Breeding assassin snails

[nik_n]

I purchased 3 assassin snails 4 months back. One died because it got stuck in the filter. I have seen the other two climbing and moving together for a long time (on and off). I assume this is breeding. Look at the pic bellow.

How long do assassin snails need to hatch? Should I do anything in particular to breed them. There is plenty of food (pond snails).

 

[Ch4rlie]

Assassin snails lay eggs, in fact lays eggs in a clear square sac, one egg at a time, the square egg sacs are cool to see.

If you see eggs dotted around your tank, they will hatch usually about 8 weeks.

Steady water parameters is pretty important for these eggs as they are fairly sensitive to changes in water parameters.

 

[Slaphppy7]

When you have assassin snail eggs, you'll know it, very unique looking...you don't need to intervene, they breed as easily as pest snails, just at a much smaller rate

 

[nik_n]

Assassin snails lay eggs, in fact lays eggs in a clear square sac, one egg at a time, the square egg sacs are cool to see.

If you see eggs dotted around your tank, they will hatch usually about 8 weeks.

Steady water parameters is pretty important for these eggs as they are fairly sensitive to changes in water parameters.

I saw one on the glass but it was gone a day after. I thought they lay their eggs in the substrate

 

[nik_n]

When you have assassin snail eggs, you'll know it, very unique looking...you don't need to intervene, they breed as easily as pest snails, just at a much smaller rate

I haven't seen many eggs like that. Is it possible that pond snails are eating them?

 

[Slaphppy7]

I haven't seen many eggs like that. Is it possible that pond snails are eating them?

I doubt it...look for them on plants, the most common place they lay them

 

[nik_n]

Hmm, the only place I see them climbing on top of each other is the aquarium glass. I will check the plants, but I have never seen any.

 

[Slaphppy7]

Since you only have 2, they may be both males, or both females

Snails "climb" on each other for various reasons, not just mating...there's some tasty biofilm on their shells that they can't reach themselves

 

[Ch4rlie]

Assassins lay their eggs on just about any surface really.

I have had both pond snails and Assassin snails together in tanks and have always had a number of assassin eggs and tiny baby assassin snails around.

So from my own experience from having both pond and assassin snails I find it is rather doubtful snails will eat other snail eggs.

Perhaps someone may prove me wrong and show us that snails may eat other types of species snail eggs and that would be fascinating if that’s the case but for now, I don’t think that is the case.

 

[nik_n]

Considering that I got 3 of them about 4 months ago and I haven't seen any babies so far, would it be safe to say that they are all the same gender? I guess I could get more if I want to breed them. The two aren't doing a great job of controlling the pond snail population so I was considering adding more snails.

How many do you think I should get to have them be different genders (how many new ones should I buy on top of the two existing ones)

 

[Slaphppy7]

I'd get 4 or 5 more

 

[nik_n]

About 2 months ago I bought 6 assassin snails. Since then I saw a lot of their eggs on the plants and other places, and I expected to eventually have babies (which I was looking forward to). I know the eggs take about 8 weeks to hatch, and I'm right around the 8th week mark. I still haven't seen any babies or smaller assassin snails anywhere, but I still find new eggs. Does this mean that the eggs are infertile? They shouldn't be because I know I have both sexes of the snails, I saw them climbing on each other and all.

In those 2 months I have done a couple of gravel vacs. I know these snails oftentimes hide in the gravel and the babies stay there. Could me vacuuming the gravel cause these babies to die? Could something be eating them. I don't have any snail eating fish, but could the plecos be picking the off(I find it unlikely). I trimmed the plats as well but made sure not to get the leaves that the eggs were on

Am I doing something wrong or am I just being impatient and the babies should start appearing soon? How high is the hatch rate of these guys? I'm hoping to sell them to my LFS so the more the better. If they really hatch after 8 weeks I should be getting more babies from this month until I have adults are breeding and I know they still actively are.

Any advice would be appreciated

 

[Sgooosh]

About 2 months ago I bought 6 assassin snails. Since then I saw a lot of their eggs on the plants and other places, and I expected to eventually have babies (which I was looking forward to). I know the eggs take about 8 weeks to hatch, and I'm right around the 8th week mark. I still haven't seen any babies or smaller assassin snails anywhere, but I still find new eggs. Does this mean that the eggs are infertile? They shouldn't be because I know I have both sexes of the snails, I saw them climbing on each other and all.

In those 2 months I have done a couple of gravel vacs. I know these snails oftentimes hide in the gravel and the babies stay there. Could me vacuuming the gravel cause these babies to die? Could something be eating them. I don't have any snail eating fish, but could the plecos be picking the off(I find it unlikely). I trimmed the plats as well but made sure not to get the leaves that the eggs were on

Am I doing something wrong or am I just being impatient and the babies should start appearing soon? How high is the hatch rate of these guys? I'm hoping to sell them to my LFS so the more the better. If they really hatch after 8 weeks I should be getting more babies from this month until I have adults are breeding and I know they still actively are.

Any advice would be appreciated

tbh i wouldnt worry too much, try feeding them with a sinking food or something maybe the babies will come out of hiding.
if you have any other fish in there they would eat the babies i think

 

[vanalisa]

my experience

I never intentionally tried to breed them but I ended up with babies in my tank.
They are tiny tiny tiny and it's likely you won't see any for a while.
They do feed on the same things other snails feed on so until they're big enough to eat other baby snails they'll stay down in the substrate.

Just check the screen part of your gravel vacuum to see if you have sucked any up.

Patience.

"...climbing on each other and all..."

 

[nik_n]

Great I was starting to get worried. It have seen a lot of eggs, so I'm expecting a lot of babies (which is what I'm hoping for). It was just that it's confusing to see all the eggs gone but no babies, makes me thing something eat them or the babies aren't surviving.

"...climbing on each other and all..."

Just trying to keep it family friend is all