Assassin snails

[Aspiemum2]

Anyone have any ideas how long it takes assassin snails to start doing their job? I'm getting overrun with snails and assassins just seem to spend most of their time hiding?!

Assassin snails are lazy, they spend most of the time sleeping. Get some snail eating loaches, like Pakistani loaches.

No can do. Have found those a bit fin nippy in the past and have angels in one tank and guppy's in the other. Definitely not wanting new fish.

Thanks for responding, any other non-fish suggestions?

We bought Assasin snails just over a week ago, i didn't see them for days (they were hiding) but now they seem more active. Not sure how long they take to eat other snails though as we dont have any, i was forced in to buying them as on apeared in our new tank (most have been in the gravel) so it needed some friends.

Could you jest re-home some of your snails or set some free ?

If only it were that easy! They're planted tanks so we're just deluged with them at the moment. Our assassins aren't hiding, they're just not eating the other snails - or at least not quick enough??
Maybe I need more of them but that feels like replacing one problem with another!

On a bright note we have had baby guppy's born, first batch from our new tank

Don't over feed your Fish, the assassins will soon get hungry. They'll probably go for the small snails first though. You'll hardly notice them go.

I got some assassins, thought they were being lazy buggers! then one day I noticed that lots of my snails had gone!

I actually saw an assassin eat a snail the other day, I felt SO guilty! my mum said i was mean, that the poor other snails had a horrible death!

Sorry to highjack but is it really bad to have snails. We seem to have gained some with some plants we bought. Got about 5 but can see babies already. I thought they would help keep down the algae so left them?

Not bad, it's pretty inevitable to get snails. As long as you don't over feed your fish then they shouln't get out of control. The pest-type snails do sod all to get rid of algae, sadly. Nerite snails are good for that.