Assassin snail in a red cherry shrimp tank?

My pest snail problem is out of control. I took out all the bigger ones a couple weeks ago, but they have already laid eggs and those (hundreds) have hatched and are patrolling around. I even see them breeding.

I wouldn't mind so much except they are crowding the shrimp pellets I feed the red cherries, and they are doing nothing for the algae in there. It's annoying. And there's tons of them! I've even started feeding my shrimp less (3 times a week now) ((I have roughly 15 fully grown shrimp)).

Anyway. I was considering an assassin snail or 2 for the 6 gal Fluval Edge to take care of the pest snails, then see if I could re-home or sell the snails back.

Does anyone have any tangible experience in this specific or similar set up? Would the assassin snail go after pest snails first? Or might they just go for the closest food source (shrimp or snails). My colony of RCS is relatively new, and the first batch of babies from 4 females have just been born.

Would a shrimp be able to detect the threat and swim away, or could the assassin snail get a shrimp easily?

Thanks,
gothikpixie

 

I started with 4 assassin's. 6 months later I sold 160 of them to a local store. They will only eat roughly two snails a day per assassin. And if you think the pest snails eating the pellets is bad, the assassin's will go after them too. It really defeats the purpose of getting assassin snails at that point.

 

You can drop a slice of cucumber in the tank at night and remove it (covered in snails) in the morning (throw in the trash, don't flush). Continue to do this until your snail population is under control or is gone.

 

Thanks you 2. I've tried the cucumber trick multiple times Maybe what I need to do is fast my shrimp for a while then do the cucumber, and hope the snails go after it. I also have some algae in my tank, so I know the snails are feeding on that. :/

If I were to supply my shrimp with other food, what might the snails and assassin not go after?

 

You can try floating the food in the tank (tie string to it so it isn't close to tank walls or near the substrate - my mysteries really like zucchinI over cucumber), so if you feed your shrimp veggies (mine nibble on the cucumber I put in there) the snails will have a harder time getting to them while the shrimp will swim up to them. They eat everything, as far as I know, so good luck keeping them from nibbling on the food you try to give your shrimp - try and clean some of the algae that way you can cut down on some of what they are able to eat.

 

What about a clown loach? I hear they eat pest snails. Will it mess with the shrimp?

 

Yes, they will clean out your tank of shrimp - I'd say don't get one.

 

How big is the tank and which pest snail are we talking about.
if the tank is under 10 gallon take the shrimp out put in a bucket deep clean tank replace substrate dust tank with alum and manually remove all snails. clean any plants of eggs and snails too.

 

I haven't tried with cucumber in mine, but they do seem to really like zucchini. Bonus, the baby RCS seem to really like it as well, so what I've been doing is slice of zucchini, chase the baby shrimp off after a bit, and remove it with all the snails, then replace. I've also been snail hunting when I see them.

I, however, have yet to find a good way to keep things under control in an invert tank...

 

I had a guppy female in mine (five endler cross babies in there right now), the only problem is she was nippy at everything so I had to move her out (now she challenges one of my bn plecos for shrimp pellets in my guppy/snail tank *three of four of the golden/blue clutches have hatched and the last is working on it*).

 

A clown loach is a bad idea. They are not suitable for such a small tank.

I have the Fluval Edge 6.

I like the zucchinI idea, maybe I'll give that a try next. Last resort is what Lunas said, I may have to completely clean it out. It's just a pain as the Fluval Edge is difficult to get into. As long as the filter media is still in tact, I wouldn't encounter an ammonia spike, would I?

While we are on the topic of my obvious over feeding, With a colony of 15 adults, and let's say, 50 shrimplets, how many Crab Cuisine pellets should I feed and how often? HikarI brand.

 

You may have eggs in your old filter media. When I had an outbreak they were all over my filter pads.

 

A clown loach is a bad idea. They are not suitable for such a small tank.

I have the Fluval Edge 6.

I like the zucchinI idea, maybe I'll give that a try next. Last resort is what Lunas said, I may have to completely clean it out. It's just a pain as the Fluval Edge is difficult to get into. As long as the filter media is still in tact, I wouldn't encounter an ammonia spike, would I?

While we are on the topic of my obvious over feeding, With a colony of 15 adults, and let's say, 50 shrimplets, how many Crab Cuisine pellets should I feed and how often? HikarI brand.

Do you have live plants in your tank? I feed my ~20 RCS once or twice a week, alternating between blanched zucchini, sweet potato, herbivore wafers, and sinking shrimp pellets. They eat microorganisms that grow on the plants and algae otherwise.

 

I had luck with romaine lettuce, left it for 24 hours and now the snails are gone.

 

Do you have live plants in your tank? I feed my ~20 RCS once or twice a week, alternating between blanched zucchini, sweet potato, herbivore wafers, and sinking shrimp pellets. They eat microorganisms that grow on the plants and algae otherwise.

I do, I have a pretty good java moss wall, java fern, hornwort, amazon sword, a moss ball, and a green crypt. Oh, and 3 tiny anubias tied to my drift wood which, I might add, has a healthy bit of algae or moss on it as well.

Now I know for certain I've been over feeding.

Update.. I've drastically reduced feeding this week alone, and I honestly don't see as many snails on the glass or immediately on the decor. I'm not sure if it's that they are now all in my moss wall, or searching more hidden spots for food, but what I DO know, is reducing the feeding has improved the tank overall.

Thanks you guys. I'll hold off on any assassin snail for now.

 

You may have eggs in your old filter media. When I had an outbreak they were all over my filter pads.

Gross. I'll have to check for that. Ewwww