# ? about Assassin snails



## Darkangel78 (Feb 14, 2013)

I had some pond snails come in on a few plants I bought and I can't seem to get rid of them, they are destroying all my plants. I was told by a friend to look into getting a couple of Assassin snails to solve the problem. My question is ...will the Assassin snails also eat the plants? Would I be just swapping one problem for another?


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

No assassins won't bother the plants but it will take a little while to get rid of the pest snails and then once they are gone you will need to feed them.


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## tbub1221 (Nov 1, 2012)

try catching them out with a few weighted slices of cucumber in the tank night and day , it can sometimes be efective in gathering them up so you can just pick em out.
Or go out and find yourself a small skunk loach , i say a skunk because they stay smaller than many and of all my loachs 11 species 22 total those guys are the most natorious snail eaters , but most botia loach loves snails , my puffer fish also eats them like mad but its a whole lot to taking on a puffer .. My Biggest tiger loach can eat 50+ snails a day i bet.
good luck with the snails


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

Assasins work well,but it does take a little time.They have beeen documented to eat extra food in aquarium when all snails have been exhausted,sometimes even if it's easier than catching snails.They don't eat plants,they're carnivores.


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## SueD (Aug 4, 2012)

Another vote for assassins. I agree that they must also eat leftover fish food. I have them breeding in one tank and there haven't been pest snails that I've seen for over a year, so something is keeping them going.


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## Darkangel78 (Feb 14, 2013)

> try catching them out with a few weighted slices of cucumber in the tank night and day , it can sometimes be efective in gathering them up so you can just pick em out.
> Or go out and find yourself a small skunk loach , i say a skunk because they stay smaller than many and of all my loachs 11 species 22 total those guys are the most natorious snail eaters , but most botia loach loves snails , my puffer fish also eats them like mad but its a whole lot to taking on a puffer .. My Biggest tiger loach can eat 50+ snails a day i bet.
> good luck with the snails


I've been picking them out for a few weeks now as I see them, 5 more out last night. It's not a huge problem with numbers at the moment but the plants are looking rough, I want to end the situation before it gets out of hand. 

I thought about the loaches but their not really compatible with some of my fish.



> Assasins work well,but it does take a little time.They have beeen documented to eat extra food in aquarium when all snails have been exhausted,sometimes even if it's easier than catching snails.They don't eat plants,they're carnivores.


This was my next question...what to feed them when the snails are gone?


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

Yea I am glad Sue D chimed in because few believe they can exist without snails.I like pizza.I'll eat pizza 5 days a week.I don't fast on the other two days.I've seen mine eat left over food,but many say they won't.I believe they have strong sense of smell so if they smell something good they go to it.


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## Darkangel78 (Feb 14, 2013)

I just ordered some of the Assassins from Aquabid. Thank you all for the help.


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

I feed my assassins bloodworms, earthworm pellets and such. I only keep them in my pleco tanks as the other snails tend to eat pleco eggs.


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## oscarbartoni (Nov 9, 2008)

I cannot keep trumpet snails with the assassain snails but I find that the ramshorn and pond snails do not get eaten or at least their population seems to stay abut the same and maybe even growing some. I did get sme more trumpet snails and put them in another tank to grow and multiply before I put them in with the assassain snails.


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## Berylla (Mar 4, 2013)

Flubendazole kills snails quickly. You can buy at Inmkr:

Levamisole, Flubendazole & other chemicals for the aquarium


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

Berylla said:


> Flubendazole kills snails quickly. You can buy at Inmkr:
> 
> Levamisole, Flubendazole & other chemicals for the aquarium


We know and are privaledged to have Charles(Inkmaker)on this site.Great info on the flubendazole,thanks!


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## oscarbartoni (Nov 9, 2008)

I am not having trouble with snails eating plants, in fact I try to encourage them so that I can feed y different kinds of crayfish. I have tghe dwarf orange crayfish, slef clonning crayfish and a pair of blue "lobsters" which I am trying to get to breed for me.


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## Darkangel78 (Feb 14, 2013)

Berylla said:


> Flubendazole kills snails quickly. You can buy at Inmkr:
> 
> Levamisole, Flubendazole & other chemicals for the aquarium


I've never heard of this, thanks. I'll check it out. I would prefer not to use chemicals if possible so I'll go with the Assassins for a few months but if they dont work and I see no improvement I may try it, after safely removing the Assassins first of course.


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## Berylla (Mar 4, 2013)

Flubendazole kills snails very well. I think it's also harmful to other inverts so if you use, take them out until you have taken all the drugs from your water with water changes + carbon. 

Flubendazole is also very good at killing nematodes, like those deadly red roundworms, and flukes. Just give Inmkr and email and he will explain all.


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## Raymond S. (Jan 11, 2013)

I had an issue/w trumpet snails. Got one Khuli loach. Snails gone.
I could easily be wrong but I think the reason he didn't see a lose
of pond snails is that they are too fast for the assassins. The pond
snails have large openings in their shell...easy for the loach to get
them. Took much longer/w the trumpets. But gone now.


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## Darkangel78 (Feb 14, 2013)

Update:
I've had the Assassins for a few weeks now and I rarely see a pond snail anymore. I'm very happy with them and my plants are looking better. The little guys/girls have become a favorite in my tank. Everyone loves them.


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## SueD (Aug 4, 2012)

Glad to see these have worked for you. Most snails just creep me out even though I know they are generally harmless and sometimes beneficial. But I love the assassins too - they've done wonders for my pests.


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## Molly Malone (Apr 18, 2013)

I don't feed my assassins - they find scraps in the bottom of the tank somehow. They breed really well too - the babies are sooooo cute !


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