Snails as food
- Thread starter ashepler
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I think that ramshorns or pond snails are a better choice as their shells are not as hard as mts.
Lupin
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- Sep 21, 2006
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Inverts are part of the loaches' diet.
In the wild this is true, because most loaches will eat anything they can get. However in an aquarium we have the ability to feed them foods that are much more nutritional balanced.
:iagree: With Lupin. It is a live food that is a beneficial addition to the loaches diet. MTS shells are much harder so I would stick with ramshorns and pond snails. I add ramshorns to my loach tank regularly from other tanks. They are not in my loach tank long enough to reproduce there!
First let me stress that it is just an addition to a diet of prepared foods that are fortified. I also feed them white worms and microworms that I culture which we know are great conditioning foods as well as vital to some varieties of growing fry. The ramshorn snails in my tank feed on hikari algae wafers, ocean nutrition flakes of various types, shrimp pellets, earthworm sticks as well as fresh vegetables and natural biofilm type algae and diatoms. Why would they not be nutritional when fed on this diet? My ramshorn snails actually eat a better nutritionally balanced diet than my microworms who are sustained on oatmeal and my white worms who are sustained on white bread, white rice and potato flakes. My ramshorns actually eat a very nutritious diet.
What your snails eat does not directly indicate what their nutritional value is when the loaches eat them. Snails are extremely high in protein, however most sinking wafers contain 3 times the amount of protein one snail would. Snails are also quite deficient in vitamins and minerals when compared to prepared foods.
I know some people like to give their loaches snails as a "treat" however I feel their are much better alternatives such as frozen blood worms.
I know some people like to give their loaches snails as a "treat" however I feel their are much better alternatives such as frozen blood worms.
I don't know if the nutritional value of ramshorn snails has ever been tested since people don't eat them, do you?
Giant land snails, however, have been tested, since they are looked at as a source of available animal protein for people with protein deficient diets in Nigeria. Giant land snails feed on plant growth and here is some of what was found:
"Concentrations of zinc, iron, manganese, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, sulphur, potassium and sodium in the flesh of the snails were determined. Values of iron, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, potassium and sodium were consistently high while cobalt, copper and lead were not detected. Snails complement the required trace and minor elements needed for proper growth and development in human being, so it is recommended for regular.
The current report provides information on mineral elements which compared favourably with the reported values of some lean domestic livestock meats as reported by Bender (1992). Favourable nutrition elements are reported for protein, fat, phosphorus, sodium, potassium and magnesium. Consumption of giant land snail is therefore recommended for both old and young, as this will combine effectively with other food components in providing the required essential elements to the body.
consumption."
And here is the nutritional value of snails that we consume as escargot:
http://www.fitday.com/WebFit/nutrition/All_Foods/Fish/Snails.html.
We don't rely on escargot as the source of our daily nutrition, but they do add somethings that the body needs.
And in the same line as what I stated, not relied on for complete nutrition. I never see my loaches feeding on an algae wafer although they are added to the tank regularly for the cories. They do scarf up bloodworms and are fed bloodworms daily.
There's got to be some nutritional value in the snails when added to their regular diet, just not to be solely relied on as is the case with feeding all of our pets....furry and wet alike. Just my humble opinion on the matter.
Giant land snails, however, have been tested, since they are looked at as a source of available animal protein for people with protein deficient diets in Nigeria. Giant land snails feed on plant growth and here is some of what was found:
"Concentrations of zinc, iron, manganese, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, sulphur, potassium and sodium in the flesh of the snails were determined. Values of iron, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, potassium and sodium were consistently high while cobalt, copper and lead were not detected. Snails complement the required trace and minor elements needed for proper growth and development in human being, so it is recommended for regular.
The current report provides information on mineral elements which compared favourably with the reported values of some lean domestic livestock meats as reported by Bender (1992). Favourable nutrition elements are reported for protein, fat, phosphorus, sodium, potassium and magnesium. Consumption of giant land snail is therefore recommended for both old and young, as this will combine effectively with other food components in providing the required essential elements to the body.
consumption."
And here is the nutritional value of snails that we consume as escargot:
http://www.fitday.com/WebFit/nutrition/All_Foods/Fish/Snails.html.
We don't rely on escargot as the source of our daily nutrition, but they do add somethings that the body needs.
And in the same line as what I stated, not relied on for complete nutrition. I never see my loaches feeding on an algae wafer although they are added to the tank regularly for the cories. They do scarf up bloodworms and are fed bloodworms daily.
There's got to be some nutritional value in the snails when added to their regular diet, just not to be solely relied on as is the case with feeding all of our pets....furry and wet alike. Just my humble opinion on the matter.