# Snail control, Assassin snails vs shrimps



## C-kidder (Aug 2, 2014)

My shrimp tank has tons of ramshorn snails that I have been removing as I catch them on a piece of zucchini, because they do make good fish food I wasn't to worried before. Now I have a 5 gallon just for them and they have probably 250 plus egg sacs all over the walls of the tanks so I am thinking its time to start managing the population in the Shrimp tank they all started in. That and I am tired of them swarming all the food I throw in the for the shrimps making me throw in more so they can actually get to feed. 
I was going to get assassin snails but I read they will eat shrimps while other people say they will only eat sick or dying shrimp. Anybody have any experience in their tanks? Was thinking of getting 1 and seeing how many he can take down but I doubt he will be able to slow them to much by himself. I just don't want the guy to go after baby shrimps.
Now you get my situation and what I would like to do. What do you think would be the best option to control the ramshorns from breeding or just get rid of all together from that tank.


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## HashAsh (May 13, 2014)

Haha that's exavtly why I'm looking for nerite snails because they only produce in brackish water 
Anyways, I have no personal experience with assasin snails, but heard numerous times that it'll eat shrimps as well. If you have a second tank, you can just move as much shrimps and shrimp lets in there and let the rams horn massacre begin 
If I were in your shoes, I wouldn't want to risk losing baby shrimps for the lack of food. On the long run, I'd get rid of snails even if it means a little sacrifice. At least you'll still have some shrimps to start breeding again!


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## corrie (Aug 10, 2014)

i have 3 assasion snails in with my cherry shrimp to keep the ramhorns down i have not notesed any shrimp getting eaten but my shrimp have grown from the 5 i bought to start with to about 30 with lots of females holding eggs now in a 26gal bowfront tank the assasions leave the shrimp alown . 
its fun to watch the assasion's eat the ramhorns .


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## charles (Apr 21, 2010)

chase, I think it is safe to use assassin snails, just get a couple.


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

I can't imagine a snail ever catching shrimps. I have tons of assassins in a 20 gallon with tons of cherry shrimp also.


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## AccidentalAquarist (Sep 11, 2013)

I have read of assassin snails managing to sneak up on shrimp as they molt, but I haven't witnessed it in any of my tanks (1 tank currently houses about 25 assassins and a few dozen shrimp). 

What I suspect is that people are seeing snails on or around the cast off exoskeleton and thinking that the snail ate the shrimp


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## Bobsidd (Dec 28, 2012)

They will definitely eat dead or very sick shrimp. I doubt they would catch a healthy shrimp. But there are similar snails in a marine environment that release some type of mesmerizing toxin into the water that stuns other marine life and then the snail doesn't really have to catch them. Don't think this is the case with assassins though, but pretty amazing.


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## effox (Apr 21, 2010)

I've housed assassin snails with my cherries\crs and didn't witness any of the snails chomping on shrimp bodies.

Like others have said, snails won't be able to catch the healthy ones, I've only heard of a molting one being eaten and dead shrimp being scavenged.


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## C-kidder (Aug 2, 2014)

I think I will start with one and keep an eye on him. Anybody know how fast/frequent assassin snails breed? Also if I get more is there any way to stop them? This is going to sound horrible but I really wish there was a way to chemically castrate the snail's so they are infertile, I really do not need 1000 ramshorns or a bunch of assassin's popping up on me.


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## Steve (Mar 27, 2013)

Just get a puffer fish for the snails =P


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## effox (Apr 21, 2010)

Assassins breed slowly from my understanding. You can sell them easily though, I purchased them in 4's on here when I had my tanks since the LFS only had 1 or 2 at the time.


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## C-kidder (Aug 2, 2014)

Steve said:


> Just get a puffer fish for the snails =P


If you read the post its for a shrimp tank so that sounds like a very bad idea


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## 2wheelsx2 (Apr 21, 2010)

You're right Chris. I bought 10 when I needed to rid of snails and it's been 6 years and all I ever see is a dozen or so at a time. I'm sure I don't have much more than 40 or so in the tank and this is a 20 gallon.


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## AccidentalAquarist (Sep 11, 2013)

I don't know about how prolific assassins could/should be.
I started with 2 a year and a half ago, sold about 20 since and have about another 25(ish) to keep my other snail population under control. 
I suspect that their breeding is based on availablility of food snails.


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