What tank size does a Bladder Snail need?

A Bladder Snail needs an aquarium of at least 10 litres (2.6 US gallons) with a footprint at least 20 cm (7.9 in) long — for this species, swimming length matters as much as raw volume.

What water parameters does a Bladder Snail need?

Bladder Snail does best at 15–30 °C (59–86 °F), pH 6.5–8.5 and a general hardness of 3–25 °dGH.

What group size does a Bladder Snail need?

Bladder Snail is a social species — keep a group of at least 2 so natural behaviour emerges and stress stays low.

Is the Bladder Snail suitable for beginners?

Yes — Bladder Snail is one of the easier species to keep and forgives typical first-tank mistakes, as long as the aquarium is cycled and maintained.

Species library

Bladder Snail

Physella acuta

Physidae

InvertsDifficulty: ●○○○○Data: well-established

📷 Juliette Tariel · CC BY-SA 4.0 · resized · Wikimedia Commons

Bladder Snail — Physella acuta — 📷 Juliette Tariel · CC BY-SA 4.0 · resized · Wikimedia Commons

About

The bladder snail is a tiny, teardrop-shaped freshwater snail with a thin, translucent, left-coiling shell, and is one of the most widespread and hardy gastropods on the planet. It usually arrives uninvited as a hitchhiker on plants or decor, then quietly works as a cleanup crew, rasping algae, biofilm and detritus from every surface. As a self-fertilising hermaphrodite it can breed explosively in a well-fed tank, which is why it is often labelled a pest despite being completely harmless to fish, shrimp and healthy plants.

Care

Practically indestructible and undemanding across almost any freshwater conditions, including warm or poorly oxygenated water it can breathe air to survive. Controls its own population through feeding, so keep feeding modest; harmless and plant-safe but highly sensitive to copper.

Diet

Omnivorous grazer feeding on soft algae, diatoms, biofilm, detritus and decaying leaves, plus any uneaten fish food. No supplemental feeding is required; the colony size simply tracks the available food supply.

Tankmate compatibility

Gets along with (40)

Possible with care (171)

Acei Cichlid African Butterfly Cichlid Agassiz's Dwarf Cichlid Auratus Cichlid Banjo Catfish Betta (Siamese Fighting Fish)Black Neon Tetra Black Phantom Tetra Black Ruby Barb Black Skirt Tetra Blackline Rasbora Bleeding Heart Tetra Blood Parrot Cichlid Blue Acara Blue Dolphin Cichlid Blue Tiger Shrimp Boesemani Rainbowfish Bolivian Ram Borleyi (Redfin Hap)Borneo Sucker Brevis Shell Dweller Brichard's Teleogramma Brichardi (Fairy Cichlid)Bronze Corydoras Buenos Aires Tetra Buffalohead Cichlid Bumblebee Cichlid Bumblebee Goby Celebes Rainbowfish Checkerboard Cichlid Checkered Barb Cherry Barb Chili Rasbora Chocolate Cichlid Clown Killifish Clown Pleco Cobalt Blue Zebra Cochu's Blue Tetra Cockatoo Dwarf Cichlid Colombian Ramshorn Snail Congo Dwarf Cichlid Congo Tetra Convict Cichlid Crystal Red Shrimp Cylindricus Cichlid Cyprichromis Demasoni Cichlid Denison Barb Diamond Tetra Discus Doctor Fish Dogtooth Cichlid Dojo (Weather) Loach Duboisi Tropheus Dwarf Chain Loach Dwarf Flag Cichlid Dwarf Gourami Dwarf Neon Rainbowfish Dwarf Petricola Catfish Dwarf Rasbora Electric Yellow Lab Elephantnose Fish Ellioti Cichlid Elongate Mbuna Ember Tetra Emerald Cory Emperor Tetra Even-spotted Synodontis Festivum (Flag Cichlid)Firemouth Cichlid Five-bar Cichlid Flame Tetra German Blue Ram Glass Catfish Glowlight Tetra Goby Cichlid Golden Dwarf Cichlid Golden Julie Golden Pencilfish Golden Tetra Green Discus Green Neon Tetra Harlequin Rasbora Head-and-Tail-Light Tetra Heckel Discus Honey Gourami Hongi Cichlid Johanni Cichlid Julii Cory Kenyi Cichlid Keyhole Cichlid Kissing Gourami Kribensis Kuhli Loach Lambchop Rasbora Lemon Cichlid Lemon Tetra Little Corydoras Macmasteri Dwarf Cichlid Maingano Cichlid Marble Hatchetfish Marlieri Cichlid Masked Julie Medaka Ricefish Molly Moonlight Gourami Multifasciatus Shell Dweller Neon Tetra Ocellatus Shell Dweller Otocinclus Panda Corydoras Paraguay Eartheater Peaceful Betta Peacock Cichlid Pearl Gourami Penguin Tetra Peppered Corydoras Polka Dot Loach Port Cichlid Powder Blue Cichlid Purple Emperor Tetra Pygmy Corydoras Rabbit Snail Rainbow Cichlid Rainbow Shark Red Empress Red Rainbowfish Red Whiptail Catfish Red Zebra Cichlid Red-Tail Shark Redhead Cichlid Regan's Julie Rosy Barb Rosy Tetra Rummynose Tetra Rusty Cichlid Sailfin Molly Salt and Pepper Cory Sand-sifting Xenotilapia Saulosi Cichlid Scissortail Rasbora Serpae Tetra Severum Siamese Algae Eater Similis Shell Dweller Skunk Cory Sparkling Gourami Star Sapphire Sterbai Corydoras Strawberry Rasbora Striped Kribensis Sulawesi Cardinal Shrimp Sunshine Peacock Sveni Eartheater Swordtail T-Bar Cichlid Taiwan Reef Cichlid Thick-lipped Gourami Threadfin Acara Threadfin Petrochromis Threadfin Rainbowfish Three-spot Gourami Tropheus Turquoise Rainbowfish Uaru (Triangle Cichlid)Umbrella Dwarf Cichlid Upside-down Catfish White Cloud Mountain Minnow Yoyo Loach Zebra Mbuna Zebra Pleco

Avoid (60)

Adonis Pleco African Butterflyfish Altum Angelfish Angelfish Bala Shark Black Moor Goldfish Calvus Cichlid Cardinal Tetra Chocolate Gourami Clown Loach Comet Goldfish Common Goldfish Common Pleco Compressiceps Cichlid Cuckoo Catfish Demon Eartheater Dwarf Pea Puffer Electric Blue Ahli Endlicheri Bichir Fantail Goldfish Featherfin Squeaker Figure-8 Puffer Frontosa Golden Wonder Killifish Green Spotted Pufferfish Green Terror Iridescent Shark Jack Dempsey Jaguar Cichlid Jewel Cichlid Koi Livingstoni Malawi Eyebiter Malawi Hawk Oranda Goldfish Ornate Bichir Oscar Paradise Fish Peacock Bass Pictus Catfish Pike Cichlid Ranchu Goldfish Red Devil Red Terror Reticulated Flying Fox Rostratus Rosy Red Minnow Royal Pleco Ryukin Goldfish Sailfin Pleco Salvini Cichlid Shubunkin Goldfish Silver Arowana Silver Moony Spotted Hoplo Striped Raphael Catfish Telescope Goldfish Texas Cichlid Venustus (Giraffe Cichlid)Wolf Cichlid

Computed by the AquaSage engine for a spacious reference tank — always check the full verdict for your exact setup in the calculator.

Telling males from females

There is no reliable way to sex this species by eye. That is the honest answer, not a gap in our data.

All the methods, with diagrams

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Frequently asked questions

What tank size does a Bladder Snail need?: A Bladder Snail needs an aquarium of at least 10 litres (2.6 US gallons) with a footprint at least 20 cm (7.9 in) long — for this species, swimming length matters as much as raw volume.
What water parameters does a Bladder Snail need?: Bladder Snail does best at 15–30 °C (59–86 °F), pH 6.5–8.5 and a general hardness of 3–25 °dGH.
What group size does a Bladder Snail need?: Bladder Snail is a social species — keep a group of at least 2 so natural behaviour emerges and stress stays low.
Is the Bladder Snail suitable for beginners?: Yes — Bladder Snail is one of the easier species to keep and forgives typical first-tank mistakes, as long as the aquarium is cycled and maintained.

Sources

Water & tank

Temperature15–30°C

Optimal temp.20–26°C

pH6.5–8.5

Hardness (GH)3–25°d

Carbonate (KH)1–18°d

Adult size1.5 cm

Min. volume≥ 10 L

Min. tank length≥ 20 cm

Group size≥ 2

Swimming zoneAll levels

TemperamentPeaceful

Water typeFreshwater

FlowLow

Lifespan~1 yrs

Try in the calculator