Assassin Snail Behavior?

[KrystaK]

I've got a pair of assassin snails because I have a hitchhiker snail problem in my 30 gal tank.
I've noticed that they've dug themselves into the substrate and havent moved for about a day. I'm worried they're dead because my snail problem hasn't improved with their introduction. Can anyone give me some general assassin snail info or a link to a site that would explain what they're doing?

 

[Juggler75]

They generally 'hide' in the substrate awaiting their prey then jump out and chase down their prey before eating them (well as fast as a snail can jump out and chase down something). I was told that they eat around 3-4 pest snails a day each and I haven't seen anything to change that opinion. When first introduced mine bedded down in the sand for a few days before being seen hunting.

 

[the_lock_man]

Juggler's pretty much spot on there. They aren't snail-killing-machines that do nothing except chase snails all day. They will eventually get on top of the pest snail problem, but it'll take a few weeks (depending upon how bad the problem actually is).

 

[CezzaXV]

Agreed. Assassin snails aren't like fish where they'll eat themselves to death - they will eat until they're full and then stop.

 

[This Old Spouse]

I actually don't know how many assassin snails I have any more, because some are moving around, others are, erm, otherwise engaged, and the rest are buried in the sand, waiting for an unsuspecting victim, with their elephant-nose appendage sticking up like a telescope. I haven't found a dead one yet.