View Full Version : Whats your 'bread and butter' when feeding your snails???
titansfever83
12-29-2008, 12:57 AM
I'm just curious what others have experienced as the most desired food for your snails. I have read the sticky on the snail recipes but I am curious if someone has noticed a better result from one recipe rather than another.
Snail jello, cucumber, tums and shrimp pellets get high approval.:D
titansfever83
12-29-2008, 1:44 AM
HHMMMMM, I have some Wardley brand shrimp pellets that my fish hate sooooo......
Hmmm...What ingredients does it have? There's one package by Tetra that smells so bad, the fish ignored it completely.:grinyes:
titansfever83
12-29-2008, 3:03 AM
I stand corrected, the brand is O.S.I.
Benefits of O.S.I. Shrimp Pellets:
Strong Natural Attractants
Easy to Digest
Softens Easily in Water
Never Clouds Aquarium Water
Contains Stabilized Vitamin C
Ingredients:
Shrimp Meal, Wheat Flour, Fish Meal, Soy Protein Concentrate, Corn Gluten Meal, Torula Dried Yeast, Rice Bran, Spirulina, Fish Oil, Lecithin, Vitamin A Palmitate, D-Activated Animal Sterol, DL-Tocopherol Acetate, Choline Chloride, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate, Inositol, Niacinamide, Calcium d-Pantothenate.
Guaranteed Analysis:
Crude Protein minimum 38%
Crude Fat minimum 2%
Crude Fiber maximum 8%
Moisture maximum 10%
that was from an online source, I wasn't about to type all that. Though the ingredients list from the site and what is on the container I have are different. The site left off a few things unless they changed the ingredients since i bought it.
Strange that they won't like that fish food. Then again, some snails tend to be picky. Switching to reptile foods would be a good move as most reptile foods are eagerly eaten by the snails and these contain calcium they need. Rachel uses Jurassi-cal calcium and mixes it with her snail jello recipes. Snail jello lasts usually a few weeks depending on the volume of the ingredients you prepared. This along with veggies and plaster of Paris pucks helps. I add honey which was also suggested in one of Rachel's recipe. It seems to help attract the snails as they like anything sugary as evident by the strawberry flavored Tums which has attracted them far more than any flavors.lol
titansfever83
12-29-2008, 5:07 AM
plaster of Paris pucks :confused::confused::confused:
NEVERMIND!
What section of home depot would this be in?
Kashta
12-29-2008, 5:57 AM
Shrimp pellets, algae wafers, zucchini or squash, spinach leaves, broccoli, cucumber, steamed carrot, cabbage leaves, romaine lettuce.. whatever I have on hand... some cuttlebone. It's a lot of snails, so they pick up excess fish flakes, worms, and pellets too. Sometimes, I'll put in a few pond sticks that float. They eat everything.
Because of them, I rarely pour or dribble salad dressing on my salad anymore. Use that on the side now more for dipping, so I won't have to wash off anything left over that will get tossed into the tank. I guess that's healthier for me and makes it easy to give them treats and a variety of veggies.
Shrimp pellets, algae wafers, zucchini or squash, spinach leaves, broccoli, cucumber, steamed carrot, cabbage leaves, romaine lettuce.. whatever I have on hand... some cuttlebone. It's a lot of snails, so they pick up excess fish flakes, worms, and pellets too. Sometimes, I'll put in a few pond sticks that float. They eat everything.
Because of them, I rarely pour or dribble salad dressing on my salad anymore. Use that on the side now more for dipping, so I won't have to wash off anything left over that will get tossed into the tank. I guess that's healthier for me and makes it easy to give them treats and a variety of veggies.
You know, it's funny you should say that. My friend saw a photo I took of one of my snails munching on some green bean and he said, "It's not a dog, you can't just scrape off your unwanted veggies and give it to them to eat!" :lol2:
Kashta
12-29-2008, 7:03 AM
You know, it's funny you should say that. My friend saw a photo I took of one of my snails munching on some green bean and he said, "It's not a dog, you can't just scrape off your unwanted veggies and give it to them to eat!" :lol2:
Hahaha.. yes you can!
Between the snails, one crab, and a bunny.... all I seem to end up with for me from a salad bar are the tomatoes, olives, and mushrooms. I tried sharing some mushrooms once, but got dirty looks from everyone that seemed to say, "get that fungus out of here."
Hahaha.. yes you can!
Between the snails, one crab, and a bunny.... all I seem to end up with for me from a salad bar are the tomatoes, olives, and mushrooms. I tried sharing some mushrooms once, but got dirty looks from everyone that seemed to say, "get that fungus out of here."
rofl nothing like getting the stink-eye from a snail
Flaringshutter
12-29-2008, 11:15 PM
Collard greens! And when I buy from the farmers market, I just buy all my veggies with the greens attached, and feed them to my 50 gallon aquatic vegetable disposal. :grinyes:
titansfever83
01-07-2009, 6:55 PM
Well, my snails come in today and I'm about to go to the grocery store to get "snail jello" ingredients.
got a question first....
Will baby food have enough calcium in it or should I add something else to the jello and would would you suggest that is sold at a grocery store???
And, which vitamin was NOT recommended for the snails???
Will baby food have enough calcium in it or should I add something else to the jello and would would you suggest that is sold at a grocery store???
Depends on the ingredients. I crush Tums to powder and add to my jello. Tums or Caltrate are available in pharmacies. You can use calcium carbonate powder for reptiles. Rachel uses Jurrasical for her own recipes.
And, which vitamin was NOT recommended for the snails???
Excess levels of Vitamin D. It is toxic in high levels. I did use Caltrate with Vitamin D added for 3 weeks only but no side effects have been observed that I know of. You can use them but I wouldn't recommend doing it long term.
leeser28
01-07-2009, 7:04 PM
Shrimp pellets, algae wafers, zucchini or squash, spinach leaves, broccoli, cucumber, steamed carrot, cabbage leaves, romaine lettuce.. whatever I have on hand... some cuttlebone. It's a lot of snails, so they pick up excess fish flakes, worms, and pellets too. Sometimes, I'll put in a few pond sticks that float. They eat everything.
Because of them, I rarely pour or dribble salad dressing on my salad anymore. Use that on the side now more for dipping, so I won't have to wash off anything left over that will get tossed into the tank. I guess that's healthier for me and makes it easy to give them treats and a variety of veggies.
I'm so thrilled to know that in addition to a bunny, a retriever and a black lab, that when I get my snails I'll have yet another place to share my leftovers :dance2:. Thanks for the great info.:newbie:
titansfever83
01-07-2009, 7:20 PM
Depends on the ingredients. I crush Tums to powder and add to my jello. Tums or Caltrate are available in pharmacies. You can use calcium carbonate powder for reptiles. Rachel uses Jurrasical for her own recipes.
Excess levels of Vitamin D. It is toxic in high levels. I did use Caltrate with Vitamin D added for 3 weeks only but no side effects have been observed that I know of. You can use them but I wouldn't recommend doing it long term.
Thanks Lup!:D As always, lightning fast with answers!!! :worthy:
Sorry I'm not that much help back to ya......
hhhmmmm...... Don't swallow watermelon seeds, you'll get pregnant!!!! LOL
msjinkzd
01-07-2009, 7:21 PM
:lol:
I feed ken's catfish pellets alot as well, they have 16% calcium, are cheap, and don't break down quickly in the water. These are not in place of veggies or jello, just as another food they like and is good for them.
titansfever83
01-07-2009, 7:46 PM
:lol:
I feed ken's catfish pellets alot as well, they have 16% calcium, are cheap, and don't break down quickly in the water. These are not in place of veggies or jello, just as another food they like and is good for them.
Thanks Jinkzd!!! I'm not familiar with Ken's pellets..... is their an online source???
Click if you dare open Pandora's Box - Kensfish.com (http://www.kensfish.com/)The food and equipment is so cheap I suspect Ken is in cahoots with the devil himself.
starrystarstarr
01-07-2009, 8:36 PM
mine love all kinda of veggies but green beans seem to be the fav.
AquaGem
01-10-2009, 9:26 PM
My snails used to really like snail jello, but usually if it had a good dose of fish food. They also went crazy for slice of zucchini. They didn't really care for carrots or lettuce though. Picky little things lol
Yadokari
01-10-2009, 9:28 PM
I feed them dead friends. I squish unwanted snails and they clean it up for me.
grannylvsfish
01-10-2009, 9:35 PM
my snails eat everything!!! some like the cucumber some don't but they all love pellets and flakes ( they eat out of my hands) they love shrimp pellets and the go mad over tubifex worms!
snoopy65
01-10-2009, 9:48 PM
I gave my 8 bridgessi some made up jello last night and this morning it was completely gone.
I didn't have baby food and with a foot of snow, I wasn't going to get any. So I took a box of frozen chopped spinach (thawed and unsqueezed) microwaved it about a minute, sprinkled the gelatin in and gently stirred. Added a good tablespoon of fish flake and 2 tums (crushed). Let it set up in the fridge in a loaf pan for 3 hours. Cut it into 1/2 inch cubes.
I gave my 8 bridgessi some made up jello last night and this morning it was completely gone.
I didn't have baby food and with a foot of snow, I wasn't going to get any. So I took a box of frozen chopped spinach (thawed and unsqueezed) microwaved it about a minute, sprinkled the gelatin in and gently stirred. Added a good tablespoon of fish flake and 2 tums (crushed). Let it set up in the fridge in a loaf pan for 3 hours. Cut it into 1/2 inch cubes.
You should add this to the sticky thread for recipes if you haven't yet!
Kashta
01-11-2009, 2:23 AM
I like that recipe too.. so I saved it. Good thinking.
titansfever83
01-12-2009, 9:47 PM
Well, my Ivory Mystery snails LOVE my snail jello!!!!! Though my Nerites actually went over a piece of it and kept going:headshake2:.
I used 'Garden Vegetables' from Gerber, shredded turnip greens, shrimp pellets, and Omega One Veggie Flake food, oh, and gelatin of course.
Amount and in order if that matters.....
4 oz baby food Garden Vegetables w/ 6% calcium
1 packet of Knox gelatin
approx. 2 full leaves of turnip greens shredded into very tiny pieces
1 tsp of Omega One Veggie Flake Food
and approx 2 dozen shrimp pellets
mine actually become jello-like in one hour in my fridge( I keep my fridge cold for my liquid bread:cheers:)
Anyway, it turned out better than I thought but I did forget to put honey in it. Got another question for the more advanced snail keepers...... My baby food has 6% calcium, and my spinach I bought for my next batch has 8% calcium, if I combine the two, will that be enough calcium for my snails????? And were in the heck do you find calcium pills without vit. D or were can you get the calcium powder????? I only went to Wally World and they had neither:confused:
Oh, and how many times a week do you guys/gals feed your snails?? I have approx 30 snails @ about nickel size and my snail jello is 1/2 inch squares about 1/4 thick.
Damodred
01-12-2009, 9:53 PM
You can use Tums (yes, the stuff for acid indigestion) and crush it up if you can't find powder at your LFS.
I think I just got lucky. For the first time in two months, I just saw three nerites munching happily on the cucumber slice. The honey is optional. You don't have to add it in your recipe. It was there as most of the time, some snails eat snail jello for the first time and some are just so coy they won't show up until the night.
The calcium content should be sufficient. Try collards or dill greens (hmmm...I may have the name wrong). Both are high in calcium content or higher than spinach at least.
As for calcium without Vitamin D, that's the trouble with Caltrate. Wyeth seems to have manufactured limited stocks of Caltrate without Vitamin D added so I had to resort to Tums. This clouds the water a bit. Avoid the peppermint flavored ones as apparently Bettacreek has pointed out this may burn their skin. My snails like strawberry flavored ones best.
I now use plaster of Paris pucks. See post 4 in Snail jello recipe sticky thread. I still use Tums as I only like the snails burying their faces into it with white powder stuck.lol The plaster of Paris pucks seem to clarify my water when I use Tums. LOL...It works as a water clarifier as much as buffering component to avoid shell erosion.