized for their deep blue-purple shells. One important difference: Trapdoors can stay outside year-round here, while Blueberries are warm-season only outdoors and need to come inside before it turns cold.
Which snail is right for you?
Both are peaceful, livebearing, plant-safe cleanup snails (I only sell livebearers for now), so neither will overrun a tank the way egg-laying pest snails do. Here is how they compare.
| Snail | Adult size | Cold-hardy | Reproduction | Grazes on | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blueberry SnailsViviparus sp. | Medium | Warm months only outdoors | Livebearer, slow | Algae and biofilm | A pop of blue-purple color plus cleanup (ships as a set of 3) |
| Japanese Trapdoor SnailsSinotaia quadrata | Large | Yes, overwinters outdoors year-round | Livebearer, slow | Algae and detritus | The pond and tub cleanup workhorse (ships as a set of 5) |
Keeping Blueberry Snails outdoors for the summer? Put them somewhere you can actually retrieve them. A tub or container you can reach into makes it easy to collect everyone and bring them inside before the first cold snap. Japanese Trapdoor Snails can stay out through the winter.
Are these snails safe with medaka and plants?
Yes. Both are live-bearing, non-pest snails that won't explode in population the way bladder or pond snails do, and neither eats healthy plants or harms your fish or fry. They're the ideal companions for medaka, in fact they're what I keep alongside my own breeding colonies. They thrive in the same unheated tanks, patio tubs, and ponds my fish do.
Shipped from North Carolina
My snails ship Mondays under the same live arrival guarantee as my fish. Pair them with a group of medaka, a mixed collection, or a custom collection you create yourself for a balanced, low-maintenance setup, and see my snail care guide for the full rundown, plus my medaka care guide for stocking tips.