What kind of snail is this

[Monkeypoint]

I found this little guy on the glass of the 10 gallon shrimp breeding tank I set up a little over a week ago. I have no idea how it got there. All the plants are from my other aquarium. I haven’t put any new plants in it other than some Java moss I attached to spiderwood. I would have noticed a hitchhiker of that size. I did put a couple of Mystery snails in the established tank a few weeks ago but this doesn’t look like a Mystery snail. For now, I’ve put him in a small container with some tank water from the established tank and a little bit of blanched spinach since there isn’t any algae yet in the breeder tank. He’s zipping around at a good clip (for a snail). 

[Ninjoma]

I think it's a bladder snail. 

[Biotope Biologist]

It’s a bladder snail likely was incredibly small like the size of a pinhead and escaped detection. Good little algae eaters!

[Monkeypoint]

On 4/18/2023 at 11:07 AM, Biotope Biologist said:

Good little algae eaters!

Great! Then it’s safe to put it in the main tank? The other tank is so new I’m afraid he’ll starve. Although some of the older plants may have some algae on them. 

[Birdsnstuff]

It should be find to put in the main tank as long as you are okay with have more snails. I like snails - I have a fine crop of rams horns, Malaysian trumpet snails, and bladder snails in my tanks. I have to weed them out occasionally and I was taking them to my LFS for their puffer. It's died ( they took it in from someone and it wasn't well) so I don't know what I'll do now. But they keep my tanks relatively algae free and are fun to watch. 

[JettsPapa]

On 4/18/2023 at 10:23 AM, Birdsnstuff said:

It should be find to put in the main tank as long as you are okay with have more snails. I like snails - I have a fine crop of rams horns, Malaysian trumpet snails, and bladder snails in my tanks. I have to weed them out occasionally and I was taking them to my LFS for their puffer. It's died ( they took it in from someone and it wasn't well) so I don't know what I'll do now. But they keep my tanks relatively algae free and are fun to watch. 

It sounds like you need to get your own pea puffer.  😉

[Birdsnstuff]

@JettsPapa I’ve had that thought! I’m slowly putting a 40B together and the plan is to move some current fish from a 20 into it. I’m sneaking up on getting a pea puffer for the 20 once it’s free. 😉

[JettsPapa]

On 4/18/2023 at 1:15 PM, Birdsnstuff said:

@JettsPapa I’ve had that thought! I’m slowly putting a 40B together and the plan is to move some current fish from a 20 into it. I’m sneaking up on getting a pea puffer for the 20 once it’s free. 😉

I have one in my 40 gallon breeder community tank.  I know some people say they will attack anything in the tank with them, but this one (and the other one I had until it died recently) have never bothered the other fish, and in fact seem to be intimidated by them.

[Monkeypoint]

Bladder snail update: I ran out to run a couple of errands yesterday afternoon. I was gone for about an hour, give or take. I was going to drop the snail into the tank but when I got home, I found the little container I put it in empty. I looked down, and there it was, on the floor, motionless. It looked dried out but knowing snails can live outside of water for a while, I dropped it in the tank and hoped for the best. Ten minutes later, it was halfway up a Moneywort stem. Great! Welcome to your new world, little snail. About an hour later, I went to check on it and one of my female Amano shrimp that's grown to about the size of a Prius was happily snacking away on it. R.I.P little Bladder snail.

[KittenFishMom]

@Monkeypoint May you find more bladder snails than your shrimp can eat.

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

It depends on the antennae.  If they are thin like hair, it's a bladder snail.  If they are more like flappy ears, it's a pond snail.  Pond snails eat plants.

On 4/19/2023 at 10:31 AM, Monkeypoint said:

About an hour later, I went to check on it and one of my female Amano shrimp that's grown to about the size of a Prius was happily snacking away on it. R.I.P little Bladder snail.