New to Snails - tell me things

[nderouch]

OK. I am getting some snails (thanks msjinkzd!) and just wanted to know what I need to do different in my tanks to take care of them.

1) I saw the recipes at the top for snail food. I think I am going to make some of the plaster of pairs food cubes for most of my feeding and give the jello shots as treats occasionally.

2) Should I add crushed coral in a media bag to my filter?


3) If I want to give them veggies how do I prepare them? Spinach is high in calcium but if I dropped some leaves in the tank they would just float.

4) What else should I be thinking about?

[Hollygirl]

You could buy a veggie clip to hold the vegetables in place, or you can use a plant weight to skewer them and hold them down. I add a product called Wonder Shell to my snail tank which I do instead of plaster of paris, or you can use cuttlebone used for birds. Snails will also eat any sinking type fish foods like shrimp pellets and bottom feeder tablets.

[nderouch]

i saw someone said you can use tums as well. what type of tums? just the basic kind?

[inkyjenn]

yeah, plain tums ive read are an ok source of calcium. the thing id be most concerned with is it disolving and clouding your tank

crushed coral is ok to add to a filter for raising the hardness of your water without doing crazy chemical things to it

[nderouch]

what is the ideal hardness?

[petluvr]

What type of snails are you talking about?

[nderouch]

What type of snails are you talking about?


2 olive nerites
2 apple snails

[msjinkzd]

typically you can assume with a ph over 7.5 that the hardness will be adequate. I do not know offhand the exact recommended hardness. The hardness keeps the shells from eroding, while ingested food helps with new shell growth. I have found that feeding the jello and veggies like zucchini are adequate with my water (pH of 8). You can use calcium pills or vacation feeders or wonder shells to help with both. What is the pH of your tank water?

[nderouch]

typically you can assume with a ph over 7.5 that the hardness will be adequate. I do not know offhand the exact recommended hardness. The hardness keeps the shells from eroding, while ingested food helps with new shell growth. I have found that feeding the jello and veggies like zucchini are adequate with my water (pH of 8). You can use calcium pills or vacation feeders or wonder shells to help with both. What is the pH of your tank water?
i am thinking it is around 8, but i will recheck the pH tonight.

[msjinkzd]

it should be just fine! You are one of that is fortunately blessed with water that is great for snails! Adding things like calcium blocks are more optional for us, but feeding a calcium rich food is of utmost importance for continued shell health. The nerites as well like to graze on calcium pills/blocks so its not a bad idea, but the food itself can suffice for the most part.

[saram521]

I just realized that my ph may be the cause for snails in main tank dying off. The ph is in the 6. something range. I have just noticed over a period of time bleached, cracked, abandoned snail shells laying on the substrate. I'm fairly sure nothing in my tank eats snails (cories, angels, tetras and otos). They were hitchhiking snails that I didn't care a whole lot about, but it still is kinda sad. I keep all my other snails in my tap water which is naturally basic and hard.

[petluvr]

This happens with my pond snails all the time, i have always attributed it to lack of food.

[pik01]

typically you can assume with a ph over 7.5 that the hardness will be adequate. I do not know offhand the exact recommended hardness. The hardness keeps the shells from eroding, while ingested food helps with new shell growth. I have found that feeding the jello and veggies like zucchini are adequate with my water (pH of 8). You can use calcium pills or vacation feeders or wonder shells to help with both. What is the pH of your tank water?

This is a relief, I got a little worried when my pH tested 8.