If there’s any notorious trait aquatic snails are known for, it would be breeding out of proportion. Keeping an aquatic snail as a pet requires you to manage their tendency to breed and overpopulate, and the first step in doing that is by understanding their breeding process. Assassin snails may not be baby-making machines compared to other snails, but they can overpopulate if you are unaware of how they breed.
Assassin snails are not an asexual species. They reproduce sexually-that is by copulating with a snail of the opposite sex. They are also monosexual (not intersexual or hermaphrodite) which means that they are binary sexed. So, you need a male and female assassin snail to breed successfully.
There are two major reasons why you are wondering how assassin snails reproduce: either you want to breed the snails or stop them from breeding at all. This discussion will enlighten you on how to handle your situation the best way.
5 Easy-Peasy Steps To Breed Assassin Snails Effectively
If you have the prowess to successfully differentiate a male assassin snail from a female, you’d be able to breed them easily.
1. Identify And Select Males And Females
Sexing assassin snails is difficult even for experts. However, there are slight differences that set them apart. Adult male assassin snails are mostly smaller than females and have a narrower, smaller shell in comparison. You couldn’t easily tell the difference if you just have one snail or snails of different age groups. So, you need a group of fully grown adults to identify their sexes.
The males are also much more active than females, but again, this is difficult to decipher since snails are pretty individualistic. The ultimate sign would be waiting to see which snail mounts when they breed, then you can quickly select the mounter as the male. If you still can’t figure out their sexes, just put about 5 to 6 snails in the tank. There’d have to be at least a pair of opposite sexes to breed successfully.
2. Ensure Food Is Abundant
Most aquatic snails lay eggs when there are enough resources to feed their offspring. It’s like a continuity trait that keeps their species alive. So, if you feed your snails 2 to 4 times a week, consider switching it up to daily feeding to assure them that there’s enough food to go around. This will encourage the snails to breed. As long as you remove leftovers to prevent pollution, you’ll have them breeding in no time.
3. Set The Suitable Temperature
Assassin snails lay eggs in warmer temperatures and they breed profusely during summer when their habitat is warmer. Since they live in water temperatures of 70°F to 80°F (21°C to 27°C), to attain warmer but suitable temperatures, tweak the heat to 78°F to 80°F (25°C to 27°C). An aquarium heater (view on Amazon) may be necessary if you live in colder regions to help you raise the heat if it’s impossible to attain on your own. Assassin snails will not breed if the temperature is too cold.
4. Provide Proper Egg-Laying Spots
Nooks and crannies are the usual egg-laying spots for assassin snails. Other aquatic snails may lay above the waterline, but assassin snails need to lay in safe, hidden spaces underwater. Always ensure there are places in the tank where your pregnant assassin snail can lay her eggs comfortably.
5. Maintain A Clean Environment
Dirty tanks are just perceived as stressful and lacking resources by assassin snails. The murkier it gets with aquatic fecal matter and decay, the tank loses its oxygen value and becomes toxic to the snails. Ammonia and nitrates are the most notorious parameters for ensuring sudden deaths and refusal to breed. So, you must frequently change the water, say 20% water changes, frequently depending on the population of your snails and the dirtiness of the tank. By doing this, your pets will be encouraged to breed.
The Mating And Breeding Process Of Assassin Snails
Assassin snails mate in a simple manner. First, they start by locating their mate which is easy for them thanks to their sensitive chemoreceptors. They locate their mate by tracing chemical signals released into the water and then they proceed to copulate.
Copulation takes anywhere between 12 to 15 hours. During this period, the snails take their time to hang out and get to know themselves, maybe go on dates before mounting and transferring sperm cells. They usually don’t unmount until they have successfully mated, and this procedure may inconsistently carry on for 3 to 4 days. After give or take 12 days, the female is ready to lay her fertilized eggs.
Note that female assassin snails may choose not to lay eggs after mating, as they can store sperm cells until they feel comfortable enough. Usually, the reason why this happens is due to improper temperature or lack of food. Either way, if the conditions are right, the pregnant female will begin scouting for places to lay her eggs.
Assassin snails lay single eggs scattered around in different spots. They can take up to a week dropping eggs here and there, and in total, you may find 4 to 15 eggs. This is the troublesome aspect of keeping assassins if you don’t plan to breed them because their eggs are difficult to spot sometimes and even more difficult to remove. They tend to lay them at the base of plants, on surfaces of decor, in hiding spots, and sometimes in empty shells.
After a few days of laying eggs, the eggs turn yellowish-brown signifying a successful fertilization process. They may slowly become rigid over time and after 3 months, will be ready to hatch. Once the hatchlings have torn out of their egg cells, they immediately bury themselves in the substrate to filter feed. They feed on remnants and biofilm for another 2 weeks until they become juveniles and ready for a full-blown high-protein diet. Then they emerge from the substrate and begin hunting and scavenging like their parents. Thus, a complete assassin snail cycle is formed.
Time Stamps
The table below gives you a clear and direct view of the breeding process and duration of assassin snails from mating to adulthood.
| Breeding Milestones | Duration |
|---|---|
| Mating | 12 to 15 hours in a span of 3 to 4 days |
| Period before egg-laying | 1 week to 6 months depending on the availability of resources |
| Gestation | 2 to 3 months |
| Hatchling to Juvenile | 3 weeks |
| Juvenile to adult | 2 months |
How To Stop Your Assassin Snails From Breeding And Invading — 3 Steps To Follow
Assassin snails are not the type to overpopulate a tank, however, they can reproduce out of control if their environment is optimal. Say you have the temperature set at 80°F, enough food, and less disturbance, you may look in to find more snails than you initially planned for.
Take The Temperature Down A Notch
If your tank temperature is over 78°F, you’re simply asking your assassins to mate and litter the tank with eggs. Raising the temperature is simply telling the snails to lay as many eggs as possible since the eggs will hatch comfortably in the warmth. The solution is to drop the temperature to 74°F to stop them from making snail babies.
Use Gravel As The Substrate
Assassin snails will find it extremely annoying if they have nowhere to bury themselves or for their babies to hide when they hatch. The female takes her environment into account properly and if it’s not conducive for her hatchlings, she will withhold laying until it is.
Tune Down The Feeding
If your assassins constantly find good food to nibble on, perhaps you should give them periods of scarcity to cause them to reduce their breeding. The lack of resources is not conducive for assassins to breed and if there is less food than usual, they will cease egg-laying. If you feed your snails multiple times a day, start actively feeding them every other day for about a week for them to adjust, before you return to daily feeding.
If you already actively feed them every other day, consider switching to high-protein pellets 3 times a week ensuring there are remnants they can eat later on. The idea is to give them a sense of sudden lack so that they can withhold reproduction.
How To Tackle An Assassin Snail Invasion
The irony of assassin snails overpopulating the tank that previously suffered from an invasive snail overload is not discussed enough. At this point, you must have run out of options on what to do. Well, I’ve got you sorted out.
You Can Sell The Snails Online
There are channels on Reddit that deal with trading and selling snails. Assassins never run out of market as they’re constantly needed to tackle one invasive problem or the other. Perhaps you can find your lucky buyer close to you. Facebook Aquarists is another great channel for selling assassin snails. Either way, ensure you are cautious of your interactions; do not place your address on the internet. I suggest you discuss deliveries or meetings at local stops instead.
Contact Your Local Fish Stores
Some stores may be kind enough to take the burden off your hands. They may also be in contact with people who need assassin snails. If they are not interested in taking the snails from you, you can ask further questions on how to manage the problem. A kind staff member may be willing to help you with the best pieces of information.
Euthanize The Snails
There are not a lot of options when tackling invasive assassin snails. This is because they’re carnivorous and hence can not coexist with other snails. If you can afford to dismantle your tank and reset it, adding dilute copper solution into the water kills off the snails immediately. If you prefer to retain the tank, remove the snails and put them in a freezer for 24 hours. Some people argue that crushing the snails is an easier and much more humane way to euthanize them, but it just depends on what you’re comfortable with.
How Do I Remove Invasive Assassin Snails From An Aquarium?
If you have a lot of aquatic plants in your tank, it may be difficult to remove assassin snails that like to hide inside the substrate most of the time. In this case, you need to lure them out with food. Place strips of raw fish inside the tank and wait for the snails to come out. Once they do, remove the strip with the lured-out snails and repeat the process until most or all of the assassins are removed from the tank.
