1 kinds · tap one for a closer look
Peaceful with fish and shrimp.
367 species in our list are a good match.
Peaceful with fish and shrimp.
Algae wafers and vegetables.
Tap a food to see what it is.
Separate sexes, but males and females cannot be told apart by eye.
Common problems. Tap one to see the signs. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.
Live-bearing · Easy
Live-bearing (viviparous): females brood young in a brood pouch and release fully formed baby snails. Breeds slowly; keep a few snails to get both sexes.
Keep a small group.
20 L tank with hard water.
Warm stable water.
Very low output: one study found only a single juvenile in each female's brood pouch. Populations are female-biased.
Young are tiny snails.
A brown snail with a strongly coiled, spiny, tiered shell from a single river on the Myanmar-Thailand border. It is peaceful, grazes algae and detritus and leaves healthy plants alone (some keepers report it as a fine-particle feeder).
American naturalist Augustus Gould described this snail in 1847. Its tiered, spiny shell resembling a pagoda made it a prized but tricky aquarium snail.
First described by Augustus A. Gould in 1847. Named for 'Pagodula' means little pagoda, after its spiky shell.
16 facts checked with sources
Accepted in MolluscaBase (AphiaID 740326), authority (A. A. Gould, 1847); original name Melania pagodula. Freshwater snail. Type species of Brotia. mtDNA suggests it may be two species living together (Köhler & Deein 2010), which may explain differing feeding reports.
MolluscaBase via WoRMS REST record: Brotia pagodula (AphiaID 740326) · Wikipedia: Brotia pagodula (cites IUCN 2012; Köhler et al. 2009; Köhler & Deein 2010)Legacy had no family.
MolluscaBase via WoRMS REST record: Brotia pagodula (AphiaID 740326) · Wikipedia: Brotia pagodula (cites IUCN 2012; Köhler et al. 2009; Köhler & Deein 2010)Shell length; 2 in = 5.1 cm.
Aquarium Glaser (wholesaler, F. Schäfer & K. Diehl): Brotia pagodula (2024) · The Shrimp Farm (hobby care guide): Pagoda snail, Brotia pagodula (2022)Aquarium Glaser (species-specific, from a wholesaler with long experience) preferred: 18-26 °C. The Shrimp Farm gives a wider 70-88 °F (21-31 °C). Legacy 20-28 °C sits between the two.
Aquarium Glaser (wholesaler, F. Schäfer & K. Diehl): Brotia pagodula (2024) · The Shrimp Farm (hobby care guide): Pagoda snail, Brotia pagodula (2022)Legacy 7-8.5 agrees with both sources taken together; Glaser's ideal is 7.5-8.5.
Aquarium Glaser (wholesaler, F. Schäfer & K. Diehl): Brotia pagodula (2024) · The Shrimp Farm (hobby care guide): Pagoda snail, Brotia pagodula (2022)Only carbonate hardness (KH 5-30) found; no GH figure.
The Shrimp Farm (hobby care guide): Pagoda snail, Brotia pagodula (2022)10 US gal = 37.9 L for one snail, ~19 L more per extra snail. Needs good flow and oxygen.
The Shrimp Farm (hobby care guide): Pagoda snail, Brotia pagodula (2022)Safe with shrimp, including baby shrimp.
The Shrimp Farm (hobby care guide): Pagoda snail, Brotia pagodula (2022)Also grazes all hard surfaces (Glaser).
The Shrimp Farm (hobby care guide): Pagoda snail, Brotia pagodula (2022)Needs well-oxygenated, flowing water and is sensitive to poor water quality.
The Shrimp Farm (hobby care guide): Pagoda snail, Brotia pagodula (2022)Legacy had no range (only 'Southeast Asia'). IUCN: Least Concern (2012).
Aquarium Glaser (wholesaler, F. Schäfer & K. Diehl): Brotia pagodula (2024) · The Shrimp Farm (hobby care guide): Pagoda snail, Brotia pagodula (2022) · Wikipedia: Brotia pagodula (cites IUCN 2012; Köhler et al. 2009; Köhler & Deein 2010)Legacy 'releases young snails after a few weeks' is unsourced as to timing; the study itself was not identified by name on the page.
The Shrimp Farm (hobby care guide): Pagoda snail, Brotia pagodula (2022)Legacy text verified. The Shrimp Farm warns it may damage delicate plants when hungry, while Glaser says plants are not touched.
Aquarium Glaser (wholesaler, F. Schäfer & K. Diehl): Brotia pagodula (2024) · Wikipedia: Brotia pagodula (cites IUCN 2012; Köhler et al. 2009; Köhler & Deein 2010)