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Encyclopedia / Snails / Assassin snail
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Variations

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Assassin snail

Anentome helena · Assassin, Bumblebee snail

Safe with fish; eats other snails including nerites sometimes.

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2.5 cmAdult size ✓
24–27 °CTemperature ✓
7.5–8.5pH ✓
20 LSmallest tank ✓
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Tank mates
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Not recommended
  • They need different temperatures (24–27 °C vs 14–22 °C). No setting suits both.
Not recommended
  • Giant gourami eats animals up to about 10 cm. Assassin snail only grows to 2.5 cm.
Not recommended
  • They need different temperatures (24–27 °C vs 10–22 °C). No setting suits both.
With conditions
  • Only a narrow temperature range suits both: 24–25 °C.
  • Their pH needs don't quite meet (7.5–8.5 vs 5–7). Aim between the two and keep it steady.
With conditions
  • Their pH needs don't quite meet (7.5–8.5 vs 4.5–7). Aim between the two and keep it steady.
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible

183 species in our list are a good match.

Facts checked against sources on 16 Oct 2026. ✓ means a source backs it; ? means no reliable source yet. See sources

Care and water

Hardness ?Unknown
Group size ?Can live alone
Temperament ?Peaceful
Swims at ✓Bottom
Care level ✓Easy
Diet Carnivore
Lifespan ?Unknown
Size in shops 1.5–2 cm
Growth Slow

Behavior

Safe with fish; eats other snails including nerites sometimes.

Food

Snails, meaty leftovers.

Tap a food to see what it is.

Male or female

Separate sexes, but males and females look the same and can't be told apart by eye.

Health

Common problems. Tap one to see the signs. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.

Breeding

Egg-layer (substrate spawner) · Moderate

Separate sexes; females lay single eggs, each in its own small capsule on hard surfaces. Tiny young hatch fully formed, hide in the substrate and grow slowly.

Pairing

Buy 6-10 snails. They have separate sexes.

Setup

A 40 L tank with sand, plants and small snails as food. Hard water.

What starts it

Stable warm water and plenty of prey.

Eggs

Eggs are laid one at a time, up to about four per clutch, each capsule holding a single egg; hatching takes from a few weeks to about two months.

Raising the fry

Young eat tiny snails. Growth is slow.

Common mistakes
  • Not feeding enough snails
  • Soft water
  • Keeping with large fish
Full breeding guide, day-by-day plan and simulator →

Where it lives in the wild

RegionMainland Southeast Asia and Indonesia
Rivers and lakesMekong and Chao Phraya basins, Malaysia and Indonesia
HabitatRivers and lakes
Native rangeAbout 1,500 km across
See it on the world map

The story of the assassin snail

A carnivorous freshwater snail from South-east Asia that hunts and eats other snails, used to control pest snails such as Malaysian trumpet snails.

This snail was described in 1847 from Southeast Asia. Unlike most aquarium snails it is a predator, hunting other snails and eating them through their shell openings. Aquarists use it to control pest snails such as bladder and trumpet snails.

First described by von dem Busch in 1847.

  • It eats other snails.
  • It often buries itself in sand with only its siphon showing.
  • It breeds slowly, laying single eggs, so it rarely overruns a tank.

Sources

15 facts checked with sources