# Assassin snail ratio?



## sayurasem (Jun 17, 2011)

So I'm planning to hire some assassins (snails that is).. but I don't know many.

I have about 35-50? ramshorn/ pest snails (babies and adult snails) in my 10 gallon tank... I have no idea how they got there either.

So the question is how much snails do I need for cleaning out my tank?
Will assassin be able to kill baby pest snails?

I'm so tired picking them out with tweezers they keep multiplying like my math hw


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## Nubster (Aug 9, 2011)

I know that the assassins I added to my tank jumped right on a baby ramshorn and eliminated it. I put 11 in my 75g just because I have hundreds of the pest snails and because the tank is so big I figured it would be better to have more to spread out and cover the area. In a 10g you might get away with less but not 100% sure on that.


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## metallicanick78 (Apr 26, 2011)

I put 2 of my male assasins in my 10g that has 300 or so pond snails of all sizes. They haven't made a dent in the last 4 weeks, but I kind of planned on that. I use that pond snail population to feed my other assasin breeding tank (100+) after big egg layings. Sounds like you have much less in the way of food for them, but Id estimate about 2-3 assasins to keep the pop in check and 3-4 to start cutting numbers down. 5-6 should wipe them out in no time and you would have to feed the assasins. They eat sinking pelets, waffers, and flake. as well as dead anything. All you have to do is decide what you want to accomplish, pop control or total eradication?
Mine are for sale in the SnS for monday shipping if you need a place to find em! http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/swap-n-shop/154694-bulk-assasins-pu-ct-1ea-added.html free plug.


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## diwu13 (Sep 20, 2011)

I'd definitely start with 2 in your tank. People often start with too many and have the pest snail population plummet instantly.

Your pest snails possibly arrived on any new plants, decorations, DW you added to your tank. Unless you ordered from someone that said "snail free" you'll wanna let your plants sit in a holding tank for a few days to let any snail eggs hatch and let them crawl out.

Assassins are able to kill baby snails, they can eat those directly instead of using their stick thing to dissolve their innards.


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## Nubster (Aug 9, 2011)

How do you sex them? I was thinking that once my pest snails are greatly reduced I'd start pulling assassins so that I have enough to maintain but I'd like to do same sex if possible so they don't breed in my main tank.


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## diwu13 (Sep 20, 2011)

I think as long as you have 2 they'll breed. I believe they are androgynous gender...


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## Franzi (Dec 7, 2009)

I was wondering about the sexing of assassins too...


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## garfieldnfish (Sep 25, 2010)

You need a male and a female for them to breed. I would also not add more than 2 assassins. They breed slowly if they do at all and you can always sell the extras or take them to your LFS. I am sure they will gladly take them off your hands.


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## metallicanick78 (Apr 26, 2011)

Ive got my breeding tank all spawning at the same time for the last 3-4 spawns because of the regiment I use. when they are all spawning you can actually see which ones are milting, poke a few and the males release milt. I should tape it for you guys.


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## herns (May 6, 2008)

metallicanick78 said:


> Ive got my breeding tank all spawning at the same time for the last 3-4 spawns because of the regiment I use. when they are all spawning you can actually see which ones are milting, poke a few and the males release milt. I should tape it for you guys.


I ve read a last night breeding assasins and some are not easy to me.

Just curious how do you breed your assasins?


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## hedge_fund (Jan 1, 2006)

I don't know whether anybody mentioned this since I did not read the responses but assassin snails will eat your shrimp too. Just keep that in mind.


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## DesmondTheMoonBear (Dec 19, 2011)

hedge_fund said:


> I don't know whether anybody mentioned this since I did not read the responses but assassin snails will eat your shrimp too. Just keep that in mind.


One of my male PFRs got in the way of one of my assassins eating a ramshorn, and ended up getting tagged. He was paralyzed and milky white for 3-4 days, but is alive and well today. No other incidents since.

As far as sexing assassin snails, it's easy, poke them, the males really do spray milt.


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## Ebichua (May 13, 2008)

Assassins CAN pose a risk to shrimp but it is rather negligible in most cases. 

I'd start off with 3-4 (Personally, I'd do 3) to clean those rams up. 
Breeding these guys is fairly easy, just let them do their own thing and make sure they have a food source. The more food there is for them to eat, the more willingly they will breed. No food = no breeding. Snails are opportunistic breeders, where food source comes into a bigger role in terms of breeding rather than water parameters (like shrimp). 

Their eggs are hard and encased in singular "pillow case" shaped encasements. Many will hatch but not all survive to adulthood. Again, this will highly vary depending on food availability. I do believe new borns feed on micro-organisms and not on other snails. They don't start becoming snail hunters until they get a bit bigger than a pin head.


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## DesmondTheMoonBear (Dec 19, 2011)

Ebichua said:


> Assassins CAN pose a risk to shrimp but it is rather negligible in most cases.
> 
> I'd start off with 3-4 (Personally, I'd do 3) to clean those rams up.
> Breeding these guys is fairly easy, just let them do their own thing and make sure they have a food source. The more food there is for them to eat, the more willingly they will breed. No food = no breeding. Snails are opportunistic breeders, where food source comes into a bigger role in terms of breeding rather than water parameters (like shrimp).
> ...


Yeah, until I witness my assassins actively hunting shrimp then I'd say they're OK with the less expensive neocaridinas.


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## herns (May 6, 2008)

I got my Assasins yesterday and seems they are more interested w/ algae than the ramshorn. I have way more ramshorn than algae in my small tank. LOL!


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## whizzle (May 12, 2010)

You know daryl's has them right?


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## sayurasem (Jun 17, 2011)

whizzle said:


> You know daryl's has them right?



oh nice! but I got them already 2 months ago lol.


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## whizzle (May 12, 2010)

Lol yea I didn't look at the original date before I posted. Just tryin to save you the shipping cost


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## herns (May 6, 2008)

I bought 4 Assasins about 2-3 weeks ago and they seems not touching the ramshorns up to this time. The previous owner told me they are used in eating MTS.

Would they eat ramshorn at all?


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## DesmondTheMoonBear (Dec 19, 2011)

herns said:


> I bought 4 Assasins about 2-3 weeks ago and they seems not touching the ramshorns up to this time. The previous owner told me they are used in eating MTS.
> 
> Would they eat ramshorn at all?


Mine prefer ramshorn the most, pond snails second, and I've only seen a single eaten MTS since I've had my assassins. (3 weeks?) Ever since I added them the MTS have seem to gone into hiding, so that could be the reason for me.


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## herns (May 6, 2008)

The only thing Ive seen them eating is ramshorn eggs. At least, ramshorns population is controlled.


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## lurrch (Jul 5, 2011)

Make sure you're not overfeeding as well. I had 2 assassin snails in my 10g, but the snails kept breeding. Then I cut down on the food and they disappeared pretty quickly.


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## summoner2183 (Jun 19, 2012)

I actually have 5 assasins in a 38G tank... is this enough? Some of my pond and ramshorns are breeding left and right.


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