Assassin Snails

[Wycco]

Few questions on assassins:

1) I assume like most inverts they prefer harder water. For those of us with naturally soft water. Do we need to harden our water- or can they be kept healthy by feeding them calcium. Are they quite hardy like MTS or are they finicky like Ramshorns?

2) Anyone know the GH/KH range that is healthy for assassins.

3) Is there a recommened assassin per x gallons rule- so that they won't wipe out all other snails- but maintain a consistant population?

4) I've heard that they will go from one end of an aquarium to the other to go after a ramshorn or a pond snail. Do they have good eyesight- can snails see well? Or do they just have excellent chemical detectors?

5) Are there different types? I've heard that they have seperate sexes- but does the female need to be fertilised to lay eggs- or are they like some species where the female will lay eggs, clones of herself, if no male is around?

6) I'm definately not ready for them... I've got MTS on the way but not a strong population to unleash assassins on them... BUT... any recommendations on how to keep them WITHOUT them completely errardicating all my MTS? I know they will eat all sorts of food... if they're fed will they spare the odd MTS?



Lastly... really really cool snails- and attractive too!

 

[Lupin]

1. Assassins are very hardy species. As far as your KH is concerned, increase it to help stabilize/maintain the pH above 7.4. If it falls quickly below 7.0, then the assassins risk having their shells severely damaged. To increase the KH, you may use calcium chloride by Kent's liquid calcium or simply use calcium carbonate such as Caltrate and Tums to increase both pH and KH. Other options include limestones, crushed corals, crushed oyster shells and marble chips.

2. As said above.^^^ Just don't keep KH below 3 which could easily lower the pH. High nitrate level is responsible for the lowering of pH in water with very low KH.

3. What other snails do you plan to keep with them? Unless you want to keep other species as pets, don't mix them with assassins regardless of the circumstances. Assassins live to kill. They do not care who becomes the next victim especially when food supply becomes very scarce.

Assassins contribute very little bioload. I keep 9 in my 6g tank although they've laid an estimated total of 150 eggs in about two weeks so beware of the possible large survival rate if you have plenty of foods to provide the baby assassins.

4. As to that, it requires further studies with special tools necessary to detect the so-called chemical traces. I don't like to use bladder snails and pond snails. They are far too fast for the assassin snails. I've maintained the supply of MTS and baby canas thus far which they take down with ease. Large canas are taken down by working as a group since juvenile canas are one of the most aggressive species that can easily retaliate if a lone assassin attempts to attack it.

5. My assassins started mating not long ago. Two weeks later, they began pouring several eggs much to my surprise. They need a male to be able to produce viable eggs otherwise the eggs will not hatch but I notice they start laying eggs only after mating unlike apple snails that can produce clutches of eggs without being mated yet. Assassins are not hermaphrodites. Only bladders, pond snails, trumpets and ramshorns are. There are a few more species that are possibly asexual as well.

6. Like I explained earlier, assassins are meant to kill. They will prefer snails above commercial foods but you can try frozen bloodworms in the absence of snail supply. Assassins will eat snails that are no smaller than half their body size.

Hope that helps.

 

[Wycco]

Thank you that is a huge help! Very appreciated!



My pH is 8 and my KH is a little under 3. I'm a little cautious about trying to change the chemistry too much so as to not cause shock during water changes. I do plan on hardening my water a little bit- but with my pH already at 8 and the fish I'm getting preferring slightly acidic water- I don't want to buffer TOO much. I'm sure I can get my KH above 3 without too much problem though if that's all I need to do.


I plan on keeping MTS- I have sand substrate- so they're my friend and I don't want them wiped out.

I'd love some more ornamental snails, a mystery snail or three- but with my water being what it is- and not wanting to mess with the chemistry too much- I'm probably best laying off that.

I've read some people claim that assassins hunted down in packs their adult briggs so- I won't mix the two in the same tank. Even if that is rare.

I've been warned by a seller that plants that are being shipped to me have some pond snails on them. I don't have the heart to kill them myself- but they might not survive my water anyway. If population gets out of hand- I would love to get assassins- I just don't want them to wipe out my MTS.


Even if population doesn't get out of hand- I still would love some Assassins... beautifull creatures... and if they're hardy enough to survive my soft water I may wait a few months (for my MTS to grow) and then get some.

 

[Lupin]

It's not rare in my case to find assassins hunting down large canas as a group. Canas have been part of their staple. Regardless, it is best not to mix any species meant as pets with assassins. A wise decision on the whole to plan not to.

What fish do you have so far? pH is not an issue for most captive bred fish. The important thing here for both the fish and snails' sake, is to stabilize the pH by increasing the KH. Your KH is dangerously low and if the pH reduces itself, then there comes a point you'll see the snail shells having noticeable damages. Put crushed corals in your filter and sprinkle a little more over the substrate to help with the pH and KH. You can also make dozens of plaster of Paris pucks. They last for a long time and will help increase the KH thus stabilizing the water chemistry.

If you are that worried over your MTS eradicated completely, get a spare 5g tank to breed them. Your assassins won't eradicate everything completely in an instant. MTS can still continue reproducing quickly if food supply is sustained for both assassins and MTS.

 

[Wycco]

I suppose I could keep a spare snail-tank somewhere for breeding purposes not a bad idea.

Plaster of paris, I have in the house already. I've read if used for long term can be bad for the fish- but until I get some crushed coral (already had planned to because of the water) I'm sure it won't hurt- looks like it's been used for years in fishkeeping.

I've got fish shaped Ice Cube Trays- so a couple of PoP fish might not look too bad in the tank! I've also read recommendations to mix in fruit flavoured tums and the snails will enjoy munching on them- so I'll do that.

The fish they'll be cohabitating with are all fairly hardy. None purchased yet- still cycling.

Danios- RCS (I need to increase hardness for their sake anyway- I've read they need at least a three KH too)- Corys, Kuhlis, (MAYBE Cherry Barbs, MAYBE Pearl Gourami depends don't want to overstock).

I'm not worried that any of the above CAN'T adapt to harder more alkaline waters- although the Corys and Kuhlis are said to prefer soft... I'm more worried if I make my aquarium alkaline- it will make water changes more complicated and risk sending fish into shock when I mix in soft water from my tap (treated for cholrine of course). So I'd rather not adjust chemistry too much... but I will a little to meet my invertabrates demands.

 

[Lupin]

Cories and kuhlis should be fine. I've done these fish with my snails before with no issues. None of the other fish and the cherry shrimps would be an issue so there is absolutely no need to worry about the water chemistry affecting your fish in any way. As far as water changes, match water chemistry first and then proceed pouring it to the tank. This requires using buckets which can be a PITA for people not used to it but good for the muscles all the same if you're a guy.

 

[Sounguru]

This will probably answer 90% of your questions... Assassin Snails

 

[Wycco]

This will probably answer 90% of your questions... Assassin Snails

Thank you yes it did... actually I googled before posting here and found that very same article posted elsewhere. It is what prompted me to ask my questions because whereas it was excellently packed full of info the one or two things that concerned me was:

How many is too many (and will wipe out the MTS) and their minimum GH/KH requirements. Also I had seen contradicting information on their reproduction so wanted to see if there were different kinds.

Between the kind people on AC and that article though- I think they are a species I would like once my own population of MTS reaches a decent size- and the numbers of Assassins may not be too hard to control- I'm sure I could adopt excess to AC if they got out of hand.

I'll wait to see how my MTS do (and any other snails that might have hitched rides on my plants that I might not have seen when washing them- I didn't see any on my plants from petsmart which surprised me).

I'll definately try and get some assassins when I have a decent population of snails for them to feed on. They sound fascinating.

 

[Wycco]

OOC, I know it depends on number of snails in the tank.

But- how many assassins do you think is an appropriate number for a 55 gallon to allow a controlled number of MTS- without wiping them out.

(if I stay on top of things and don't let the assassins breed too much).

Reading about assassins buring themselves in substrate and ambushing... will the pursue MTS into the substrate too? Or only burrow in it to lay ambush on non burrowing species?

 

[Sounguru]

Okay #1 where else did you see it published? There are only a few sites authorized to post it.

#2 Assassins will not kill off all the MTS they leave the small ones for either baby Assassin food or until the grow to eating size. Also with the fact that MTS remained buried they will usually not find them all. Ramshorns on the other hand can be wiped out since they do not bury themselves and seem to be the #1 Assassin food. Assassins hunt on the surface or as mentioned to ambush but do not actively hunt under the substrate.

#3 I never measure my KH/GH ratings because I feed my feeder snails a calcium rich diet which the assassins then eat passing it on. I use snail jello and plaster pucks (have for years with no ill effects) so my calcium levels are fine. I have no shell errosion or very little in all my tanks and I have a wide range of PH levels.

#4 2 per 10 is the basic rule for a moderate pest snail population. Now Moderate is a realtive term so you will have to make that call.

#5 As far as reproduction goes the way I have it is the way it is. I know when they first came out there was a lot of bull puck flying around and that is why I wrote the article. Don't count on slowing down the breeding they hide their eggs real well for every 10 you find there are another 10 you will miss. Good news is they are slow growers and slow breeders with a survival rate of 50% or so to the # of eggs hatched.