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Assassin snails are a different species of snail whose nomenclature also is clea Helena. The first time I heard about the “assassin” snail, I wondered if the snail was a hired assassin in its former life, and if it abducted other snails or other invertebrate animals.
I knew my thoughts were far from the truth about the assassin snails, but I just liked the feeling I got from that wondering.
Assassin snails have cone shaped shells just like the shell of the trumpet snails and the shell of the rabbit snails.
The colour of the body of the assassin snail is different from the colour of the shell. The colour of the shell of the assassin snail is gold in colour, and has a dark brown stripe wrapping around it from the bottom part of the assassin snail, to the top part of the assassin snails, while the colour of the body of the assassin snail is light cream in colour; this covers the body and the foot of the assassin snail.
The shell of the assassin snail is usually very free from any form of damages, or splits, or cracks, and its operculum is also usually seen on the top its foot. This is because the assassin snail is usually a very calm species of snail.
However, in this article, I will show you all you need to know about this specie of snail, tank mates, feeding, size and care guide for the assassin snail.
Ensure to read till the very end so that the snail does not take unawares like the name implies when you want to start rearing them.
WHAT DOES THE ASSASSIN SNAIL LOOK LIKE?
Some parts of the snail have been described already in the introductory section of this article. Notwithstanding, it is important to state that the assassin snail is a very beautiful snail largely because of the shape of the shell of the assassin snail, as well as the colour of the assassin snail.
They recline to their shell when they sense danger; and they get the comfort they need from their fragile shells just like the other species of snails with its trap door that looks it in. By the trap door, I mean the operculum.
The assassin snails are usually very attractive whether they are in a light coloured substrate or in a dark coloured substrate.
They have tentacle and two eyes beneath the tentacles which helps them to notice light and detect motion, and the body of the assassin snail has a real long proboscis, used by the assassin snail to pull itself around as it crawls (a proboscis is the part of the mouth used for suckling by the assassin snail, though it looks like the nose).
Like most snails, the size of the assassin snail is about one inch, although some of the assassin snails could be about two inches long when they are fed the right diet. Sadly, this additional growth in length or size of the assassin snail hardly happens.
So if you want to buy the assassin snail, you now know exactly what it looks like, and you just need to go to an aquarium and store and make your choice there.
Also be careful enough to distinguish the assassin snail slightly has a resemblance with the bumble bee snail, so you should not mistake the two.
FACTS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE ASSASSIN SNAIL
Before you make up your mind to go get the assassin snail and add it to your aquarium, there are things you should know about the assassin snail.
In this section, we will share with you some of the things or the facts you need to know about the assassin snail.
ASSASSIN SNAIL BEHAVIOUR AND TEMPERAMENT
The assassin snail is a recluse species of snail, very beautiful and attractive, yet enjoys its own company the most; it is a loner probably because of its solitary nature.
They hide a lot because that is part of their activities in the wild or outside an aquarium; they hide until another snail crawls by.
Almost like they have an appointment. So, when you do not see the assassin snail crawling through a surface or clinging to a glass or any object at all in your aquatic tank, then there are chances that the assassin snail crept out of the tank and is buried in the sand or has hidden itself in the sand, especially if you have sand around the area where the aquatic tank has been placed.
More so, the assassin snails are more active at night. I told you I thought these snails were real assassins, now you see that they are also nocturnal, so you will not have to blame me for thinking that they were hired assassins in their past lives; such species of snails.
If the species of assassin snails were humans, they will definitely be called snubs. This is because, although the assassin snails are not aggressive snails and are very calm to their tank mates and others, the assassin snails hardly acknowledge the presence of other animals.
Like while they are in an aqua space, they live and behave like they are the only species or animals in the space.
So imagine that you have a roommate who acts like there is no one else in the room even in your presence, you will definitely not find it funny. That is exactly how the species of the assassin snails behave.
However, the assassin snails are very useful animals in the aquarium space. This is because the assassin snails eliminate aquatic including other species of snails that they consider enemies or unwanted in the aquatic tank or aqua space.
ASSASSIN SNAIL TANK MATES
Nothing was created to be all by itself, even the island has trees and other creatures in them, so the assassin snails coexist with other aquatic animals or plants, and we will be sharing those here.
The snub assassin snails co-exist with a few aquatic animals that will be listed here. Before they are listed, it is important to note that they can live with bottom dwellers and top dwellers in the aquatic tank or in a pond. More importantly, the assassin snails cohabit better in aqua spaces with a community of gentle fishes
Some aquatic tank mates who relate better with the assassin snail, or who can coexist in the same aqua space as the assassin snail are: the cherry barbs, the anglefish, the neon tetras, the celestial danios, the corydoras catfish, the guppies, and the pearl gourami.
ASSASSIN SNAIL BREEDING
The assassin snails can breed very well in freshwater. This species of snail often lay eggs in the water, they lay a lot of eggs, but they lay them one at a time till all fertilized eggs are laid; just like a woman who has a set of twins, or a set of quadruplets, or even more.
You know the babies will not come out at once even if they were just two, in fact, the body comes out one part at a time, till the baby is properly delivered.
The comparison may not appear balanced, because a woman delivers a baby, that is a human being, but the assassin snail lays an egg, or lays eggs and does not lay snails or deliver of snails, instead it is the eggs that mature and get hatched.
More so, the assassin snails can lay eggs so many times in a year especially if the assassin snail is in a freshwater tank, or in a freshwater aqua space.
It is also important for us to know what the eggs of the assassin snail look like, so that if you introduce the assassin snail to your aquatic tank or to your aqua space, and it eventually happens to lay egg, or to lay eggs, that you do not wash them away, or throw them away in a bid to keep the aquatic tank or the aqua space clean.
So here is what the egg of the assassin snail looks like.
The egg of the assassin of snail is in a seemingly rectangular shaped enclosure, usually attached or stuck to a lava rock, a driftwood, an ornament, the aquarium glass, or other hard surfaces or solid objects in the aquarium tank or in the aqua space.
More so, the colour of the egg itself is yellow, just like most yolks are yellow, like the egg from a live chicken, whether it be broiler or layers.
It is important that you know for a fact that it takes the egg of the assassin snail two months to hatch and become a real assassin snail.
After the egg has been hatched, the young one of the assassin snails gradually burrows through the substrates of the aquarium, in the aquatic tank, or aqua space, until the young one or the baby assassin snail grows and matures.
Remember that we already established that the assassin snails are more reproductive in freshwater, this fact or assertion has been proven true, because while in the aquatic tank or in the aquarium, the assassin lays fewer or no eggs in there, nor in the salt water, but the fertility of the assassin snail is most seen when the assassin snail is in the freshwater.
Finally, if you want to breed more snails, you need to take good care of the eggs for two months, the time it takes for the egg to hatch.
During this time, you should move some of the snails, or ideally all of the snails and other tank mates, to a new fresh tank or aquatic tank to stop the assassin snails, and the other tank mates from eating them up, or destroying them.
However, if you do not need more of them, especially in the freshwater tank where they are more fertile, then be sure to destroy the eggs, or leave it visible to the snails, fishes, and other tank mates that can eat them up.
THE FEEDING AND THE DIET OF THE ASSASSIN SNAIL
I am very happy to tell you that feeding the assassin species of snails is not a difficult task. Always remember that this species is an aqua space sweeper or an aquatic tank cleaner.
They are a carnivorous invertebrate that sits mostly and very comfortably by itself and the depth of the water waiting for what to devour.
Just like there are species of humans who feed on human flesh, the assassin species of snail are known for feeding on the Malaysian Trumpet species of Snails, the Ramshorn species of Snails, and even the pond species of snails if they happen to be found in the same space at any time at all.
Apart from feeding on other species of snails, or animals as a carnivorous animal, the Assassin species of Snails also enjoy feeding on blood worms, fish flakes, and generally other foods that are rich in protein supplements.
Sometimes, the Assassin species of Snails, longs after or desires to feed on dead fish. However, the assassin species of snail will always prefer to feed on flesh over these kinds of food mentioned in this paragraph.
Assassin Species of Snail Care:
This can be said again, again, and again. This is one of the easiest species, or aquatic animals and invertebrates (animals without a backbone), a new aquarist can keep.
If you are an inexperienced aquarist, or if you are just starting your aquarium, or your aquatic tank, then it is a good decision to start with the assassin species of snail.
This is because the assassin snail like I already established is not very difficult to handle. In fact, the assassin species of snails are very very easy to handle.
More so, to take care of the snail, you need to take care of the aqua space, clean up the aquatic tank, make sure that the water is always in the right condition, or better still at its best condition.
Feed them right, and put them with the right tankmates. Please do not put them with the species of fishes that are aggressive, or that will constantly nip at them.
Remember that another key to taking care of the assassin species of snails is having a great size of tank, and the stability of the atmosphere in the aquatic space, or aquatic tank.
Finally, should you decide to add a new species to an aquatic tank, or the habitat, you have to do this carefully, take a very gentle approach to that, its okay to be slow while doing that so that the other species already in the tank does not think it’s an enemy around and become aggressive such that they attack one of their own.
Ensure that the visible aquatic tank water in your plastic bag is the same or compliments that of the parameters of the new aquatic tank water as much as you can. .
Assassin Species of Snail Size.
The size of this species of Snail is not very different from the sizes of other species. So when you go to an aquarium store to buy this type of species, you will notice that the sizes range from three inches to four inches, sometimes above that, depending on how well it is fed.
Unlike this species that are usually about two inches long in size, the assassin species of snails, when in placed in a healthy aquarium, or aquatic tank, or aqua space, and is well fed, and genera inhabits in very habitable environment, under suitable conditions, this species has the potential of growing up to four inches, and can actualize that potential.
So should you want to buy one or any species of snail, and you are kind of discouraged because of the size, do not be dismayed, just ensure that the aquatic tank, or aquarium, or aqua space, or pond, whichever at all, just ensure that the space is sufficient enough for the specie size , and the quantity, as well as the capacity to assist the life of an adult specie.
Conclusion
The assassin snail is a very good tank cleaner! It does not feed on live plants, and its carnivorous nature keeps pests and insects aware because it feeds on them.
