# Assassin Snails



## squirrelcrusher (Sep 23, 2009)

I got some MTS and Ramshorn snail that, as I am sure everyone knows, breed like crazy. Well, I wanna control them so they don't get out of hand. What are my options for doing this? The main tank I want to control them in is the 30g. The 55g has a puffer so no snails there, and the other tank, no problems yet.

Will assassin snails go after my shrimp? I haven't found any info on if they eat only snails or any invert.

Are there any methods for trapping snails? I don't mind setting a trap and removing the snails daily. Currently, I am putting lettuce in a small glass jar and when a few snails get in it, I dump them into the 55g. The puffer likes this method the best.

What are my options here that won't harm the shrimp?


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## WhiteGloveAquatics (Sep 3, 2009)

I think the shrimp are too fast, however I think they have a taste for snails only.

did you find some? Ive only seen em on one forum.


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## squirrelcrusher (Sep 23, 2009)

Assassin snails eat live shrimp!

I found this thread where people were discussing assassins eating shrimp. Sound like they do it when first introduced and hungry and when the snail population goes down and the assassins get hungry. So I should be wait until I get more snails to worry about getting any assassins


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## James0816 (Jun 19, 2009)

For the most part....they will only take on other snails. I have heard of reports of them snarfing a ghost shrimp. If that does/did happen, the shrimp would have to have been sickly.


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## jamie.k.hofer (Oct 24, 2010)

Do snails need brackish water to breed?
*c/p*


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## James0816 (Jun 19, 2009)

jamie.k.hofer said:


> Do snails need brackish water to breed?
> *c/p*


Only Nerites.


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## jamie.k.hofer (Oct 24, 2010)

most snails if they LIVE in fresh water, then no*old dude*old dude*old dude*old dude*old dude*old dude*old dude*old dude*old dude*old dude*old dude*old dude*old dude*old dude*old dude*old dude*old dude*old dude*old dude*old dude*old dude*old dude*old dude*old dude*old dude*old dude*old dude*old dude*old dude*old dude*old dude*old dude*old dude*old dude*old dude*old dude*old dude*old dude*old dude*old dude*old dude*old dude*old dude*old dude*old dude*old dude*old dude*old dude*old dude*old dude*r2*r2*r2*r2*r2*r2*r2*r2*r2*r2*r2*r2*r2*r2*r2*r2*r2*r2*r2*r2*r2*r2*r2*r2*r2*r2*r2*r2*r2*r2*r2*r2*r2*r2*r2*r2*r2*r2*r2*r2*r2*r2*r2*r2*r2*r2*r2*r2*r2*r2


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## NursePlaty (Feb 5, 2010)

*My friend has Assassin snails. They eat very slow, I think it takes them like 30 mins just to eat one snail, we were watching them eat a couple of times. Also, these were pond snails too. Ramshorn snails, Im not even sure if they can eat. They are 5x-7x the size of Assassin snails. In a big tank with hundreds of snails, Assassin snails will never work. You will need something like clown loaches or goldfish or something. They also bred in his tank, but I think process is very slow because we only saw very few of the babies.

IMO I think netting them out is much more efficient. I use a net and slide along all 3 sides of my tank glass scooping up the snails. Even the ones climbing on my floating riccia fluitans and some on the leaves of plants. Ive been keeping up this habit every day. I scoop about 4-5 snails a day. It is basically snail-less because you rarely see any. I keep it under control that way.

I... Hate... Snails... *


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## James0816 (Jun 19, 2009)

NursePlaty said:


> I... Hate... Snails...


lol ... they are called pests for a reason.

I've got them pretty much all wiped out in all but two tanks now. I recently discovered that I have two varieties of them; bladder and pond.

The bladder snails I can do with out and will eventually have most of them gone. The pond snails are actually pretty kewl looking. I may just hang on to some of them for awhile.


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## Mac Myers (Oct 12, 2010)

I put three Assassin Snails in a Fluval Edge (6 Gallon) to "control" a Ramshorn outbreak that was about 120 snails by the time I got the Assassins in there. I figured the Assassins would control them at levels I could tolerate.
Well... they killed them ALL in 3 days. Tank floor was littered with empty shells. Snails that hatched were eaten too. I actually go to the LFS now and get their outbreak snails to feed them every few weeks. MTS, Pond, Ramshorn...... they kill them all. I'm going to have to separate them to slow them down.


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