Not furry either, still lovely.
Bladder Snail
Physella acuta
Also called Acute bladder snail, European physa, Tadpole snail, Physa acuta
From North America; first described from France and now found on every continent except Antarctica, spread largely with aquarium plants.1
At a glance the quick version
Shell up to about 16 mm; Aquarium Co-Op says under 1 inch.
Looks how to spot one
Small, thin, left-coiling (sinistral) air-breathing snail
A small, glossy, egg-shaped shell that coils to the left, in pale horn to brownish yellow. The body is blue-grey to dark grey, and the mantle is often dotted with little golden flecks that show through the shell.1
Personality what they are like
A harmless, busy little scavenger that slips into tight corners to tidy up algae and leftover food. It ignores fish and healthy plants.21
Daily activity how busy a day looks
Active and quick for a snail; it often glides along the water surface and comes up to breathe air.1
Grooming and care the hands-on bits
Very easy. Numbers follow food supply, so feeding fish sparingly keeps the population modest; extra snails can simply be removed by hand.21
Home where they are happiest
Almost any freshwater aquarium or pond; it tolerates a wide range of temperature and pH. Usually arrives as a hitchhiker on live plants.21
Food basics what goes in the bowl
Scrapes algae, biofilm and decaying plant material, and eats leftover fish food.12
Company who they like around
Each snail is both male and female and can even fertilise itself, so one snail can start a colony. Adults lay about 50-100 eggs a week in small jelly clumps that hatch in 15-20 days.12
The story where it all began
Although native to North America, the species was first named in 1805 from a French specimen, probably after arriving in Europe with the 18th-century cotton trade. The aquarium plant trade then carried it around the globe, making it one of the most familiar small snails in home tanks.1
Fun facts for the dinner table
- 1
Its shell coils to the left, unlike most snails, which coil to the right.1
- 2
It can twist its shell rapidly by up to 120 degrees to shake off slow predators.1
- 3
A single snail can fertilise its own eggs, so one hitchhiker can found a whole colony.1
- 4
Golden spots on its mantle can be seen through the thin shell.1
Recognised by the official bits
- Taxonomy (Draparnaud)
- Described in 1805 by Jacques Philippe Raymond Draparnaud from a specimen found in France.1
The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you
A typical home-care rhythm for a Bladder Snail. It is our own starting plan, not a vet's advice, and you can change every line in the app.
- FeedingSmall amountsevery day
- Temperature checkevery day
- Water changeSmall, gentle water changesevery week
- Water testevery week
- Filter rinseRinse in old tank water, never tap waterevery month
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Where this comes from
Every breed page shows where each fact comes from. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are pet people, not a science magazine. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.
- Physella acuta - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.orgused for origin, taxonomy, size, colours, reproduction, lifespan, behaviour, history
- Freshwater aquarium snails - Aquarium Co-Op aquariumcoop.comused for size, diet, care, benefits
Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.