Got my assassins a new friend

[Brookster123]

Well I thought my assassin snails could use some company.. Went to my Lfs and got them some new friends! 15 min later..



I think they like each other

 

[Aqualady40]

Is that dinner? I thought they eat/devour most snails, am I wrong? If so, I would like to put a ramshorn in with mine.

 

[Brookster123]

I appologise, yes dinner, my gf just chewed me out for that. No pun intended .. Well.. Maybe. Assassins are the best( do not play well with other snails.)

 

[Sandie]

You can get Nerite snails to live with assassin snails. They have very hard shells and a "trap door" to protect them from the assassins. I have many of them both living in one tank for over 2 years and no problems.

 

[Sandie]

Oops, I miss typed about the "trap door"... Lol. But they do have hard shells and live with my assassins just fine

 

[xsryman]

I appologise, yes dinner, my gf just chewed me out for that. No pun intended .. Well.. Maybe. Assassins are the best( do not play well with other snails.)

I've heard they will team up and take down large mystery snails too. I have never tried this because I like my mystery snails, but the trumpet and pond snails...it's hasta la bye bye. lol

 

[xsryman]

You can get Nerite snails to live with assassin snails. They have very hard shells and a "trap door" to protect them from the assassins. I have many of them both living in one tank for over 2 years and no problems.

Sandie, thanks for the info. I didn't know that. I may go pick me up a Nerite this weekend and try that.

 

[Brookster123]

I've heard they will team up and take down large mystery snails too. I have never tried this because I like my mystery snails, but the trumpet and pond snails...it's hasta la bye bye. lol

I tried to breed some pond snails in my 5 gal qt to no avail. Now I have to do something with the quarter sized guy in there, it may take all 4 assassins for that job...

 

[xsryman]

I tried to breed some pond snails in my 5 gal qt to no avail. Now I have to do something with the quarter sized guy in there, it may take all 4 assassins for that job...

sounds like they will be having a sweet escargot feast. lol

 

[Brookster123]

sounds like they will be having a sweet escargot feast. lol

nothing is too good for my assassins, off to my Lfs to get them some mts to chase around! Oh how they love to play...

 

[Brookster123]

WellP I did not witness the crime but that pondy was a done deal this morning. I'm starting to feel a bit Un easy here. Might need to start locking my bedroom door at night...

 

[Sandie]

Lol, too funny . My assassins have devoured every snail no matter the size including apple and mystery snails, cherry shrimp have disappeared with no body found for evidence... Lol. The only survivors are my nerites... Which I bought specifically for that reason. Once I got pond snails as hitchhikers... So naturally I got the assassins because I have a planted tank and want it to stay that way. However after I "hired" the assassins... I kept finding myself watching the snails soo much... Now (Nerite) snails are one of my fav things in the tank. I have only lost one Nerite in over a year... Not sure if of natural causes or what, but I have a breeding colony of assassins so they must be pretty tough or they would be "hasta la bye-bye too". Lol

 

[Brookster123]

Lol, too funny . My assassins have devoured every snail no matter the size including apple and mystery snails, cherry shrimp have disappeared with no body found for evidence... Lol. The only survivors are my nerites... Which I bought specifically for that reason. Once I got pond snails as hitchhikers... So naturally I got the assassins because I have a planted tank and want it to stay that way. However after I "hired" the assassins... I kept finding myself watching the snails soo much... Now (Nerite) snails are one of my fav things in the tank. I have only lost one Nerite in over a year... Not sure if of natural causes or what, but I have a breeding colony of assassins so they must be pretty tough or they would be "hasta la bye-bye too". Lol

every morning I turn the lights on for a bit while I get ready for work and they're usually at the top of the tank chasing mts. It's the most exciting slow motion chase everrr

 

[Sandie]

Omg, lol... I just bought some mts to try to get a colony going so I can give my assassins some treats, hehe.

Never thought I'd be buying snails to grow more snails, to feed the snails I bought, to rid myself of snails... Lol

 

[Brookster123]

This has to be a common occurrence.. Haha snails to kill snails than snails too feed snails too kill snails!! Crazy talk

 

[Sandie]

Yep, I'm sure we're not the only ones... that's why this is such an addictive hobby

 

[KTpoopenstein]

Alas horned nerites are not immune to the crafty ways of assassins. Despite the fact that they had ample food in the bladder and ramshorn snails I hoped they'd get rid of, they ate one of my little horned guys within the first day or two. I relocated the rest until the assassins has done their job and then swapped them. Not really sure what to do with the 3 I have currently hanging out in my quarantine tank...anyone in New Orleans need a few?

 

[Sandie]

Sorry you lost one... They are so cute

IME... I have three small horned nerites with my breeding assassins and no casualties as of yet. And it's been about 6 months for the horned nerites in that tank. Maybe that one didn't do well acclimating, did you see the chase and kill, or just find the body ?
The others might be just fine in the tank. Maybe it was just a case of natural selection

Can anyone else chime in on their experiences with nerites or specifically horned nerites as tank mates with assassins? More examples on either side might help people decide before buying

Also, for anyone new to snail keeping... Sometimes they look kinda dead/dormant when they tank change, and a few days later they are all over the place. All snails can sit dormant for days and many mistake this for loosing one. Also don't forget to acclimate you snails just like your fish, don't just throw them in... I use the drip method for my fish, snails, and my shrimp too... of course

 

[KTpoopenstein]

I had the nerites long before the assassins. I lost one horned guy not too long after I got them for no apparent reason, but this second one coincided with the addition of the assassins pretty closely. I didn't see it happen (I actually didn't see them get any when they were in my main tank) but he was alive when I put the assassins in and the next day there was an empty shell.

I'm down to three of the original 8 I started with. One of my non-horned apparently crawled out of the tank and I discovered him under the stand who knows how long later and another found his way into my HOB and died. Not entirely sure what happened to the last one but I haven't seen him in at least a month so I'm assuming he's dead too.

 

[Sandie]

That sucks, sounds like those assassins are taking over your tank

I would be very upset too if my nerites we're run off by my assassins! Just curious... Why don't you remove the assassins to another tank? Or to the hob? Personally, I prefer the nerites over the assassins more variety.

I have always kept all my snails together, however... I just started another 40 gal breeder tank this month so I'm transferring and acclimating my nerites as I see them. I'm thinking of having mts (trumpets) in there too for turning up the sand... so no assassins in the new 40 unless the mts get out of control... Lol. This will be my first time having mts so I'm not sure how it will go.