Assassin snails?

[debisbooked]

Anyone have experience with assassin snails, Clea helena?/B] I have thousands of mystery snails in my 75 gallon and supposedly these eat nuisance snails. My substrate is ecocomplete and some river gravel so I don't know if that would be good for these snails.

 

[KaylNeko]

I have an assassin snail. He takes care of pond, bladder, and ramshorn snails--anything less than an inch. He hasn't touched my Mystery snail...are you're talking about the big Mystery snails, or just a lot of snails that you don't know what kind they are? The biggest I've heard of them going after are the occasional nerite--I've never heard of them going after Mystery snails. I have eco-complete and he does fine.

 

[TheFishBoss97]

they would be perfect for your tank in terms of survival
food......check
etc.....check

 

[smileyface9]

Anyone have experience with assassin snails, Clea helena?/B] I have thousands of mystery snails in my 75 gallon and supposedly these eat nuisance snails. My substrate is ecocomplete and some river gravel so I don't know if that would be good for these snails.

My upsidedown catfish ate a bunch of little snails..maybe you should get a small catfish?

 

[debisbooked]

I have an assassin snail. He takes care of pond, bladder, and ramshorn snails--anything less than an inch. He hasn't touched my Mystery snail...are you're talking about the big Mystery snails, or just a lot of snails that you don't know what kind they are? The biggest I've heard of them going after are the occasional nerite--I've never heard of them going after Mystery snails. I have eco-complete and he does fine.

Thanks for responding, KaylNeko. I guess I'm talking about pond snails. I thought these common snails were called 'mystery' snails, or mts.

I have some ramshorn snails too which don't multiply as fast as these others. I don't mind them as much, but if the assassin goes after them, oh well! How big of a tank do you have that one assassin can take care of? I've read that one needs an assassin for every fifteen pounds of tank. That would mean five for me - not sure I want that many though. I assume they reproduce and I would eventually get five that way. I'm thinking of just getting two or three to start with.

 

[debisbooked]

My upsidedown catfish ate a bunch of little snails..maybe you should get a small catfish?

I forgot about those! I have four corydoras but they don't seem to be eating snails. I once had three clown loaches that pretty much ate every snail within a matter of days but clowns need bigger tanks than even my 75 g so I don't want to go that route again. Thanks for responding-I will look into these.

 

[Hholly]

Thanks for responding, KaylNeko. I guess I'm talking about pond snails. I thought these common snails were called 'mystery' snails, or mts.

I have some ramshorn snails too which don't multiply as fast as these others. I don't mind them as much, but if the assassin goes after them, oh well! How big of a tank do you have that one assassin can take care of? I've read that one needs an assassin for every fifteen pounds of tank. That would mean five for me - not sure I want that many though. I assume they reproduce and I would eventually get five that way. I'm thinking of just getting two or three to start with.

I have only one assassin in my 45 and it's not helping much. I want to get at least 4 more.

 

[KaylNeko]

Corys don't go after snails. I have one assassin in the ten gallon that does fine, but don't have many snails. He's happy to eat about a snail a day or so. I want MTS (Malaysian Trumpet Snails) for both tanks to help aerate the substrate and will prolly get 3 or 4 for the big tank if they get out of hand (and stop feeding so much since that's usually what causes snail explosions). A few assassin snails plus the lettuce trick may get them down to a manageable let-the-assassins-take-care-of-the-rest pretty quick. (Lettuce trick if you don't know is put alettuce leaf in when the lights go out for the night and pick it up before lights go on the next morning. Its supposed to get a bunch of snails daily on the lettuce. I've never tried it.)

 

[KaylNeko]

Oh...and the ones generally labeled Mystery Snails are very similar/are Apple Snails or similar species. Stores call them Mystery Snails because the different species have been mixed so they don't know which they're getting and label them by color. They're an inch and a half up to, like, six inches.

 

[smileyface9]

I forgot about those! I have four corydoras but they don't seem to be eating snails. I once had three clown loaches that pretty much ate every snail within a matter of days but clowns need bigger tanks than even my 75 g so I don't want to go that route again. Thanks for responding-I will look into these.

You're welcome! and mine's black..unlike the usual upside down catfish, but i think it's either a hybrid or an asian upsidedown catfish. Someone told me he's probably an asian upsidedown catfish.

 

[debisbooked]

Corys don't go after snails. I have one assassin in the ten gallon that does fine, but don't have many snails. He's happy to eat about a snail a day or so. I want MTS (Malaysian Trumpet Snails) for both tanks to help aerate the substrate...

MTS-That's what I have in the tanks! Thanks for reminding me. Mine get out of hand but I don't see how I could be overfeeding. I feed once a day, 1/8 teaspoon of small pellets, an I only feed in two small areas of the tank. That is food for nineteen fish. I've noticed MTS seem to go through cycles where they 'bloom' and then recede.

 

[KaylNeko]

They may very well--that's the usual reason given, but I'm pretty sure I'm not overfeeding and just had one lay an egg nest. I'll have a happy Assassin pretty soon here. ^_^ Be interesting to see which snails laid eggs--if it was the nerites, no happy assassin (they need brackish to hatch).