assasin snail

[corylover5]

I got some hitchhiker bladder snails on a plant. I have found quite a few in my 29 gallon. I really don't enjoy small snails in my 29 gallon since I hatched mystery snails once and since then I hate having small snails in that tank. I thought about getting an assassin snail but would that harm small fish or Nerite or Mystery snails? I would only get 1 assasin snail. Thanks for reading

 

[Aspen35]

I got some hitchhiker bladder snails on a plant. I have found quite a few in my 29 gallon. I really don't enjoy small snails in my 29 gallon since I hatched mystery snails once and since then I hate having small snails in that tank. I thought about getting an assassin snail but would that harm small fish or Nerite or Mystery snails? I would only get 1 assasin snail. Thanks for reading

Assassin snails only eat snails their size or smaller.

 

[corylover5]

Ok thanks! Would an assassin snail be a good idea?

 

[Aspen35]

Ok thanks! Would an assassin snail be a good idea?

I think it would solve the problem, since so far there isn’t many bladder snails.

 

[Ch4rlie]

Assassin snails only eat snails their size or smaller.

Um, no, any snail is fair game for assassin snails.

But to be fair, a single assassin snail probably won’t attempt to prey on similar or larger snails than themselves if there is plentiful supply of smaller snails available.

But, if there are 2 or 3 assassin snails then they will go for larger snails than themselves!

They're not called assassin snails for nothing

But be warned, if you have two or thre assassin snails and lots of food for them, they will breed. A particular nice bit of info about them is that they lay square eggs. Yup, you read right, square eggs!

And to finally answer the OPs question, a single assassin snail will be fine, will take a quite long time to cull the pond snail numbers but well worth having as they are interesting snails imho.

 

[Aspen35]

Um, no, any snail is fair game for assassin snails.

But to be fair, a single assassin snail probably won’t attempt to prey on similar or larger snails than themselves if there is plentiful supply of smaller snails available.

But, if there are 2 or 3 assassin snails then they will go for larger snails than themselves!

They're not called assassin snails for nothing

But be warned, if you have two or thre assassin snails and lots of food for them, they will breed. A particular nice bit of info about them is that they lay square eggs. Yup, you read right, square eggs!

And to finally answer the OPs question, a single assassin snail will be fine, will take a quite long time to cull the pond snail numbers but well worth having as they are interesting snails imho.

Sorry, I sort of meant that like they mostly prey on the easier things, not the bigger snails. That’s what I’ve seen anyway, should have clarified.

 

[Ch4rlie]

No worries, was not having a go at you

Merely correcting that statement is all, I’ve kept assassin snails for years and really like them but I also like MTS and assassins will eat at them too!!

So I sort of went for a compromise, some tanks just had pest snails and MTS in some tanks and the other tanks just assassins and pond snails.

If tanks with assassins get short on pond snails I would simply take some pond snails from the other tanks and put into the assassins tanks.

That way I kept good control of snails in both tanks.

 

[ClownLurch]

A particular nice bit of info about them is that they lay square eggs. Yup, you read right, square eggs!

Oooooooooooooooooooh*





*winces and crosses legs.

 

[CassCats11]

Ive got 3 assassins in my 46g and they've bred. I've got an egg pouch under a rock at the moment.

But yes remove your valuable snails with an assassin in the tank. After, you can always move the assassin to another tank and place your valuable snails back

 

[corylover5]

I was thinking of leaving the assasin snail in my tank until 1 week after I see no bladder snails and then placing it in a betta tank.

Would it be ok if I got just 1 assasin snail so it can't group with others. Would it eat nerite or Mystery snails if it didn't have a group?

 

[CassCats11]

I wouldn't chance it. There's a video that shows exactly how they eat, if hungry enough it may still go after the larger snails.

Id move it to the betta tank and "rent it out" as needed

 

[Ch4rlie]

I was thinking of leaving the assasin snail in my tank until 1 week after I see no bladder snails and then placing it in a betta tank.

Would it be ok if I got just 1 assasin snail so it can't group with others. Would it eat nerite or Mystery snails if it didn't have a group?

It will probably take more than a week for the assassin to eat all the pond snails, depending how many there are of course but if you have loads then likely will take a wee while.

As for assassin sharing tank with nerite and mystery snails, don’t think it’s a good idea, chances are the assassin probably won’t eat the nerite or mystery snail since they are a bit larger than pond snails but no guarantees

 

[corylover5]

Thanks for all the help. I probably won't get an assasin snail. How do I keep the bladder snails in check?

 

[PheonixKingZ]

I personally wouldn’t, if you have a Nerite snail.

Why are you against having snails in your tank? Even though most snails are considered “pests”, they can actually be very beneficial to your tank.

 

[corylover5]

I really don't enjoy small snails in my 29 gallon since I hatched mystery snails once and I absolutely hated the fact that everywhere I looked there was a tiny snail. I like my tanks to stay organized and I can't stand it if there are a bunch of random little snails