A peaceful, hardy pet, the Black Mystery Snail can make a nice addition to many aquariums. They can be kept in communities or by themselves, and they have attractive appearances, in addition to their nice quality of aiding in aquarium cleaning.

Black Mystery Snails usually feed on algae or decaying plant matter in aquariums, which makes them popular among people wishing for a peaceful animal that will aid in maintaining cleanliness in their tanks. They prefer to stay underwater, although if their enclosures are not sufficiently aerated, they will sometimes come to the surface in order to get more oxygen. Black Mystery Snails should not be kept with fish that pick at them. However, they usually do not show aggression toward other fish in their enclosures. They usually are not picky eaters and will often feed on the same food as other fish kept in their enclosures.

Most Black Mystery Snails are fully grown when they are between three quarters of an inch and an inch and a half in diameter. Their shells and bodies are usually about the size of a ping pong ball. The most popular coloration is a black body and a gold shell. However, brown, black, and gold varieties are all available.

Black Mystery Snails are native to South America, where they spend their entire lives underwater. They are peaceful animals that can make nice additions to many community tanks. The scientific name, Ampularia cuprina, is now considered obsolete.

Because of their small sizes, most Black Mystery Snails will do well in aquariums of ten gallons. Although they can survive in temperatures up to 85 degrees Fahrenheit, most Black Mystery Snails will do well in cooler temperatures. The acceptable range is between 68 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit (20 to 30 degrees Celsius). The pH level should be between 6.5 and 7.5. The lower regions of this range are most desirable, and low water hardness is ideal. Black Mystery Snails tend to be sensitive to salinity. They should not be kept in aquariums with more than three parts per trillion salt. If they must be kept in such conditions, the salinity should be raised to this level over a period of days. An aerating filter or air pump is usually beneficial for Black Mystery Snails. They can be kept with other snails or fish, although fish that continually bother them may stress them. Black Mystery Snails will eat both plant and animal matter, though the majority of their diet consists of protein. Black Mystery Snails thrive when offered animal materials like frozen brine shrimp and tubifex worms. Normally, they also feed on vegetation that falls to the bottom of their enclosures, as well as algae.

Black Mystery Snails usually breed with little encouragement as long as their environmental conditions are optimized by the time they are more than four months old. Black Mystery Snails lay their eggs underwater. You should provide some plant or rock to which they can attach these eggs, which are usually deposited in the form of a slimy material. Some of these snails have also been observed to lay eggs in tan egg cases on land areas. Clutches usually consist of more than one hundred eggs that will hatch in 10 to 14 days. It should be noted that it is very difficult to distinguish males from females, and many people often believe, erroneously, that they are hermaphrodites for this reason.