Assassin snails.

3275 Views 18 Replies 7 Participants Last post by Laki, May 27, 2012

Sheldon31

Discussion Starter · Apr 29, 2012

There seems to be very little in the way of info on the net about these (imho) awesome snails. Altier (assassins creed anyone?) has been missing since I baught him but I've been pulling empty snail shells out since I got him so I know he's alive he's just private I guess. A few questions that I cannot find much in the way of answers for on the net.

How many snails do they eat on a daily basis? I have loads ranging from almost invisible to the naked eye to about the size of a sunflower seed.

Do I need to supplement his diet with anything else? Algae wafers or specialist snail food etc?

I've only got the one at the moment because I wasn't sure if they would fight or eat their own kind plus I didn't want them breeding quickly. Now I've read a bit more about them I know they are not cannibalistic so how many would be sufficient for a 2 foot long tank (15g my stocking is in my sig) with an explosion of about 100 snails (that I can see)?

Do they eat the snail eggs?

Thanks in advance

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Gizmothefreaky

· #2 · Apr 29, 2012

I have some assassins, and they eat maybe one each every day or so... What i read though is that they will eat all of the snails in the tank, and then they may or may not turn on eachother. I have such a high population of snails in all of my tanks though that i havent had that problem. lol!

freemike

· #3 · May 2, 2012

I have one in a tank that I don't have any snails in anymore lol. I also have another tank that I let his food breed in. He will disappear for 2 weeks at a time on me. As soon as I put in a snail for him to hunt he comes out. On occasion I have seen mine eat fish flake food. So I don't really worry about him dying anymore. From what I understand they are not cannibalistic if you keep at least some acceptable food for them available. I love my assassin snail it is so awesome at how he only comes out when needed and is so efficient. I put 4 baby snails in his tank and the next day I had 4 tiny decorations lol.

Gizmothefreaky

· #4 · May 2, 2012

lmao! I dont even try to collect the empty shells anymore, they make up decent part of the substrate in one of my smallest tanks. X3 I have all kinds too, that i have collected and kept, including an empty assassin snail one, i dont know if it died naturally or not though, it was empty when i found it.

tolkiennerd

· #5 · May 5, 2012

-I think they spend most of the day hiding and come out at night. Just got 2 of them today Altier and Ezio.

Sheldon31

Discussion Starter · #6 · May 6, 2012

I have an altair and was going to call the new one I get next week Ezio lol.

Foisair

· #7 · May 10, 2012

Geeks. Then again, I will probably end up using the same name(s) when I get mine. Said the pot to the kettle.

Sheldon31

Discussion Starter · #8 · May 12, 2012

I have never played Assassins creed lol. I'm not a fan of games but my other half plays them and suggested the names. Couldn't think of any other assassins names haha.

Laki

· #9 · May 20, 2012

I was doing some online reading about these little guys!! I'm so excited, I'm picking up 6 tomorrow (3 for each tank). The guy selling me them is also giving me free pond snails. If I put some pond snails in a small container of unheated water, how fast will they grow? I'd like to harvest them for my new assassins.

Also, I have some names picked out so far... But it's a surprise until I bring them home!!

Sheldon31

Discussion Starter · #10 · May 20, 2012

Pond snails don't grow that big. Mines about the size of my finger nail but he went from being almost microscopic to that size in just a fortnight

JKfish

· #11 · May 20, 2012

Where so all of you get your assassin snails? I have an explosion of mts and pond snails that are wreaking havoc upon my plants now that there isn't algae.... I started off with one a few months ago, and now I can't keep up with them D:

Laki

· #12 · May 20, 2012

They're hard to find in stores here but one LFS gets them every now and then. I guess someone bought them up and they bred! My sister told me about the ad, it's on kijiji.

Don't where everybody else gets theirs. And I don't know how hard it is for regular stores to sell them seeing that every plant I ever saw in the stores around here is infested with snails.

Laki

· #13 · May 25, 2012

I wonder if I may hijack this thread for a second-
I currently have black gravel (decided to go hunting for black sand though) and so far, Ludendorff has his 4 snails. I went to scoop Lude out today and cup him for feeding bloodworms (I don't usually do this but I wanted to feed the snails too and I knew Lude would hog all the worms) and I couldn't find them!
I took everything out and sifted through the gravel gently but I couldn't see them. I found one, it fell off one of the ornaments. But I checked everything else. Do these things have a habit of completely burying down into the gravel?? I don't know where they are!!

But, the 4 in the bowl of sand I put them all in when I got them (and there's 4 still there, doing Bowser's tank today) LOVE bloodworms!! lol so, if anybody is wondering what to feed their assassins, frozen bloodworms.

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Sheldon31

Discussion Starter · #14 · May 25, 2012

Mine you rarely see. He's quite a quiet little soul. Very quiet and secretive. (maybe another reason for the name). He spends a lot of time buried in the sand and underneath my stones so your assassins are probably burying themselves.

Laki

· #15 · May 25, 2012

Thanks

So they'll bury themselves in deep even in gravel?? I;ll take your word bc there isn't a speck of evidence to suggest otherwise!! I sunk some food so hopefully they'll eat. And I'll keep my eye out and try to get black sand asap. I have light sand but I don't like it in my tanks, I like bettas on black (personal preference)

Sheldon31

Discussion Starter · #16 · May 26, 2012

When I had gravel he did this too. When I first baught him I put him somewhere I could see him (so I could tell he wasn't DOA) and then I didn't see him again! Found him 2 weeks later buried in the gravel when I was switching from gravel to sand. Assassins are very small too which makes it harder!

Laki

· #17 · May 26, 2012

Ha they are very small! I did read before I got them that they prefer sand to gravel but will do fine in gravel... Then I lost them!! lol I know they're there. I just hope they don't starve.
I put the rest of the snails in with Bowser last night and he barely noticed them. I know they'll be safe. Actually one is on the driftwood (waiting for pond snails? bc it's coated in algae now) and another is up high on some IAL. One I might never see again bc it's literally the size of a size 12 Times New Roman "0".
Anyway, how do you like your snail? Is he doing his job? I find they don't eat much, which is good because I hopped into 8 snails (paid for 6, got 2 free). The owner selling them told me I would be fine with that many.
Apparantly there's a lps here who sells assassins for 9.99 each. @[email protected] He bought his for 4.99 each. I cannot believe how expensive they are!!

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Sheldon31

Discussion Starter · #18 · May 26, 2012

He doesn't move much. I assume he finds Snails in the gravel because I keep thinking he's dead but he's fine. I payed 3.49 for mine. My pets at home sells them for 2for £9! Kyon doesn't bother him either, barely notices him.

Laki

· #19 · May 27, 2012

That's good! I think my fish are bored of them and especially Bowser, sniffed it but didn't attack it like Lude did!!
I actually saw the tiniest one last night!! I thought I'd never see it again it's sooo small! lol It managed to come out front to snack on buried food- it was dark and I saw another in the back. They're nocturnal then I guess?

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