# Assassin snail killed a shrimp



## cammywf (Jan 9, 2015)

Hey guys,

Found one assassin snail was eating a shrimp this morning. Looks like it's true assassin snail will hunt shrimp if they are hungry enough.


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## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

Good to know. Great photo!


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## SeaHorse_Fanatic (Apr 22, 2010)

Could be the shrimp died and the assassin snail was scavenging.


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## cammywf (Jan 9, 2015)

SeaHorse_Fanatic said:


> Could be the shrimp died and the assassin snail was scavenging.


Maybe, but for safety, I took the snails out.


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## Clownloachlover (Apr 21, 2010)

you sure it is not just the molt he is snacking on? How big are the assassin snails?


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## cammywf (Jan 9, 2015)

Clownloachlover said:


> you sure it is not just the molt he is snacking on? How big are the assassin snails?


I am sure it's not molt. Snail is about 2cm.


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## Clownloachlover (Apr 21, 2010)

if you don't want the snails I will take them off your hands...my clown loaches will make short work of them!


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## cammywf (Jan 9, 2015)

Clownloachlover said:


> if you don't want the snails I will take them off your hands...my clown loaches will make short work of them!


Thanks, I have already moved them to another tank.


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## Pat805 (Oct 12, 2011)

I can confirm this my assassin snail ate my shrimp before while it was alive, I saw the shrimp legs still moving while it was munching it.


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## outsider (Jan 13, 2015)

I remember I warmed you about that in your previous thread.

I know another poster claim he keep assassin snail with shrimp without issue, however at same time he also over feed the tank. 

Anyway your assassin snail must be very hungry to pick up the shrimp.

I have read post that dumb shrimp decide to pick up the algae on the assassin snail's shell and end up sting by the assassin snail. The owner witnessed the situation and moved the shrimp to safe spot to allow the paralysis to worn off otherwise shrimp would become food.


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

If you try and catch shrimp with a net you can see it would be extremely difficult for a snail to catch a shrimp if the shrimp is healthy and not molting. It may be possible, but the reality is that the Assassin snail will have a much easier time catching snails, plus your shrimp will reproduce 100x faster than the snails. As discussed previously I have both in that tank, and you have seen the tank. You have seen how many shrimps I have and how many Assassins I have (I doubt most people can even find them) so the odds are really not in the Assassin's favour. If your shrimp population is growing so slowly that you are worried about 1 or 2 being lost to Assassin snails I would check the parameters of the tank as it may be that the shrimp are not doing as well as the Assassin snails.

Sorry I forgot to ask if you have snails in the tank. If you have no snails perhaps it would be much easier to remove the assassins. Once again, it's much easier to catch snails than to catch shrimp.


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## cammywf (Jan 9, 2015)

outsider said:


> I remember I warmed you about that in your previous thread.
> 
> I know another poster claim he keep assassin snail with shrimp without issue, however at same time he also over feed the tank.
> 
> ...


Yes, you warned me, but I forgot it after 1 day.


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## outsider (Jan 13, 2015)

2wheelsx2 said:


> If you try and catch shrimp with a net you can see it would be extremely difficult for a snail to catch a shrimp if the shrimp is healthy and not molting. It may be possible, but the reality is that the Assassin snail will have a much easier time catching snails, plus your shrimp will reproduce 100x faster than the snails. As discussed previously I have both in that tank, and you have seen the tank. You have seen how many shrimps I have and how many Assassins I have (I doubt most people can even find them) so the odds are really not in the Assassin's favour. If your shrimp population is growing so slowly that you are worried about 1 or 2 being lost to Assassin snails I would check the parameters of the tank as it may be that the shrimp are not doing as well as the Assassin snails.
> 
> Sorry I forgot to ask if you have snails in the tank. If you have no snails perhaps it would be much easier to remove the assassins. Once again, it's much easier to catch snails than to catch shrimp.


Shrimp is hard for us to catch because Shrimp view net as predator and try to get away from it. Actually shrimp only swing away if you move the net toward it rapidly, my shrimps actually swing into the net by itself as i low the net into water slowly. Not to mention Shrimp may not necessary view snail or even assassin snails as predator, as matter of fact shrimp often park on top of snail's shell to pick off algae. The story I read about assassin snail attempt to kill shrimp happened just like that. I mean My shrimp isn't trying to get away from pygmy cory as matter of fact I once saw baby shrimp park on top pygmy cory's head when pygmy cory rest on log.

Each life's personality is different, maybe you have too much food in the tank assassin snail didn't need to take chance on shrimp. Perhaps your assassin snail did eat 1 or 2 shrimps however you never witness it. There is no right or wrong in this situation, we all adjust stuff base on other and our own experience. Cammywf witness the situation and he will adjust it. I believe he did have ramshorn snails in the tank, those might already be eaten by assassin snail or gone hiding.

Cammywf just start the tank again after previous failure, it is nature for he to be upset that he lost shrimp to assassin snail. I believe he is doing well base on his previous post, however it takes time for baby shrimp to grow up and produce.


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

outsider said:


> Each life's personality is different, maybe you have too much food in the tank assassin snail didn't need to take chance on shrimp. Perhaps your assassin snail did eat 1 or 2 shrimps however you never witness it. There is no right or wrong in this situation, we all adjust stuff base on other and our own experience. Cammywf witness the situation and he will adjust it. I believe he did have ramshorn snails in the tank, those might already be eaten by assassin snail or gone hiding.


That is exactly my point. There is no right or wrong. But I was pointing out normal scientific observation. Nature designed snails and shrimps to be both scavengers but shrimp also catch other microorganisms while snails normally do not unless they are diseased or dead. I would also argue I do not feed too much food or my tank would be full of dead organisms. I feed _enough_ food. So removing the snails if there are no snails or feeding enough food if there isn't sufficient food would test that theory wouldn't it?

Have my snails eaten shrimp? Perhaps. But I can tell you for a certainly that hundreds of shrimp have died of old age and have been eaten by BNP, snails of all kinds (hence the reason I keep Assassin snails) and other shrimp. I see shrimp being eaten by other shrimp all the time. Every day in fact. I'm sure I can get a photo today. However, does that mean they hunt their own kind? Of course not, otherwise my population would be very limited indeed. So my point was just because people have observed on behaviour, doesn't mean they have observed or recorded circumstances leading up to that behaviour. But wouldn't you agree snails also are not born knowing Assassin snails would be their predators and that they are easier to catch than shrimp. So then why would they catch a shrimp?

Again, I am not here to argue this one instance, but rather, I don't want people being discouraged from keeping shrimp and Assassin snails together in the same tank because there have been reported instances of predation, that's all.

If you or anyone else are not comfortable keeping your shrimp with Assassin snails, by all means, separate them. My objective is not to tell you or cammywf what to do. It is to provide another viewpoint from personal experience so that others reading this forum can make their own decision.


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## cammywf (Jan 9, 2015)

Relax, my friends. Let's enjoy the fun of this hobby. My shrimp colony is growing rapidly. Cheers!

Taken This morning, please ignore the crap quality.


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

Are those all produced from my shrimp? Holy smokes you must be doing something right.


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## cammywf (Jan 9, 2015)

2wheelsx2 said:


> Are those all produced from my shrimp? Holy smokes you must be doing something right.


Yeah, they are all your shrimps's babies. lol :bigsmile:


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

cammywf said:


> Yeah, they are all your shrimps's babies. lol :bigsmile:


I think that was only 2 weeks ago. You must have some fertile water.


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## cammywf (Jan 9, 2015)

2wheelsx2 said:


> I think that was only 2 weeks ago. You must have some fertile water.


haha, I got your shrimp on Jam 24th, it has been 6 weeks since then. As to the water, I only did 2 water changes so far.


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

Wow I have bad memory.


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