Ramshorn Snails are attractive and are great for adding some color and decoration to your aquarium, but they also serve some very useful purposes.  They clean algae off of glass, plants, and decorations, they eat hair algae, and they keep your substrate clean and the correct color.  While they are relatively effective algae-eaters, they do not harm live plants. 

 

They are totally safe with any fish, shrimp, or plants, and are completely peaceful.  They're hilarious if you have dwarf shrimp like we do; the shrimp love to ride around on the snails!  These snails also reproduce very quickly, making them a great live food starter colony for puffers and other animals that eat snails.

 

Brown Ramshorn Snail shells range from a lighter chestnut color to a darker, sepia-toned brown.  Their bodies are always bright red or pink.  The snails usually ship as juveniles that are pea-sized, but may sometimes be smaller.  Even the smallest snail will be adult breeding size within 2 months.  These snails can grow up to 1 or 2 inches in diameter.