How many assassins?

[Griton]

Here's the deal - I have two 10 gal tanks that I use as centerpiece display tanks. Lovely little water gardens with really pretty fish. At one time I had two pea puffers in one along with some of my longfin white clouds.

During the summer I was catching little pond snails from my outdoor pond and putting them in that tank to feed the puffers. Even with that effort on my part, the puffers started eating my white clouds' fins so I had to move them out. Now, as you can imagine, that tank is totally overrun with pond snails! I've been scooping them up in a net and dumping them in with my wintering goldfish which is also where the puffers are living.

Any suggestion on how many assassin snails I should put in a 10 gal tank to start getting control of the little beasts? There are two in there now but they don't seem to be even making a dent in the population. There are olive nerites in there too but they are pretty large and I think it will be a while before the assassins move on to larger prey.

Thanks in advance! Carmon in NM

[shermlock]

I put 5 adults in my 10 gallon tanks and while it does take a few months, they do catch up with the supply.
Scott

[Griton]

Thanks Scott! I just won some on AB and I'll give 5 a try! Carmon in NM

[lilmissruffcountry]

Be careful with the nerites and assasins! I have a friend that had both in one tank along with rams and ponds...and the assassins took out the nerites first because they were slower prey then the ponds, and they will sit still unlike the ponds too...if you got assassins, or are getting them, best to remove the nerites, or you will loose them. And he has a video he took of an assassin attacking the nerite, and the kill...(for any of you in doubt of it being true!)