White Wizard Snail care and aquarium | Filopaludina martensi
Filopaludina martensi
The White Wizard Snail, Filopaludina martensi, is a large Southeast Asian freshwater snail. It grazes on surfaces, may burrow and develops its young internally. It is an attractive species, but aquarium evidence is still limited, especially for raising juveniles. This guide separates research findings from hobby observations and unanswered questions. It explains how to provide a mature bottom area, why shell minerals matter and why no single exact water recipe is justified. It also covers cautious tankmate selection, feeding, reproduction and the absence of a verified live-animal photograph or validated product match.
Plan your aquarium →At a glance
- Temperature
- 22–29 °C
- pH
- 7.0–9.0
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Adult size
- Up to 6 cm
- Temperament
- Peaceful, Forages on and in the substrate, Mainly active at dusk or night
About this species
Filopaludina martensi belongs to the family Viviparidae. It has a gill and a closable operculum, the plate that seals the shell. In trade it is often called the White Wizard Snail. Check the scientific name when buying: a trade name does not prove that the species or subspecies was identified correctly. GBIF and WoRMS accept Filopaludina martensi; older combinations and synonyms are listed in the expandable sources. A large number of online care claims does not mean those claims have been experimentally validated.Natural habitat
Research describes F. martensi martensi from Thailand, including canals, ponds and the Kwai Yai River. These are freshwater habitats with bottom sediments and local variation. Aquarium references describe a bottom-dwelling snail that grazes biofilm, may burrow and may filter small suspended food particles. These traits inform setup, but field observations are not exact aquarium recipes. Never release animals or aquarium water into ponds, drains or natural waterways.Aquarium and layout
Choose a stable, fully cycled freshwater aquarium with ample floor area, cover and natural growth. Aquarium profiles report a size around 5 cm; another hobby record gives up to 6 cm, so plan for an adult. A reliably demonstrated species-specific minimum tank volume has not been established; we therefore do not present a fixed number as scientific fact. Provide calm bottom areas and food that reaches the substrate. Burrowing may make delicate rooted plants and carefully shaped sand slopes less practical. Keep water quality stable and add snails only to a mature aquarium.Water conditions
Published sources do not agree on one set of target values. A peer-reviewed breeding note discusses juvenile maintenance at 22–29 °C and pH 7–9 from earlier work, but also reports that all juveniles in its initial setup died at 25 °C, pH 7.42 and relatively low hardness. A hobby guide lists 23–26 °C and pH 7–8.5; a community profile reports pH 7–8 and GH 8–15. These are not equivalent controlled trials. Treat them as reported context, not guaranteed optima. The practical approach is stable tropical freshwater with adequate minerals for shell growth; an exact GH or KH target is not well established. Measure and change conditions gradually.Behaviour and group size
The snail is generally described as peaceful. It may remain in the substrate during the day and become more active later. Burrowing is part of reported behaviour and is not by itself a sign of illness. Protect it from fish that repeatedly nip at its tentacles and from snail predators or animals able to crush the shell. We found no controlled pairing trials with named aquarium fish. Shared temperature or pH ranges alone are also insufficient to establish safety.Feeding
Maintain natural grazing surfaces with biofilm and growth on the substrate, wood and décor. Hobby sources also mention leftovers, sinking tablets or pellets, soft vegetables and some filter feeding. These are mainly aquarium observations, not a controlled species-specific diet study. Offer small portions and remove leftovers before they affect water quality. Do not expect this snail to eliminate algae or waste. We have not verified a commercial food and its ingredients as explicitly suitable for this species, so no product is linked.Breeding
Filopaludina martensi has separate sexes and gives birth to live young after internal development. This is described in the morphometric study and aquarium observations. Births do not mean that young are easy to raise: a 2022 peer-reviewed note reports births but also that all observed juveniles in its initial setup were lost after two to three months. The author calls for further study of hardness, pH and food. We therefore do not promise easy breeding or give a guaranteed recipe. Be prepared for offspring if an adult female is present, and focus on stable water and fine available food.Keeping with fish
No controlled tests were found pairing Filopaludina martensi with named fish species. Choose only calm fish that leave snails alone, do not nip at tentacles and share the same freshwater conditions. Large snail-eaters, puffers and animals with strong jaws pose a risk. This is general risk reduction, not confirmation of a specific pairing.
Keeping with other invertebrates
Reliable species-specific pairing trials with other snails or shrimp were not found. Consider food competition and whether tankmates might pull at tentacles or damage the shell. Do not add a species simply because temperature or pH overlaps. We therefore do not add unverified compatibility cards.
Exoskeleton, shell and minerals
Snails do not moult like shrimp; the shell grows with the animal. A dull, eroded or damaged shell may relate to water chemistry, nutrition or physical injury. First check water stability and mineral availability. Sources for this species do not support a universal GH or KH target, so do not add salt or supplements blindly. Seek advice if damage progresses.
Possible problems
The main uncertainty is that published breeding work found juvenile rearing difficult. Other concerns include a new aquarium with too little biofilm, inadequate sinking food, unstable water, shell wear and disturbance by snail-eating fish. Confirm that a purchased animal is actually Filopaludina martensi, as trade names are used loosely. Do not change hardness or pH abruptly. Never release aquarium animals or water outdoors; absence from an invasive-species list does not make release acceptable.
Keeping with other species
Assassin snail
Not recommendedDiscouraged if you want to retain offspring: the assassin snail is a predator that eats other snails, while newborn Filopaludina are only a few millimetres long. Adults may not be equally vulnerable, but no direct pairing trial exists.
View species profile →Suitable plants
Java fern
Conditionally suitable: attach Java fern to wood or rock and keep its rhizome uncovered. The plant then does not rely on delicate roots in the substrate, where a burrowing snail could disturb them. This is a practical precaution; species-specific plant safety has not been tested.
- Light
- Low, Moderate
- CO₂
- CO₂ injection not needed
Sources & review
This care guide draws on several specialist sources and was last checked on .
View the sources
- Global Biodiversity Information Facility / Catalogue of Life — Filopaludina martensi — GBIF Backbone Taxonomy
- WoRMS — World Register of Marine Species — Filopaludina martensi
- Jurnal Ilmiah Perikanan dan Kelautan 14(1):167–175 — Hristov (2022), A Note on Filopaludina martensi martensi Artificial Breeding Conditions
- Ruthenica 31(2):87–92; Mahidol University — Sawangproh et al. (2021), Sexual dimorphism and morphometric analysis of Filopaludina martensi martensi
- Shrimp and Snail Breeder — White Wizard Snail — care, diet and breeding
- Akvaforum — Filopaludina martensi — Akvaforum species entry