Assassin Snails

Just got some of these bad boys to hopfully take controll of my snail infestation. I'm not really sure what to expect from them in terms of activity! I have 5 2 went off and haven't seen them since one had its dinner then has done nothing and two have literally not moved in 12 hours! What should I expect to see them do which would indicate they are healthy?

I was thinking maybe they would need some time to adjust to their new home so this has just confirmed it. The snails have got what I think is quite bad so I hope in a few months they are under controll.

If the "pest" snails, which I personally regard as useful inhabitants of the aquarium, are primarily on the glass then they are feeding on algae, which is the main food source for most aquatic snails. In that case they are a symptom of too much algae and the only way to reduce their numbers is to reduce the amount of algae. On the other hand, if the assassin snails do reduce their numbers, you may find you have more algae than before, replacing one "problem" with another.

Well good luck Jwc! I'm certain that the assassins will liven up soon and get on top of your snail outbreak. Whilst Richard is far more experienced than I, I personally doubt that excess algae is the primary cause of your large snail population, especially if it is getting to plague proportions. Overfeeding is in my opinion far more likely the cause and I'm glad to hear you've already addressed this.

A reduction in the number of pest snails will increase the amount of algae in the tank as assassins only eat it as a last resort. There are several methods for controlling algae in the tank, such as reduced lighting and plants that inhibit algal growth by outcompeting it for nutrients. There are also several species of fish and invertebrates that eat algae, but again this is treating the symptom rather than addressing the problem.