Assassin Snails

[EGGBERT]

I know u’ll feel i already have the answers re the snails, but here’s the current concern, which i know u’ll think is idiotic/pitifully unscientific: i feel sorry for the assassins in the barren 10gallon
On the omnivore scale (based on my constant observation) they’re not heavy competition for the algae w/the hillstreams. Additionally, when the pest snail pop. is down, the assassins r happy w/the compressed algae/bug wafers—a passion they share w/the hillstreams.

The assassins r not a massive snail: 3/4”-1”, & u said they’re not significant contributors to ammonia load (i asked about adding them to the 20gal during cycling wondering if that might boost the process). Also, they spend a significant amt of time beneath the substrate, & they’re more nocturnal vs hillstreams who r diurnal.

I do have a hope to perhaps barter them (for aquarium paraphernalia) at my favourite fish emporium, so not planning on developing an ever-expanding empire, so bottom line Q is, how ill-advised would it be to add them to the 20gal?

 

[Andy Sager]

I know u’ll feel i already have the answers re the snails, but here’s the current concern, which i know u’ll think is idiotic/pitifully unscientific: i feel sorry for the assassins in the barren 10gallon
On the omnivore scale (based on my constant observation) they’re not heavy competition for the algae w/the hillstreams. Additionally, when the pest snail pop. is down, the assassins r happy w/the compressed algae/bug wafers—a passion they share w/the hillstreams.

The assassins r not a massive snail: 3/4”-1”, & u said they’re not significant contributors to ammonia load (i asked about adding them to the 20gal during cycling wondering if that might boost the process). Also, they spend a significant amt of time beneath the substrate, & they’re more nocturnal vs hillstreams who r diurnal.

I do have a hope to perhaps barter them (for aquarium paraphernalia) at my favourite fish emporium, so not planning on developing an ever-expanding empire, so bottom line Q is, how ill-advised would it be to add them to the 20gal?

One of the things you need to understand is that assassins are not major omnivores and they are not vegetarians. They are carnivores who will supplement their diet with some algae which is why they are classified as omnivores. If you do not get a good population of pest snails in the 20, you will need to supplement their diet with meats ( i.e. bloodworms, shrimps, carnivore aimed pellets, etc.) and not just algae wafers. Here are the downsides of doing that in a tank you want your loaches breeding in: Those high protein foods will break down water quality much faster than algae does, the loaches will eat some of these but not in high amounts ( you should be feeding them some of these foods already) which means you are going to need to do more frequent water changes because the loaches will not like dirty water if they are going to breed. That goes against your reasons for putting them into the bigger tank. There is also the possibility that the snails will eat the loach's eggs and even the fry if there is not enough protein in their regular diet. This is why in breeding situations, the pest snails are better than Assassins for clean up because they don't eat meat.
Since Assassin snails need males and females to breed and you can't really reliably tell males from females, if you don't want them to breed, you need to keep only one in the tank. Because you can do that, it shows that they do not need to be in quantity and can live alone. However, when you have a large population of pest snails, 1 assassin will take forever, if ever, to get a handle on them so you get a bunch. That comes with it's own potential issues ( as I described.) It's up to you whether you want to add one or more to the 20 but based on what you have said all along, I wouldn't do it or only add 1 so they don't breed in there. If you don't have pest snails in there now, you'll need to feed the snail more than just the wafers until you do. That doesn't really solve your 10 gal population. If you don't have pest snails in the 10 or 20, why not just trade the assassins in and if they are needed in the distant future, get them again?

Hope this answers your question.

 

[EGGBERT]

Yes—very helpful response Andy—i REALLY need to think this thru. I will figure it out!!! TY, as always

 

[Andy Sager]

Yes—very helpful response Andy—i REALLY need to think this thru. I will figure it out!!! TY, as always

Yes you do because you could be opening a big can of worms that the fish can't eat. Every snail has a purpose and not all of those purposes and intertwineable.

 

[Aiken Drum]

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