Phylopaludine sumatrensis
The Phylopaludine sumatrensis naturally inhabits water bodies located in South Asia (Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, Sumatra, Thailand, Java). These snails can be found in slow and fast river beds, in places with abundant aquatic vegetation, as well as in wetlands.
Phylopaludine sumatrensis has a smooth, spiral shell. The main colour of the shell is light yellow or brownish, with fine black or dark brown lines (about 5-10 lines) running along the concentric ribs. The body colour of the snail is orange or yellowish, except for the head, which is dark bluish in colour with scattered orange pigments. The gill tissue has the same tones as the rest of the shell. The adult snail reaches a length of 2.7-3 cm and a width of almost 2 cm.
Phylopaludine sumatrensis is a calm, peaceful and non-aggressive snail by nature. It has no weapons to attack its mates, except its shell and gill cover to protect itself from predators. The snail spends most of its time searching for food, crawling on plants, snags, stones and substrate. It has an active lifestyle, always on the move all day long. It is also active at night. The snails may be kept in a shared aquarium with practically all fish species that do not hunt molluscs.
Due to the fact that Phylopaludine sumatrensis feeds on algae, it is not advisable to overpopulate the tank, as this could lead to problems with the food supply. The snails should preferably be kept in an aquarium of at least 50 liters. Water parameters: temperature 20-26° C, hardness dH 5-20°, pH 6,0-8,0. The water in the aquarium should be of medium hardness, neutral acidity and temperature around 25° C, although the snails can tolerate colder and warmer water. It is important that the snails are kept in aquarium water with sufficient calcium to support normal shell development. Thin, cracked or indented shells may indicate a calcium deficiency, so periodic calcium additions to the aquarium may be required. The aquarium should be densely planted at the bottom to arrange snags and large stones.
Phylopaludine sumatrensis in addition to algae also feeds on detritus. The snails are fed with chopped vegetables and vegetable tablets. These snails are good scavengers in the aquarium, picking up uneaten food and dead plant leaves.
Reproduction
Cross-sex reproduction. These snails give birth to up to 14 fully formed tiny molluscs during the night. As long as the water parameters are within normal limits, the reproduction of the snails will not cause any major problems.