Bladder snail
Physella acuta
InvertebratesFreshwaterPest species
- Care level
- Easy
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Recommended tank
- 10 L
- Maximum size
- 1.5 cm
- Temperature
- 15–28 °C
- pH
- 6.5–8
- Diet
- Omnivore
Care at a glance
The bladder snail is the classic hitchhiker that arrives with new plants; you can recognise it by its thin, left-coiling shell. It does not eat healthy plants but decaying leaves, leftover food and film, so it does no damage.
If numbers explode, that is mainly a signal that there is too much food in the tank: feeding less and removing snails by hand works better than chemical treatments, which often hit shrimp as well. If you really want it gone, an assassin snail is a natural solution.
Natural predators
Related species
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Values are mainstream hobbyist guidance, not gospel — always watch what your own animals need.