Description
Martens' viviparid snail is a rounded snail of about 4 to 5 cm, with a greenish or olive shell, among the largest of the peaceful snails an aquarium can hold. It is slow, calm and does not attack healthy plants: it feeds on algal films, leftovers and particles it picks from the bottom and the water.
It is livebearing: females give birth to fully formed snails, a few at a time, so the population grows slowly and does not become a pest. An operculum seals the shell if it feels threatened or the water does not suit it.
Because of its size it needs a tank with floor area and a soft bottom, and soft water does it harm because the shell wears away.
Habitat
It is a Southeast Asian snail, with records from Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and Malaysia, living in rice paddies, ponds, canals and slow rivers, on soft bottoms and among vegetation. It tolerates temperate and somewhat cloudy water.
In the aquarium a fine sand bottom, plants, water with some hardness and a moderate temperature are enough, with no need to heat it much.
🌊 Water parameters
What about your tank?
Enter your tank's values to see only the compatible species that fit them. Litres apply to fish.
Compatible fish
General guidance based on water parameters, behaviour and known exceptions; always review the individual animals' and aquarium's specific needs.
They share water: pH 7 and 24–28 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–27 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 20–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7 and 23–28 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 26–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–27 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–27 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–27 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7 and 24–27 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 21–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 20–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 20–25 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 20–24 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 20–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 22–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 25–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 24–27 °C.
They share water: pH 7 and 24–28 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 7.5–8.2 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7.5–8.2 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7 and 20–26 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 7–7.2 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 20–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 20–22 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7 and 23–28 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 21–27 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 20–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 22–27 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8.2 and 20–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7 and 26–28 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7 and 22–26 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7 and 23–28 °C. They only meet at the very edge, so the tank has to hold that value.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 23–27 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 23–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 20–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 23–27 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 22–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 24–27 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–27 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 22–28 °C.
Compatible invertebrates
General guidance based on water parameters, behaviour and known exceptions; always review the individual animals' and aquarium's specific needs.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 20–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–27 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 20–25 °C.
They share water: pH 7.5–8.2 and 24–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 22–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 22–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7.5–8.2 and 26–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8.2 and 22–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 20–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 22–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 20–27 °C.
They share water: pH 7.5–8.2 and 27–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 22–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 20–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 23–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 23–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7.5–8.2 and 27–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 23–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 20–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 20–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 20–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 20–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 20–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 20–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–7.5 and 20–26 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8.2 and 22–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 22–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 22–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 22–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 22–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 22–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 20–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8 and 20–28 °C.
They share water: pH 7–8.2 and 20–28 °C.
Sources
- GBIFGBIF Secretariat (2026). GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Checklist dataset. https://doi.org/10.15468/39omei. Consultado vía GBIF.org, 2026-08. Filopaludina martensi.
Taxonomy verified as ACCEPTED unless stated otherwise.
The care values (pH, temperature and hardness) have no citable source: none of the accepted sources publishes invertebrate profiles. Seriously Fish has none and PlanetCatfish does not respond. A source for invertebrates is still to be agreed.