Assassin Snails......

[Joe_D]

Over two months ago I obtained a single Assassin Snail as I had a Nerite snail egg issue. I have since gotten rid of the Nerites and no longer have that issue.

The Assassin seems to still to be doing great and is getting bigger
As i understand it they will eat other food it there are no snails to eat

The really strange thing is, after over two months, today in addition to that one, t spotted a quite tiny .Assassin.
How it that possible with only one Assassin and after over two months? .

 

[ADsnail]

Dunno, their eggs take about a month to hatch, so...

Could the baby have come in with anything else? They like to burrow, so did you add or change any substrate in the last couple months?

 

[Joe_D]

No change in substrate etc and no new plants added.

 

[ADsnail]

I'm guessing your snail was with child when she arrived. They're the size of a grain of rice for a couple months, so the baby would've been easy to miss unless you were looking for it.

Since they lay one egg instead of a cluster like Mystery snails do, you now have 2 gastropods (without having to expect 50-100 like if it was a Mystery).

 

[Joe_D]

Actually the Assassin is not that big its self.
How big / mature does one have to be to reproduce?

EDIT...
I just realized something
My Nerite sails were of the "zebra" variety and when Nerites an Assassins are real tiny, they look similar.
Perhaps the tiny one I saw was a Nerite egg that actually hatched?


If i see it again I will se which way the stripes are oriented, either horizontal or vertical.
That should identify it.
If my my memory is correct I think it had vertical stripes which would indicate an Assassin, which does not make sense as I would need a male and female

 

[ADsnail]

They mature in about six months so mating begins then, I guess, like so many other critters. They only live 2-3 years so that makes sense.

Your tank is freshwater, right? It's pretty unusual for Nerite eggs to hatch in freshwater.

As the facts are stacking up, it looks like your first instinct about a baby Assassin was correct. Congratulations, papa!

 

[Joe_D]

Yeah i know Nerite eggs will usually not hatch in a aquarium
Also I only ever had one Assassin and you need a male and female for them to reproduce

So maybe, this is the unusual instance where a Nerite egg actually did hatch ?

 

[Joe_D]

I just saw the tiny snail in question again. It is definitely an Assassin snail.

Is it possible that the one Assassin I originally got was about to lay eggs?

 

[ADsnail]

Yes, that's it