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Post by lianay2kuk on May 31, 2011 17:01:02 GMT
Hi,
I have 2 "albino" achatina reticulata at the moment and keep them in a large heated propagator. Does anyone else to this? Can you post some photos? My snails home looks a bit bare and boring. I am looking for some inspiration from all of you seasoned snail keepers.
Thanks for reading
Kat
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Post by lianay2kuk on Jun 2, 2011 17:58:01 GMT
No-one? Is there something wrong with this type of housing that I don't know about?
Kat
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Post by 101100101111 on Jun 2, 2011 18:56:33 GMT
hhhmmm, that's a very interesting idea- usually snails are kept in terrariums or storage boxes with heat mats: however, a propagator seems like great solution to providing the necessary heat and humidity for the snails- in terms of design of the habitat, it's really up to you; substrate can be soil, coir or many other suitable substances, you can check here for more info: www.petsnails.co.uk/care/substrate.html#s_typeshowever, if you are using soil, make sure to bake it in the oven before use to kill any bugs that may be harmful to snails. the decor of the tank is very much to taste- although snails do like some kind of cave to hide in- this can be as simple as a plant pot on it's side. you will probably need some kind of tray to feed them from, and also maybe somewhere to put cuttlebones- for feeding I use a plastic plant pot dish, and I use a piece of cork bark to put the cuttle on, the snails also like climbing on, and sometimes eating this. you can also include silk, or even real plants if you're feeling lucky, snails love to climb and move around, so increasing the surface area of the tank is always a good thing- also make sure to leave enough floor space for them to move around comfortably. And most importantly, have fun designing their tank. there is lots of useful info here that you can read to help as well: www.petsnails.co.uk/care/intro.html |
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Post by lianay2kuk on Jun 3, 2011 16:40:28 GMT
Thank you so much for the link, I will have a good read of that. I am using this to house them. It looks smaller on the photo but is 52cm x 42cm x 28cm. I use 100% coconut husk blocks for them. They have a coconut house at the moment but are a little bit to big for it really. Could I use something like this as their shelter?  Kat x |
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Post by 101100101111 on Jun 3, 2011 17:15:29 GMT
Hi Kat, I assume the photo is the propagator? if so, then it's not really suitable unfortunately, because it is not transparent: you see, snails need vitamin D from sunlight to process the calcium for their shell growth- so unless you are letting them out for long periods each day, it's probably best to find an alternative propagator, or get a storage box or terrarium for them. Coconuts sound great as a shelter, although if there's enough room, it's best to get a bigger one so that more than one snail can fit in: they are social animals so do like to cuddle up together while they're asleep. the important thing to remember when putting anything in the tank is to make sure it isn't too hard that it could crack a snail's shell if it fell off the roof onto it. hope this helps  |
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Post by lianay2kuk on Jun 3, 2011 19:24:57 GMT
No sorry, I don't think that I was very clear. This is the propagator  I want to put this green pot in the propagator on its side for the snails to sleep/shelter in. I hope this explains! Kat x |
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Post by 101100101111 on Jun 4, 2011 7:33:08 GMT
Oh, sorry, that's fine then, and the pot looks great for them |
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Post by SnailsPace on Jun 4, 2011 12:03:47 GMT
I have plastic plants rather than silk as they are easy to wash, if you get a hanging one they have a sucker on to attach them to the tank |
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