How long do snails live? Also I read msjinkzd has some wonderful recipes for the snails ( I need to search them for the snails I am getting
I forgot what they eat so I really need to get to studying the diet so mine stay happy and healthy !

this one intrigued me. where does the plaster of paris go?? how do they get the food out of it? very interesting! are these like the food blocks you buy for vacation feeding? ( I used to buy a few of these when I went out of town.)
Another Calcium Feeder Recipe
Ingredients:
1600 mL of plaster of paris (Dap brand from Home Depot)
800 mL of water
1 100g container of tetra color sinking goldfish granules
Tools needed:
A large plastic pitcher
A 1L measuring cup
3 ice cube trays
A stir stick
Mix the water with the plaster until completely smooth.
Add fish food and mix evenly.
Pour into the ice cube trays. Rattle to trays to remove air bubbles. Let sit in a dry place for 2 days. Once the trays are good and solid, twist to remove the blocks. If the blocks are crumbling or breaking, they are not dry enough yet. Once they are out, cure them in a dry place for five more days (or use a food dehydrator). Once cured, they can be vacuum packed for storage. Each feeder typically lasts two weeks.
*The calcium in these feeders will buffer water to help maintain a basic pH.
I have never liked the snails from petsmart, never looked all that great. I'd much rather get them from other aquarists. Then, thats just me.
And trust me, I'm feeling the same way right now, 2 arn't doing well.
I would let your ph stay stable..not use chemicals to buffer it as they are hard to maintain and a fluctuating ph can be difficult on your fish and the snails. You can supplement the calcium the snails need easily through diet or dosing marine (kent's is good) calcium in the tank (careful not to pour it on the critters directly). Stable parameters and clean water with a good balanced diet will keep snails the happiest. You are right that smaller tanks are harder to maintain. I do large volume changes at least twice a week on my tanks with inverts. Hope that you have luck with snails as they are super entertaining and rewarding when healthy!