Keeping Assassin Snails: Natural Pest-Snail Control
A guide to assassin snails - handsome striped predatory snails that hunt and eat nuisance pest snails, giving a natural, low-effort way to control an outbreak in a planted tank.
Assassin snails are the aquarium's natural pest-snail patrol - striking striped predators that hunt down and eat the nuisance bladder and ramshorn snails that plague many planted tanks. Slow to breed themselves, they will not become a problem, and they add a handsome, purposeful presence to the substrate.
Is it right for you?
Assassin snails suit anyone fighting a pest-snail outbreak who wants a natural, hands-off control. They are hardy and beginner-friendly.
System & Space
Any established community or planted tank with a soft substrate they can burrow in suits them; they roam the bottom hunting.
Water & Temperature
They want warm, clean, stable water around 22-27C. Like all invertebrates they are sensitive to copper.
Stocking & Feeding
Add a few to control pest snails; once the pests are gone, feed them sinking meaty foods and wafers, since they are carnivores.
Health & Care
Hardy with clean water and no copper; the only care question is feeding them once the pest snails run out.
Harvest & Enjoying Them
Kept for their pest control and good looks, they breed slowly enough to never become a nuisance themselves.
Getting Started
Add a few to a tank with a pest-snail problem, let them hunt, and switch to feeding meaty foods once the pests are cleared.
Common Mistakes
Forgetting to feed them after the pest snails are gone, and exposing them to copper, are the main mistakes.
FAQ
Will they overrun my tank? No - they breed slowly.
What do they eat after the pests? Meaty sinking foods - they are carnivores.