Weird unknown snail?

[Just a Pygmy Corydora]

There was a very small snail, smaller than 1 inch, and it was sitting on my anubias nana leaf. I have NEVER bought any snails in the 5.5 gallon tank, and yet, here it is...

That's the "snail". It wasn't here. I didn't buy it and it randomly appeared. Can someone please tell me what this is and what I should do?

[TheDukeAnumber1]

Hard to tell but it looks somewhat like a pond or bladder snail. It probably got in hitch hiking from something else live you put in. Personally I would do nothing, snails are great for your tank, otherwise just remove it.

[Just a Pygmy Corydora]

Are you sure its safe? WIll it rapidly reproduce?

[TheDukeAnumber1]

Safe in what respect? It is safe and helpful for your aquarium ecosystem, it is unsafe for fish eggs which it may or may not eat. It is probably capable of reproducing rapidly if it has access to lots of leftover fish food or algae, but won't if it doesn't.

Edited April 20, 2021 by TheDukeAnumber1

[Just a Pygmy Corydora]

Okay, so should I put it back in the tank?

 

[TheDukeAnumber1]

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ your call. But IMO your betta and plants will be better off with snails present.

Edited April 20, 2021 by TheDukeAnumber1

[Just a Pygmy Corydora]

The snail is back in. I looked up pond and bladder snail, but the pics didn't match. The snail had a somewhat calico shell, like brown, white, and dark grey?

Edited April 20, 2021 by Catfish_Lover_Jane

[TheDukeAnumber1]

There are many many different kinds of snails out there. The big three that manage to sneak into aquariums are pond/bladder snails, ramshorn snails, and MTS snails. And within those three groups they come in different color morphs.

A more clear/closer photo may help identify it, but the shape from the photo above makes me think pond/bladder snail with maybe some eroded shell which turns white.

[laritheloud]

It looks like a bladder snail to me. Our OG bladder snail came in with a co-op plant. It has a very coppery shell. Offspring have a paler/more beige and spotted shell than the original.

Yes, they do reproduce, and I found two clutches of bladder snail eggs on my water sprite today. No, they're not harmful at all, and I find them really fun to watch because they can move incredibly fast for tiny little snails. I choose to let them live their best snail lives in my tank, and figure when I get the algae completely under control, their numbers will adjust with it. 

[laritheloud]

Two of my bladder snails 

[lefty o]

it likely came in on a plant. is it safe, yes, it is perfectly safe.  you just need to decide if you find them unsightly or dont mind them.

[Just a Pygmy Corydora]

okay, thanks. My snail was extremely fast, so it MIGHT be a bladder snail

[FlyingFishKeeper]

@H.K.Luterman I hope you're okay with me sharing this? @Catfish_Lover_Jane you can tell the difference between the species both through how H.K.Luterman described, and how the shell is shaped, bladder snails have a clockwise shaped spiral whereas pond snails have a counter-clockwise shaped spiral on their shell.

[H.K.Luterman]

2 hours ago, FlyingFishKeeper said:

@H.K.Luterman I hope you're okay with me sharing this?

Yup! I just found it on a google search. 

[Just a Pygmy Corydora]

Then I think its a bladder snail. I don't know where it is. Does it bury under the gravel?

[TheDukeAnumber1]

3 minutes ago, Catfish_Lover_Jane said:

Then I think its a bladder snail. I don't know where it is. Does it bury under the gravel?

Bladders snails don't, but they are very sneaky and can be hard to spot sometimes, and if there is a path into your filter they will head into it.

Edited April 26, 2021 by TheDukeAnumber1

[Just a Pygmy Corydora]

Does that mean that the snail is in the sponge filter?

[KaitieG]

Looking at your picture it could also be a ramshorn snail, as it looks more like the "traditional" snail shape to me--bladder and pond snails sort of have the swirl on the back end, which is pointy.  Ramshorns look just like a ram's horn--like a round spiral.  I have some that are that color--I think they're called leopards.  Either way, the same info applies that was shared before.  Yes, they reproduce.  Yes, overall they're pretty good for your tank unless the look of them drives you nuts.  I personally think ramshorns are kind of pretty.  Bladder/pond snails and ramshorns are both known for hitchhiking on plants.

. 

[giantlumberjack]

Those are blader snail, totally armless. Though if they are comfortable they might end up spawning babies.

Its your call if you want to keep it. If you have another aquarium i would suggest putting it in that one if you want to keep your betta tank ""pretty"".