🐌 General Overview of Black Helmet Snails

• Scientific Name: Clea nigricans

• Common Names: Black Helmet Snail, Black Snail, Nigricans Snail

• Family: Buccinidae

• Origin: Southeast Asia (Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia)

• Habitat: Freshwater rivers, streams, and slow-moving water bodies with plenty of detritus

• Lifespan: 2 – 4 years

✅ Physical Characteristics

• Size: 2.5 – 4 cm (1 – 1.5 inches) in length

• Shell Shape: Dome-shaped, resembling a helmet (rounded but sturdy)

• Shell Color: Dark brown to black

• Operculum: Present – helps protect from predators and harsh conditions

• Body Color: Generally dark gray to black

• Eye Stalks: Short and sturdy

🍽️ Diet and Feeding Behavior

• Primary Diet: Carnivorous – mainly feeds on other small snails (pest species), dead animal matter, and detritus

• Hunting Method: Actively hunts smaller snails, drilling through their shells to feed on soft tissue

• Supplemental Feeding: Will accept sinking carnivore pellets, blanched vegetables (zucchini, spinach), and frozen food (bloodworms, brine shrimp)

• Feeding Frequency: Opportunistic feeder, feeds every few days depending on availability of prey

🌿 Tank Requirements

• Minimum Tank Size: 10 gallons or larger

• Water Parameters:

  • Temperature: 22°C – 28°C (72°F – 82°F)

  • pH: 6.5 – 8.0

  • Hardness: Moderate (5 – 15 dGH)

• Substrate: Fine sand or gravel preferred (facilitates burrowing and stability)

• Decor: Rocks, driftwood, aquatic plants (for hiding and hunting)

• Water Flow: Low to moderate (mimics natural slow-flowing habitats)

⚡ Behavior and Compatibility

• Activity: Mostly nocturnal, spends time burrowed in substrate during the day

• Social Behavior: Solitary hunters but can live in small groups

• Compatibility:

  • ✅ Great for pest snail control

  • ✅ Peaceful towards fish and invertebrates

  • ❌ Avoid housing with aggressive fish or other snail predators

  • ❌ Should not be housed with slow-moving or valuable ornamental snails (may prey on them)

⚠️ Breeding Information

• Reproduction: Sexual species – male and female required

• Sex Ratio: Difficult to determine visually (males are slightly smaller)

• Reproductive Behavior: Mating occurs in substrate, eggs are laid in clusters

• Hatching Time: 2 – 4 weeks depending on conditions

• Baby Size: Tiny snails (~1 mm) that are carnivorous from birth

• Challenges: Breeding in captivity is rare and difficult due to the need for careful conditions and balanced food supply

🌡️ Health and Care Tips

• Common Problems:

  • Starvation if no pest snails are available

  • Poor water quality → Shell degradation

  • Sensitive to copper-based medications (always toxic)

• Supplemental Feeding Tips:

  • Offer frozen bloodworms or snails (if no live pest snails are present)

  • Provide protein-rich sinking pellets occasionally

• Tank Maintenance:

  • Keep substrate clean but leave some detritus for natural grazing

  • Avoid over-cleaning that removes biofilm entirely

✅ Benefits in the Aquarium

• Natural pest control of unwanted snail populations

• Interesting predator-prey behavior to observe

• Peaceful with fish, shrimp, and other invertebrates

• Adds diversity and ecological balance

❌ Cautions

• May attack valuable or decorative snails

• If no pest snails are present, may starve

• Slow to breed → Population increases gradually, not in excess

• Requires careful balance of diet and environment

🏆 Summary

Black Helmet Snails are ideal for aquarists who want an effective, natural way to control pest snails in freshwater aquariums. Their dark helmet-like shell and predatory nature make them a unique and fascinating addition, as long as prey availability and tank mates are carefully managed.