Assassin snail hatch rate

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nik_n

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Hello everyone,

Sometime around mid September I bought 6 assassin snails to help with the pest snail population. Soon after I noticed that they started laying eggs, and quit a lot of them. I was excited to see the babies, but after some research I found that it takes about 4 months for them to develop properly and start moving around the tank instead of hiding in the substrate. I finally saw the first babies this week, about two of them. This got me thinking, are they just early bloomers or is the hatch rate for assassin snail eggs just really low? I also noticed that there are no more pest snails in the tank for about 2 months now. I even added some to serve as a food source, but they were gone almost immediately. The snails still lay eggs so I'm guessing they aren't hungry, but I will add more soon regardless. Could this be the reason for low number of baies? That there isn't enough food? I'm guilty of overfeeding the tank now and again and there is some decaying plant matter to serve as a food source for the pest snails, so it's really just that the adults are great at hunting.

Also what could I feed the snails as an alternative? I feel that everything I put in there will be eaten before the snails even find it.
 
Not a bonafide expert but have had assassins in my tank for years, have not really thought about the reproductive aspect, i do have quite a few now, certainly double figures in a 10year old tank.
They eat anything, put some bloodworm in, that brings them out of the sand. As to the pond snails, there must be some kind of tell they give off as the pond snails actively hide once assassins are in the tank.
As to food my fish are generally mid/top feeders so i normally sprinkle flakes on the top, that keeps the fish busy then add some flakes i have put into a small glass of tank water. Poring this in takes it straight past the fish and then ends up around the bottom of the tank where the shrimp and snails get their share.
Bloodworm has them all go crazy though, seeing shrimp carry a couple away like a sneak thief to a hidey hole is hilarious.
 

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