I am planning on getting some assassin snails for my pond snail infestation, and was wondering if anyone knows if they are safe with dwarf crayfish (schufeldtii) or with crayfish in general, or if I should separate them. Thanks for the help
Assassins and Dwarf Crays?
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Lupin
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Can't say for the dwarf crayfish but those crayfish you often see in LFS are ambush predators and not compatible with snails.
What size do assassin snails reach?
I would surmise that if the adults are similar sized or larger than the crayfish, you shouldn't have an issue. My C. shufeldtii never really bother anything, except each other when squabbling, though they did investigate small Ramshorns and Pond Snails. I'm not sure if any ever went missing though. Anyway, the Cambarellus species aren't particularly aggressive, but small snails (and shrimp, fish, etc) could be overpowered if the crayfish felt thusly inclined to do so. But it's not like they're as aggressive as say P. clarkii or P. alleni, so it may work out.
I would surmise that if the adults are similar sized or larger than the crayfish, you shouldn't have an issue. My C. shufeldtii never really bother anything, except each other when squabbling, though they did investigate small Ramshorns and Pond Snails. I'm not sure if any ever went missing though. Anyway, the Cambarellus species aren't particularly aggressive, but small snails (and shrimp, fish, etc) could be overpowered if the crayfish felt thusly inclined to do so. But it's not like they're as aggressive as say P. clarkii or P. alleni, so it may work out.
Lupin
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Inch, Black sun. Mine are outgoing and expose their soft tissues too much so they're too vulnerable to attacks. You may be the one to answer about dwarf crays.
Inch, Black sun. Mine are outgoing and expose their soft tissues too much so they're too vulnerable to attacks. You may be the one to answer about dwarf crays.
Hmm, well that'll put them a good half inch or so smaller than that particular species of dwarf crayfish.
Cambarellus species aren't particularly aggressive (at least compared to a lot of other crayfish), but in light of knowing that'll the Assassins expose their soft tissues a lot, that may not be a good mix. I would imagine they could be easily overpowered and eaten or injured at the very least.
Lupin, do Assassin have any kind of defense? Can they close up their shells with, I think this is the part but correct me if I'm wrong, an "operculum" like some other snails? That would make a difference in housing them, if they could hide away the crayfish couldn't get to them if it were trying to.
Otherwise, I'd say the Assassins would become meals, at least some of them.
Lupin
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They can't defend themselves. What appears to be a feeding tube that they use to "stab" their prey isn't for defense mechanism. They withdraw it into their shell at a slightest touch of provocation and are too slow to close into their shell due to their long foot. That's my observation with those snails. They do have an operculum to me but again, they're too slow to close up.
Ah, I'd say it's not a good mix then. The OP probably wouldn't lose all of their snails (and depending on how easily/quickly they breed, it may not even be noticeable), but a if a crayfish became interested them... being too slow to withdraw and close up would doom them.
I was more concerned with the snails attacking the crays. I assume that because the dwarf crays leave the pond snails alone, they wouldn't bother the assassins either. Maybe I'll set up the assassins in their own tank and add one to the crays' tank as a canary, so to speak. I'll let you know what happens. Also, I was planning on keeping the assassins in the same tank I use to grow out my fish fry, since there are a ton of snails in there and I don't want to add a clown loach, since he'll just eat the babies. Does anyone think the snails will bother the fry (or vice versa)
Sounguru
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Dwarf crays and fry are both okay with Assassins. I have never heard of a Dwarf cray taking down an assassin or vice a versa which would be almost impossiable unless it was a hatchling.