Assassin Snail With Nitrite Snails

[Robbo85]

Hi,
 
I have 4 nitrite snails in my tank and loads of trumpet and other pest snails that have come in on wood and plants, if I got an assassin snail would it eat all types? would it go for the smaller pest snails first or the nitrate ones?

 

[DoubleDutch]

They probably will go for the easier catch first (smaller ones) and then for the Nitrite, Nitrate and Nerite snails.

 

[Akasha72]

I'm presuming you mean a Nerite snail and the short answer is that an assassin snail will take on any snail so keeping an assassin with a Nerite doesn't really work. I've asked this question myself last year as my trumpets have got out of hand but I also have Nerites too and that was the answer I was given.
 
The other option would be to buy a snail trap which would trap the smaller snails for you to remove them manually or to add some lettuce to the tank, wait for the snails to start feeding from it and again, remove the snails you don't want manually

 

[NickAu]

Make your own snail trap, All you need is a small plastic container with a few holes in it, Put a few rocks in it and a algae wafer put lid on place in tank.
 
 
Thanks to Baccus for the image.

 

[Robbo85]

thanks for the info, yes I meant nerite

 .
 
I have a diy snail trap that I use occasionally just looking at options.

 

[betta fish]

I have kept the two together for some time but only had one assassin with my nerites and it was well fed, I wouldn't chance it with many especially if they are not fed well as they will gang up on them.

 

[Akasha72]

I like the diy snail trap! I need to make one of these! 

 

[Munroco]

I had one assassin snail once, now I have dozens if not 100's

 

[Ch4rlie]

Assassins are hunters, laying under the substrate waiting for a snail to pass over then out they pop and do their thing!
 
Even a single assassin may have trouble getting at a large nerite snail though, I have seen this personally and the larger nerite snail tries to shake them off while climbing up the glass in tank and succeeding to escape when the assassin falls off. (imho assassins are not the brightest of snails, they fall off anything and everything :x )
 
Usually assassins will favour pond snails to trumpet snails purely due to the fact the narrower spiral conical shaped snails are harder to eat than normal pond snail shaped shells. And yes, they will start off with the smaller snails and if there is only nerites left, usually maybe 3 or even 4 fully grown assassins will succeed in bringing down a large nerite.
 
But would not chance it having nerites with even just one assassin snail.

 

[StevenF]

Keep in mind snails can't see.  So if it smalls and tasts like food an assassin snail will try and eat it.  The size of a nerite may make it difficult but that won't stop a hungry assassin.