Tropical Fish Forum

Tropical Fish Keeping => Invertebrates - Shrimps and Snails => Topic started by: TopCookie on September 15, 2018, 09:27:13 AM

Title: Assassin Snails
Post by: TopCookie on September 15, 2018, 09:27:13 AM
Does any of the gang have experience with Assassin snails being mixed with other ornamental snails...?  Also, what are the chances of just getting one Assassin snail and keeping at just one...?

Reason for asking:  I have significant numbers of tiny little Ramshorn pest snails, which never grow to more that about 3mm diameter, but I also have Nerites, Faunus & Rabbit snails...    In an ideal world, I would love to have a single Assassin snail that merrily went around controlling the tiny little pest snails but left that larger ornamental snails alone...  Probably asking a bit too much here, but fingers crossed somebody may have had a similar problem down the line...
Title: Re: Assassin Snails
Post by: Matt on September 15, 2018, 04:19:38 PM
Assassin snails need a male and female to breed. So if you get one it will stay as one :)

I had one assassin and then ended up getting more by the way...

There is no guarantee that it would leave the ornamental snails alone but I have them together and there have been no accidents...

Edited to add... I've just researched this... there is something about the shells of nerite snails that means they are safe from predation  :isay:
Title: Re: Assassin Snails
Post by: TopCookie on September 16, 2018, 06:29:06 PM
Thanks Matt... 

The numbers of the little Ramshorns do seem to be in slow decline, especially since reducing the protein based fish foods and just looking at feeding regimes as a whole etc...  Could be that I just need to listen to my own advice in regards to time and having patience etc..?  There could be a risk of even one solitary Assassin snail potentially running out of the little ramshorn pest snails and turning to the other ornamental snails out of need - perhaps I should aim to control the pest snails more naturally first...?
Title: Re: Assassin Snails
Post by: Littlefish on September 16, 2018, 07:05:34 PM
I have a group of assassin snails, and they can go through a lot of pest snails.
I'd suggest that if your ramshorns are already in decline, then it may be best to wait it out.
You'd think that with the amount of tanks I have I wouldn't have a problem feeding the assassin snails, but no. My group have been known to breed, and have produced a couple of little ones, so I do have more than expected. I now have a small tank where I breed pest snails, and every few weeks I treat the dwarf puffers to some small snails, and put some of the adult pest snails in with the assassins.
Title: Re: Assassin Snails
Post by: TopCookie on September 17, 2018, 10:10:05 AM
Thanks Donna... 

I think you're right and probably wiser to let time take care of things...  The Rabbit snails are reproducing, albeit very slowly, so this means there are a small number of baby Rabbit snails in the tank which would probably make an ideal target for an Assassin snail...