Assassin Snails

[Dieses Madchen]

I have a snail outbreak starting in my tank, and I was wondering if there is a good reputable online source where I can get some assassin snails. I cannot find them at any of my LFS.

 

[biohazard156]

I think if you look on ebay you should find some, I have used one person from Ebay before who has a shop name of "the fish hut" and Colin sells them I believe. He does delivery too and I have gotten fish and shrimp from him as he lives near me so I collected. Think he does 4 for £10.

 

[ZoddyZod]

there is a sticky soemwhere all about snail control and methods to deal with them. Might be in the inverts section....

if you've had an 'outbreak' it's really only due to one thing......over-feeding. The snail population can only grow if there is plenty for them to feed on. Try reducing the amount of food you are placing in the tank.

 

[the_lock_man]

I think if you look on ebay you should find some, I have used one person from Ebay before who has a shop name of "the fish hut" and Colin sells them I believe. He does delivery too and I have gotten fish and shrimp from him as he lives near me so I collected. Think he does 4 for £10.

Now if you'd said 4 for $10, she'd be interested, since she's from across the pond.

Having said that, Dies, Ebay is a good shout - I did a quick search for you here cos I'm such a nice chappy (make sure you vote for me when I next enter FOTM, though!!!! ).

I would only go for the pack of 3 though, because they do multiply easily, just not quite so quickly as the pest snails.

 

[Dieses Madchen]

there is a sticky soemwhere all about snail control and methods to deal with them. Might be in the inverts section....

if you've had an 'outbreak' it's really only due to one thing......over-feeding. The snail population can only grow if there is plenty for them to feed on. Try reducing the amount of food you are placing in the tank.

Yeah, I went on vacation and my sister fed them, and I think she was feeding more than I taught her. I have been feeding one small (very small) pinch ever 3 days for the past two weeks, and squishing snails as I see them,but everyday I see more. I have tried the lettuce method as well.

Besides, assassin snails look really cool and they would be a nice addition to the tank as well. I have wanted some for a minute but couldnt find any, but now I have a really good reason to look harder

 

[Fishy friend2]

eBay or Aquabid should sell them. Good luck finding them, I had to travel 3 towns over until I could find them , so I know how hard it is to find them at a LFS

 

[This Old Spouse]

I have some ...

 

[Dieses Madchen]

I have some ...

Looking to sell? I would gladly take some off your hands if need be

 

[Juggler75]

I have some ...

Some? When that lot hatch you could supply the eastern sea board

 

[ZoddyZod]

Besides, assassin snails look really cool and they would be a nice addition to the tank as well. I have wanted some for a minute but couldnt find any, but now I have a really good reason to look harder

I have a MTS population in my tank specifically to feed a group of five assassins. Be warned that they are not exactly the most voracious of eaters and it may take them many weeks/months to get the pests under control if you really have a lot.

 

[Dieses Madchen]

Besides, assassin snails look really cool and they would be a nice addition to the tank as well. I have wanted some for a minute but couldnt find any, but now I have a really good reason to look harder

I have a MTS population in my tank specifically to feed a group of five assassins. Be warned that they are not exactly the most voracious of eaters and it may take them many weeks/months to get the pests under control if you really have a lot.

I wouldn't really say I have ALOT. At any given point in time I can easily spot about 7 snails....I have had a worse breakout before, and ended up gutting the tank, becuase it got so bad (that was before i knew overfeeding caused it, so I kinda had screwed myself on that one) but this time I have taken measure to prevent further growth of the population. I squished three this morning, and saw about 4 more in the tank on various objects, but I wasnt about to go diving lol.

The only thing I worry about is, what do they eat if they run out of snails? Should I save some of the snail specifically for the assassins (if i get some)? Should i slightly overfeed when the population gets low so that they can populate for the assassins? I honestly really thing they are a neat snail, and I wouldn't be using them specifically to solve a problem. They would become a permanant addition to the tank as I think they would bring a little something extra to my community as a whole.

 

[ZoddyZod]

you are better at feeding than me then. I think I had around 200 MTS in my old 125L from food that got stuck in the gravel! Assassins had a whale of a time in there.

Good question on what to feed them if there are no snails. I'm not sure what else they would eat apart from leftover food. It might be that they also munch on micro-organisms living in the tank but that's just a wild guess.

 

[Dieses Madchen]

Yeah, that would be my main concern. I have never actually owned snails that weren't hitchhikers. I have never been a big fan of the big mystery and apple snails. But the Assassin snails have a really neat look to them. Aside from being helpful with pests, they are genuinely neat to look at. That is the main reason I am considering them. Personally, I have never liked the look of snails, and shrimp and other aquarium "non-fish" critters. I do like the striped look though. If I had a 200 gallon tank with a snail problem, I would just swing for a shoal of clown loaches and enjoy the look that brings. I love clown loaches....so cute and clumsy. I just haven't the room for them.

 

[Cazgar]

I just got an assassin from the Lfs.
One of my guppies is intrigued by it, she keeps going to look at it.

 

[Dieses Madchen]

I just got an assassin from the Lfs.
One of my guppies is intrigued by it, she keeps going to look at it.

I don't know what my platys would do about a larger snail lol. I know they find the pond snails tasty when I crush them. I saw one of my juvies swimming around with a crushed snail in its mouth.

you are better at feeding than me then. I think I had around 200 MTS in my old 125L from food that got stuck in the gravel! Assassins had a whale of a time in there.

Good question on what to feed them if there are no snails. I'm not sure what else they would eat apart from leftover food. It might be that they also munch on micro-organisms living in the tank but that's just a wild guess.

Took me a while to get the hang of feeding them only what they need. I am still trying to instruct my husband on this art though, as last time he fed my livebearers, it looked like it snowed fish flakes, and I had to do a 90% water change and extreme gravel vac (which sucks because its a hexagon tank that is really tall) and then yesterday I spent about 20 minutes in the cichlid tanks with a net because my husband didn't realize that they only need 2-3 pellets a piece, and he gave them about 20 apiece lol.