Tums for snails?

thebrandon

thebrandon

I like fish
Jan 29, 2009
1,846
0
36
Tucson, AZ
I read somewhere that tums can be used for snails as a source of calcium. Since reading that I have had a hard time finding the thread again. I was just wondering if this was indeed alright for them. I'm a snail n00b if you can't tell:dance:

I only have 1 gold mystery living in my 20 gal right now, I might get another 1 or 2 in the next few days. He's maybe the size of a nickle and I want to make sure I do what I can to make sure he grows up nice and strong for when he gets moved into the 125 gal:)

any tips as to what I can do to ensure he grows up nice and strong? I'm going to be heading to the store tomorrow to get the ingredients for some small jello treats for him and his future companions!

Thanks for the help!
 
Tums isn't really necessary but it does help with the shell growth. The downside is it clouds the water rather easily although no harm is done in the process. It just takes hours for it to clear out. I dose Tums daily and use flavored ones. Unflavored ones are ignored. You can try Caltrate (without Vitamin D added).

If you want long lasting calcium source, try plaster of Plaster pucks. It's in the sticky snail jello recipe thread. Try goldfish granules for ingredients and don't use anything powdery or flakes. They just don't mix well and can smell quickly. Use Dap brand.
 
thanks for the help:)

I think I remember reading something about tums without vitam D or something too. I think it said that using tums with Vitamin D is ok every now and then, but without is better?

I just want to make sure I'm getting my facts straight!

Also is the tums method safe for fish that are sharing the same home?
 
Tums is pure calcium carbonate. It does not have Vitamin D in it which is why I use it daily. It's safe with fish. Even fish themselves like to shovel through the tablet. It takes 30 minutes to an hour for it to completely dissolve, at least in my case. I think you're confusing the "Vitamin D" bit with the Caltrate where one version of Caltrate does have it while the other does not. The one with Vitamin D is fine for use but I wouldn't use it for a long time due to possible Vitamin D overdose which may be toxic to snails. The one without it is fine for daily use.

We had a discussion about the calcium brands before and I had to compile everything here.
http://www.geocities.com/popop81689/calcium
 
What is your pH? and hardness/ You don't need to add plaster, tums, etc if you have hard water and a high pH. Just supplementing their dietary needs with calcium rich veggies can suffice.
 
My ph is not as high as it needs to be. I start with around 7.6 after a water change and for a while I had a problem with it slowly going down to around 6.8

It's a little bit more stable since I put some cuttlebone in there. It gets to around 7 just before a water change, so I guess I'm asking if the Tums will help keep the ph up?

Also, let's say I have a slight spike of nitrites, will Tums make the situation worse, or have no effect?
 
A handful of crushed coral would raise/buffer the pH as well as providing a source of calcium for the snails.
 
I've just been giving him snail jello, I got two more mysteries to put in there, they don't seem to care for the jello though, what flavors are popular for them? I tried an all vegetable one and only one likes it.
 
i like the plaster of paris pucks very easy to make and store well.
 
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