Assassin Snail (Clea Helena)
The Assassin snail is relatively hardy, but it naturally requires good water quality. They are not challenging to take care of as long as the water conditions are right, and they have plenty of food.
They are least active during mid-day, and aquatic plants are perfectly safe from these opportunistic carnivores, and they are handy to have to keep other snail populations down.
Assassin Snails are also very attractive, the ribbed conical yellow-cream shell is complemented with dark brown spirals, and dark speckles throughout and the body is a greyish green in colour.
Photos
| Quick Facts | |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Clea Helena |
| Other Names | Bumblebee Snail |
| Classification | Gastropoda |
| Order | Neogastropoda |
| Family | Nassariidae |
| Genus | Clea |
| Origins | Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand |
| Temperament | Peaceful |
| Aquarium Level | Bottom |
| Difficulty | Beginner - Intermediate |
| Shoaling | No |
| Best kept as | Groups 6+ |
| Diet | Omnivore |
| Reproduction | Egg-Layer |
| Lifespan | 2 - 5 years |
| Water Parameters | |
|---|---|
| Water Type | Freshwater |
| PH | 7.2 - 8.0 |
| GH | 10 - 25 |
| Temperature | |
|---|---|
| 72 - 81℉ 22.2 - 27.2℃ | |
Feeding
Assassin Snails will eat almost anything that they can scavenge.
They will consume other snails, mosquito larvae, bloodworm and brine shrimp as well as sinking pellets, flakes, granules, meaty debris and dead fish.
If there is a giant snail population in their tank, then there is often no need to feed them at all.
Sexual Dimorphism
Assassin snails have determined females and males, and are not hermaphroditic like other snails. It is almost impossible to sex these snails, but it is thought that the females may be slightly larger than the males.