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I've heard stories and thought they were just myths, dang, I better get rid of mine, I've got precious blue shrimps in with them...
Assassin snails: yes they will kill healthy livestock
I should have taken a picture/video if it, but a very large assassin of mine. About the size of an acorn, was caught eating one of my Snow White mischlings. I had looked at the tank 30 min before, everything was fine. I looked back at the tank and the assassin had the Snow White which was breathing/struggling in its clutches. I quickly got out the net and separated the 2 but the damage had already been done, the assassin had taken a nice chunk out of him and he was unable to swim normally, so I had to dispose of him. I had never seen this with my own eyes, and was always a little hesitant to believe they could/would be able to catch and eat a healthy adult shrimp, but it is absolutely possible.
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The tank has ramshorns, like i said though this is a big assassin, basically quarter sized. He had the mischling pinned down on the substrate. It was still breathing and trying to get away but couldnt.
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I KNEW IT! I had 6 adults and who knows how many babies in a 10 gallon with my first batch of cherry shrimp. all shrimp disappeared and I couldnt figure out why.
Know I know for sure.
Know I know for sure.
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Agree! When I put two assasin snails in my 10 gallon I suddenly started having healthy young adult yellow neos just seemingly freeze and lay dead. Saw a snail with a shrimp finally. Removed snails and no more healthy-then-suddenly-dead scenarios. Some people may be able keep them together without issues, just not me!
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It doesnt feel threatened until its too late and its insides are being vacuumed out would be my guess. This assassin is probably 4 times the size of the shrimp. It literally had it pinned to the ground.
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Eric,
Yes this is absolutely true and I have seen it many times...
There is also rumor, not fact, that the assassins may have some type of venom injected when the use their mouth parts. As far as I know their is no confirmation of this, but it is a wide spread thought amongst many in the shrimp and fish communities all over the world. I read a thread of someone who saw a larger assassin crawl up to a very large pleco and stick him once...apparently he stayed attached for a second or 2 only and the pleco darted off. As this guy was working in his fish room he noticed the pleco acting funny...moving more than plecos usually do, and the movements seemed very labored. He continued to watch and the pleco ended swimming to a spot and laying flat on the bottom. The plecos gills were still moving but slightly labored. The thread went on to say the keeper did water changes on a couple of tanks and when he looked back at the pleco out of curiosity, it was laying dead in the very same spot with 3 or 4 assassins on it eating it. One example does not make fact and certainly coincidences may have been at play, but I have heard this thrown around many times in the past. It will be interesting to find out what the truth is someday. Either way, they will eat anything, not just snails!
Yes this is absolutely true and I have seen it many times...
There is also rumor, not fact, that the assassins may have some type of venom injected when the use their mouth parts. As far as I know their is no confirmation of this, but it is a wide spread thought amongst many in the shrimp and fish communities all over the world. I read a thread of someone who saw a larger assassin crawl up to a very large pleco and stick him once...apparently he stayed attached for a second or 2 only and the pleco darted off. As this guy was working in his fish room he noticed the pleco acting funny...moving more than plecos usually do, and the movements seemed very labored. He continued to watch and the pleco ended swimming to a spot and laying flat on the bottom. The plecos gills were still moving but slightly labored. The thread went on to say the keeper did water changes on a couple of tanks and when he looked back at the pleco out of curiosity, it was laying dead in the very same spot with 3 or 4 assassins on it eating it. One example does not make fact and certainly coincidences may have been at play, but I have heard this thrown around many times in the past. It will be interesting to find out what the truth is someday. Either way, they will eat anything, not just snails!
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I've bred assassin snails for years and have never seen them attack anything alive except for smaller snails. They don't even mess with my nerites. I do know there are a few different species under the assassin umbrella, and wonder if this might be a variation of species. The biggest assassin snail I've ever seen is no bigger than a nickel.
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That's a big assassin.
I can see it happening. Once shrimp get used to their environment they get kind of careless. I have seen my shrimp just riding on the assassin snail. If it's not threatened by the snail it might just let its guard down enough for the snail to get to it. Now what to do with my one assassin that's in with my cherries. No need for him now that my puffers are back.
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