Description:
Source: Hobbyist Bred and Raised in Hampshire, UK
Estimated size at shipping: Anywhere from juvenile to adult (0.25 Inches to 0.6 Inches)
Sold as: Babies to Adults, Bladder Snails cannot be sexed due to being hermaphrodites
Overview:
Bladder Snails (Physella acuta), also known as tadpole snails, are often deemed an invasive pest snail to many people in the hobby, but are actually great algae eaters and cleanup crew. They quickly multiply making them very good for puffer feed as well, however, to some this may be a nuisance. The ideal water conditions for a bladder snail include water temperatures between 64-84 degrees Fahrenheit (17-28 degrees Celcius), pH between 7-8, and fresh hardy water with at least 12 gH
Setup Considerations:
Bladder Snails are very forgiving in tank setups, they can withstand a lot of parameter changes and can tolerate very poor water quality, although their lifespan will be shortened if kept in poor water for too long. They can tolerate many different substrates, lighting conditions, temperatures and filtration systems but if you are planning to keep them with livebearing fish, make sure to use a air driven sponge filter. The ideal water conditions for a bladder snail include water temperatures between 64-84 degrees Fahrenheit (17-28 degrees Celcius), pH between 7-8, and fresh hardy water with at least 12 gH. Due to their hardiness, I use them for cycling new tanks as they're great with the ammonia and nitrite spikes that come with cycling, below is a guide on how many snails should go in a tank!
Diet: Omnivores
Bladder Snails will eat anything and everything, from leftover food, decomposing tankmates. algae to plant matter. They are always constantly eating so make sure you have plenty of food in the tank to keep them eating. However, too much food can lead to excess breeding, so if you have plenty of algae, that'll be enough, but if you don't, feed a little more than usual to keep them fed.
Shipping: All snails are sent in a plastic pot with damp tissue in order to keep them moist in transport, included in the photos is how the snails will come, sometimes in smaller boxes. All orders will be sent Royal Mail 24 Hour Tracked from Monday to Thursday. I do not ship Fri-Sun as they may be held longer in sorting centres.