# Assassin snails.



## Sheldon31 (Mar 21, 2012)

There seems to be very little in the way of info on the net about these (imho) awesome snails. Altier (assassins creed anyone?) has been missing since I baught him but I've been pulling empty snail shells out since I got him so I know he's alive he's just private I guess. A few questions that I cannot find much in the way of answers for on the net. 

How many snails do they eat on a daily basis? I have loads ranging from almost invisible to the naked eye to about the size of a sunflower seed. 

Do I need to supplement his diet with anything else? Algae wafers or specialist snail food etc? 

I've only got the one at the moment because I wasn't sure if they would fight or eat their own kind plus I didn't want them breeding quickly. Now I've read a bit more about them I know they are not cannibalistic so how many would be sufficient for a 2 foot long tank (15g my stocking is in my sig) with an explosion of about 100 snails (that I can see)?

Do they eat the snail eggs? 

Thanks in advance


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## Gizmothefreaky (Apr 10, 2011)

I have some assassins, and they eat maybe one each every day or so... What i read though is that they will eat all of the snails in the tank, and then they may or may not turn on eachother. I have such a high population of snails in all of my tanks though that i havent had that problem. lol!


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## freemike (Feb 3, 2012)

I have one in a tank that I don't have any snails in anymore lol. I also have another tank that I let his food breed in. He will disappear for 2 weeks at a time on me. As soon as I put in a snail for him to hunt he comes out. On occasion I have seen mine eat fish flake food. So I don't really worry about him dying anymore. From what I understand they are not cannibalistic if you keep at least some acceptable food for them available. I love my assassin snail it is so awesome at how he only comes out when needed and is so efficient. I put 4 baby snails in his tank and the next day I had 4 tiny decorations lol.


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## Gizmothefreaky (Apr 10, 2011)

lmao! I dont even try to collect the empty shells anymore, they make up decent part of the substrate in one of my smallest tanks. X3 I have all kinds too, that i have collected and kept, including an empty assassin snail one, i dont know if it died naturally or not though, it was empty when i found it.


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## tolkiennerd (Oct 20, 2011)

-I think they spend most of the day hiding and come out at night. Just got 2 of them today Altier and Ezio.


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## Sheldon31 (Mar 21, 2012)

I have an altair and was going to call the new one I get next week Ezio lol.


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## Foisair (Aug 3, 2011)

Geeks. Then again, I will probably end up using the same name(s) when I get mine. Said the pot to the kettle.


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## Sheldon31 (Mar 21, 2012)

I have never played Assassins creed lol. I'm not a fan of games but my other half plays them and suggested the names. Couldn't think of any other assassins names haha.


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## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

I was doing some online reading about these little guys!! I'm so excited, I'm picking up 6 tomorrow (3 for each tank). The guy selling me them is also giving me free pond snails. If I put some pond snails in a small container of unheated water, how fast will they grow? I'd like to harvest them for my new assassins. 

Also, I have some names picked out so far... But it's a surprise until I bring them home!!


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## Sheldon31 (Mar 21, 2012)

Pond snails don't grow that big. Mines about the size of my finger nail but he went from being almost microscopic to that size in just a fortnight


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## JKfish (Apr 8, 2010)

Where so all of you get your assassin snails? I have an explosion of mts and pond snails that are wreaking havoc upon my plants now that there isn't algae.... I started off with one a few months ago, and now I can't keep up with them D:


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## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

They're hard to find in stores here but one LFS gets them every now and then. I guess someone bought them up and they bred! My sister told me about the ad, it's on kijiji.

Don't where everybody else gets theirs. And I don't know how hard it is for regular stores to sell them seeing that every plant I ever saw in the stores around here is infested with snails.


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## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

I wonder if I may hijack this thread for a second-
I currently have black gravel (decided to go hunting for black sand though) and so far, Ludendorff has his 4 snails. I went to scoop Lude out today and cup him for feeding bloodworms (I don't usually do this but I wanted to feed the snails too and I knew Lude would hog all the worms) and I couldn't find them! 
I took everything out and sifted through the gravel gently but I couldn't see them. I found one, it fell off one of the ornaments. But I checked everything else. Do these things have a habit of completely burying down into the gravel?? I don't know where they are!! 
But, the 4 in the bowl of sand I put them all in when I got them (and there's 4 still there, doing Bowser's tank today) LOVE bloodworms!! lol so, if anybody is wondering what to feed their assassins, frozen bloodworms.


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## Sheldon31 (Mar 21, 2012)

Mine you rarely see. He's quite a quiet little soul. Very quiet and secretive. (maybe another reason for the name). He spends a lot of time buried in the sand and underneath my stones so your assassins are probably burying themselves.


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## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

Thanks  
So they'll bury themselves in deep even in gravel?? I;ll take your word bc there isn't a speck of evidence to suggest otherwise!! I sunk some food so hopefully they'll eat. And I'll keep my eye out and try to get black sand asap. I have light sand but I don't like it in my tanks, I like bettas on black (personal preference)


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## Sheldon31 (Mar 21, 2012)

When I had gravel he did this too. When I first baught him I put him somewhere I could see him (so I could tell he wasn't DOA) and then I didn't see him again! Found him 2 weeks later buried in the gravel when I was switching from gravel to sand. Assassins are very small too which makes it harder!


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## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

Ha they are very small! I did read before I got them that they prefer sand to gravel but will do fine in gravel... Then I lost them!! lol I know they're there. I just hope they don't starve. 
I put the rest of the snails in with Bowser last night and he barely noticed them. I know they'll be safe. Actually one is on the driftwood (waiting for pond snails? bc it's coated in algae now) and another is up high on some IAL. One I might never see again bc it's literally the size of a size 12 Times New Roman "0". 
Anyway, how do you like your snail? Is he doing his job? I find they don't eat much, which is good because I hopped into 8 snails (paid for 6, got 2 free). The owner selling them told me I would be fine with that many. 
Apparantly there's a lps here who sells assassins for 9.99 each. @[email protected] He bought his for 4.99 each. I cannot believe how expensive they are!!


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## Sheldon31 (Mar 21, 2012)

He doesn't move much. I assume he finds Snails in the gravel because I keep thinking he's dead but he's fine. I payed 3.49 for mine. My pets at home sells them for 2for £9! Kyon doesn't bother him either, barely notices him.


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## Laki (Aug 24, 2011)

That's good! I think my fish are bored of them and especially Bowser, sniffed it but didn't attack it like Lude did!! 
I actually saw the tiniest one last night!! I thought I'd never see it again it's sooo small! lol It managed to come out front to snack on buried food- it was dark and I saw another in the back. They're nocturnal then I guess?


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