# Can assassin snails really eat pest snails ?



## Chikorita (Dec 16, 2007)

I bought some assassin snails .. to take care of my pest snails problem ... However, I think the assassin snails r too big ... can they really eat the snails (that look like tiny pond snails). I only saw them going after the mts .. but what about the other types ??? so they eat as in ALL Snails that are not assassin ???

Pliz advise

Thanks


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## reignOfFred (Jun 7, 2010)

2 assassin snails almost completely cleaned out the trumpet snails and pond snails in my 20 gallon - I still see the odd mts because I add them occasionally for the assassins to hunt, but have not seen a sign of pond snail in a very long time.


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## Eden Marel (Jan 28, 2010)

Yes they eat all snails, I have to hunt down humans and Petsmart that have snails to make my Sins are still fed. I think they prefer to eat something similar size to themselve first before picking off any other ones.

Try to get some their size, hope they mate and then they'll be babies to eat the smaller ones.


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## madness (Jul 31, 2011)

Is there a way to keep assassins and nerites in the same tank without the nerites becoming lunch? 

I haven't seen an assassin snail IRL so I am not sure what the size is like.


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## ohbaby714 (Feb 23, 2011)

Most nitrite are too big for assasin snail. I keep my zebra with them and they live peacefully.


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## Hadley (Dec 12, 2010)

Yes, assassin snails do really eat other snails. They eat about one or two snails a day. I have kept assassins in with other snails including nerites and until the other day I had never seen an assassin snail go after a nerite, but I saw it happening so I moved the assassin snail into another tank.

They only eat meat.


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## 10galfornow (May 13, 2011)

do they eat those flat snails that are on the glass? those ones that look like a single celled organism?


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

My Assassins didn't eat Zebras, but did kill every single one of them. 

I believe they poison their prey, and then eat them.

And I haven't run across a snail yet that they won't eat and/or kill- including pond, ramshorn, MTS, and nerites.


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## jasonpatterson (Apr 15, 2011)

If you go to youtube and search for assassin snail you can find a number of videos of them hunting and eating other snails. That is, you can if snail snuff movies are your thing.


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## Chaoslord (Feb 12, 2011)

10galfornow said:


> do they eat those flat snails that are on the glass? those ones that look like a single celled organism?


No they do not. Or at least mine do not.


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## Eden Marel (Jan 28, 2010)

http://youtu.be/4aXU6JZClHo?hd=1

http://youtu.be/B0zMKpOcI0c?hd=1

http://youtu.be/qXtE4ZC1IQA?hd=1


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## Storm (Aug 7, 2011)

Surprisingly, I saw two of my pond snails fighting last night. The larger one tried to completely engulf the smaller one while the smaller one swam around in circles on the glass. I would have sworn one was an assassin snail, but I don't have any assassins in my tank. In the end, the larger snail was unsuccessful in his attack - not sure why they fought in the first place - maybe the algae on the glass was too yummy to let someone else have it... :icon_lol:


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## Chikorita (Dec 16, 2007)

my pest snails are so small .. pond snails .. and the assassins r big ... I am wondering if they can really get rid of the snails for me ... 
Cross my fingers ...
and wait ....
I still see pest snails .. everywhere .......


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## Hadley (Dec 12, 2010)

Chikorita said:


> my pest snails are so small .. pond snails .. and the assassins r big ... I am wondering if they can really get rid of the snails for me ...
> Cross my fingers ...
> and wait ....
> I still see pest snails .. everywhere .......


It takes awhile. Cut back on your feeding and that should help control the snail population. Don't forget, most snails don't eat plants, just dead or dying material off the plants, so while they might be unsightly they aren't doing damage. 

Assassin snails only eat about one snail a day, or every other day. It took mine months to get my pest snail population under control and there are still some in there but I'm not worried about it anymore. And that was with two assassins in a 3 gallon tank.


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## GeToChKn (Apr 15, 2011)

Storm said:


> Surprisingly, I saw two of my pond snails fighting last night. The larger one tried to completely engulf the smaller one while the smaller one swam around in circles on the glass. I would have sworn one was an assassin snail, but I don't have any assassins in my tank. In the end, the larger snail was unsuccessful in his attack - not sure why they fought in the first place - maybe the algae on the glass was too yummy to let someone else have it... :icon_lol:


Sure it was super-sexy-snail time and they were breeding and the other one was leaving the eggs on the glass?


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## Dave-H (Jul 29, 2010)

My assasins ate my nerites

sent from Tapatalk


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## jreich (Feb 11, 2009)

at one point i had probably close to 500 pond snails in my 29 and within a few months the assassins totally wiped them out.


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## Kitty_Kitsch (Apr 27, 2011)

I had a crazy snail problem in my 36 gal and I bought 1 assassin and the little dude has taken care of almost all of them and the plant devastation I was experiencing is over. I used some of the dwarf sag from that tank for my ebi and I have a ton of baby snails in there now. I bought another assassin for the ebi but I haven't seen it eat any of those tiny snails yet.


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## Chikorita (Dec 16, 2007)

Mine is a 75g stocked with pest snails ... and about 20 assassin snails ...
is that enough to take care of the snail problem in the tank ???


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## fresh.salty (Jul 2, 2010)

I started with 3 in my 60g a few months ago and now have to pick snails from other tanks to target feed them. lol


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## Kitty_Kitsch (Apr 27, 2011)

Assassin snails are like the greatest thing since canister filters LOL


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## jreich (Feb 11, 2009)

Chikorita said:


> Mine is a 75g stocked with pest snails ... and about 20 assassin snails ...
> is that enough to take care of the snail problem in the tank ???


 20 would be way to much, get between 3 and 5. if you have 20, they will wipe everything out really fast, than you have to worry about finding a way to feed 20 assassins.


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## Chikorita (Dec 16, 2007)

I now see tons of pest snails all over the side glass of the tank ... running away from the assassin ????


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## fresh.salty (Jul 2, 2010)

It just takes some time. They can't eat them like you and I eat popcorn.


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## Alaizabelle (Apr 7, 2011)

I put two assassins in a heavily infested 10 gallon tank, a month later there are hardly any signs of pest snails.... and now there are 5 assassins


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## jreich (Feb 11, 2009)

Alaizabelle said:


> I put two assassins in a heavily infested 10 gallon tank, a month later there are hardly any signs of pest snails.... and now there are 5 assassins


 now your going to have to get super assassins to wipe out the normal assassins. :hihi:


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