Assassin Snail Question.

So, I have been mentioning that I have a pest snail issue in my 40-gallon tank. I do not mind the snails because I will be feeding them to my puffers; however, the more I let it go, the more I see. Today alone, I probably squashed and/or pulled out 20 snails and some of them I could not grab. They are sneaky little devils and do this dead float thing so you cannot grab them and they are so tiny that you really just cannot easily pick them up and if they are in the gravel, they bury themselves somewhat.

So, what I was thinking of doing is, because I really cannot do copper, is get one, move the mystery snails to a tiny tank, or maybe my 5 gallon bucket, with a filter, and let the Assassin snail (1) go at the pests in the tank, but wonder how long this would take do you think? Then after problem is somewhat controlled, putting the mystery snails back, and putting Mr. Assassin all by himself in a 3 gallon tank. Is this big enough for 1 Assassin? Can he be with puffers or will they kill him too? Seems like way to much work for pest snails. I keep telling myself ignore them, but they kind of remind me of roaches, they are everywhere.

Another option, cooper, if I put mystery snails in the 5-gallon bucket (this is way too small for my mystery snails but is all I have except the new 10 that puffers will be going in), and put copper in, how long do the mystery snails need to be out of the tank for for the copper to work. I assume need almost a 100% water change after and a good vacuum of the gravel, oh what a nightmare. Why did I start with plants, why?

The rate I am seeing them, every day is more and more and I am afraid they will like cover all the sides of the tank.

Which is the best option and more effective way of handling this?

 

As per my experience, my tank before had a population explosion of bladder snails, mts and ramshorn; as in snails everywhere. Last year I started with 2 assassin snails in a 5 gallon, but the pest snails are still everywhere and the substrate is littered with empty shells. When I upgraded to a 15 gallon after about two months, some of the pest snails got in and once again have a population explosion (I overfeed admittedly), so I transferred the two assassins and one month later I added 3 more since 2 wouldn't dent the population . But then, they also started breeding. I can find assassin snail eggs (they look like tiny pillow cases) on the driftwood and mosses. Once the eggs hatched (after around a month or so) that's when the decline of pest population is noticeable. Now, zero pest snail and more than 20 assassins. And that all happened in a span of less than a year. I also noticed that the assassins will start with the smallest snails first then move on to the bigger ones once they got rid of the smaller ones.

So I guess one assassin snail would not have any effect on the population of pest snails in a 40 gallon tank. Since the pest snails are prolific enough to maintain their population. One thing can do is add some traps while keeping the one assassin also.

 

As per my experience, my tank before had a population explosion of bladder snails, mts and ramshorn; as in snails everywhere. Last year I started with 2 assassin snails in a 5 gallon, but the pest snails are still everywhere and the substrate is littered with empty shells. When I upgraded to a 15 gallon after about two months, some of the pest snails got in and once again have a population explosion (I overfeed admittedly), so I transferred the two assassins and one month later I added 3 more since 2 wouldn't dent the population . But then, they also started breeding. I can find assassin snail eggs (they look like tiny pillow cases) on the driftwood and mosses. Once the eggs hatched (after around a month or so) that's when the decline of pest population is noticeable. Now, zero pest snail and more than 20 assassins. And that all happened in a span of less than a year. I also noticed that the assassins will start with the smallest snails first then move on to the bigger ones once they got rid of the smaller ones.

So I guess one assassin snail would not have any effect on the population of pest snails in a 40 gallon tank. Since the pest snails are prolific enough to maintain their population. One thing can do is add some traps while keeping the one assassin also.

Ugh. Wow. These things are buggers, huh. I don't think I over feed. I used to before I had live plants, but I do not any more. I used to really really really over feed, thinking like each snail needed their own wafer or log and each Cory etc. I don't know what to do. Might try a trap. Gotta look for one.

 

The only regret that I have with assassins, is that I can no longer keep fancy snails or else risk them being eaten by the assassins.

 

The only regret that I have with assassins, is that I can no longer keep fancy snails or else risk them being eaten by the assassins.

Yeah, I really like my mystery snails and I do not want them eaten, that is why I thought one and he can be kept alone. Do u know if the puffers will eat him if I put him in with them?

Can an assassin go in with a betta or will it eat the betta? All this eating things talk. Weird for fish.

 

Sorry, I have no experience with puffers yet.

You can try two or three assassins, but you have to be very sure of their sexes. I determined mine through their actions when together and they have fixed sexes unlike the hermaphroditic pest snails. The first two assassins that I had were actually males. But when I added three more, my first two immediately mounted the new comers. Until now, my mature male & female assassins are most of the time attached to each other. So if you bought two or three, observe them first for about a week in a separate container, if they keep on ignoring each other then they are likely of the same sex.

 

Sorry, I have no experience with puffers yet.

You can try two or three assassins, but you have to be very sure of their sexes. I determined mine through their actions when together and they have fixed sexes unlike the hermaphroditic pest snails. The first two assassins that I had were actually males. But when I added three more, my first two immediately mounted the new comers. Until now, my mature male & female assassins are most of the time attached to each other. So if you bought two or three, observe them first for about a week in a separate container, if they keep on ignoring each other then they are likely of the same sex.

Okay, thanks.

I wonder if I buy 3, can they go in a 3 gallon tank and have enough room? Do they need filtration, ugh every thing one goes to do with a fish tank takes all this research. LOL. Thanks for your help.

 

I think three will be fine in a 3 gallon and they'll just be buried under the substrate most of the time. So the tank will always look empty if they're the only inhabitants. As for filtration, I think it would be better to have one.