Post by inky on Feb 3, 2012 11:09:25 GMT
Hi! I'm making a snail guide! I'm really tired and sick right now, so it might need improvement tomorrow! I also feel happy because I have sugar rush! ;D 
DAMN no more sugar rush. 
(Yes it's for garden snails, I've only had them, so I don't know much about other species)
Anyway, back to subject. Let's start!
This is aimed to people aged about 8 to 12.
====-------------------------------------====
====___A Guide to Snails by Geckonator___====
====-------------------------------------====
Snails are interesting creatures in many, many ways.
This is why we will be looking at how to look after them!
First, get a nice, clean tank, as big as you can manage, and place it in a suitable place. This will be your snail enclosure. You need to add things to a snail enclosure, so the snails can hide when they need to but can also slime along their foot. First we will talk about substrate. Substrate is the ground for your snail. Imagine you were a snail, sliming around outside on the grass. The grass and dirt would be your substrate.
SUBSTRATE
Substrate is one of the most important things in the tank. The snails need it to crawl on, sleep on and even lay eggs in it!
My suggestions for substrate would be a mixture of potting soil, sphagnum moss and loam. Make sure you check it doesn't have pesticides or fertilizers in it!
Loam is a crumbly substrate. There are different loams, look for one with a low concentration of sand. It should feel crumbly and light. It holds moisture well but still drains eventually.
Sphagnum moss reduces pests and holds moisture extremely well, although it dries out much faster than other substrates.
Potting soil is good for burrowing and laying eggs. It holds moisture well. It also harbors pests, so you should clean it.
I'd suggest putting the loam down first, about two centimetres deep. Then I'd put the potting soil in, also two centimetres. Then put the moss in, about a centimetre. Make sure to clean all the substrate! There have been reports that, if you have mites, the moss makes it worse. Don't completely cover it with moss, use about a handful, two for a large tank.
DECORATION
Now we need some things for the snail/s to hide in. You can use many things, including pots, cups and fake plants!
You can cut a pot in half and put it down so the snails can climb in it. You could also cut a door large enough for them and put it upside down so the door is where they go in.
You could do the same thing for a cup, but it has to be large enough. Imagine your snail getting in and then the cup shifts so it can't get out again!
With the fake plants, you can cut them up into small pieces and place them in the tank, or you can keep it intact and place it in a corner.
FOOD AND WATER
It is very important to spray your snail tank every day with a spray bottle when the snail is in. You also need to get it food daily.
Apples are a good source for snails. They love it! Lettuce is also great. If your snail seems weak, place it gently on top of the food. You can watch the snail rasp the food. Rasping is when they lick the food and break parts off. They don't have teeth, so they lick. DO NOT FEED IT ANYTHING SALTY!
Water is very important. They die without it. Spray their tank everyday and it will be OK. Don't spray on it directly, they don't like it.
I think these are the main parts of a snail tank! Also, you might want to put small branches in the tank so your snails can climb on it. Make a distinct feeding place by putting your food in one spot only and they'll know where to find it!
BREEDING
For this you need a larger tank, another snail and the right temperature and such.
Follow these and you might have babies!
(1) Spray your tank every day, but slightly more than you do per day.
(2)Frequently bring your snails close together. There is a chance they will mate.
(3)Give them more food. We are trying to make it feel like Spring to them.
(4)Try putting them close and observing them.
(5)If they do mate, there will be white "goo" coming out of the two snails. This is not an infection. If it looks like its the snail's eye, it's not.
(6)Even if they pass away before they mate, there is a chance they mated while you were somewhere. When snails mate, they don't have a gender; they are both male and female. They swap "love" darts that make it easier for them to mate, then they go very close together and start mating both ways. So if one passed away, don't give up hope; they might have bred, so the other one might be carrying eggs. As bad as it sounds, all animals die. So it's not a good idea to bond fully with an adult snail, as they have usually lived for over a year, and their maximum is ten years.
SCIENCE FACTS
*If a snail loses an eye stalk, it grows back.
*When snails breed, they both become pregnant.
*Snails are a popular starter pet.
*They don't have sicknesses that humans have, but they have their own types.
*Because they produce mucus, otherwise known as slime, they can climb over sharp surfaces without being harmed.
*Snails don't have good eyes, they can only see the difference between day and night.
*Snails are nocturnal.
Ok, I have to go to the doctor, my brain is being annoying and has decided that it doesn't want to hear anything from my right ear. Update: I CAN HEAR AGAIN!
DAMN no more sugar rush. 
(Yes it's for garden snails, I've only had them, so I don't know much about other species)
Anyway, back to subject. Let's start!
This is aimed to people aged about 8 to 12.
====-------------------------------------====
====___A Guide to Snails by Geckonator___====
====-------------------------------------====
Snails are interesting creatures in many, many ways.
This is why we will be looking at how to look after them!
First, get a nice, clean tank, as big as you can manage, and place it in a suitable place. This will be your snail enclosure. You need to add things to a snail enclosure, so the snails can hide when they need to but can also slime along their foot. First we will talk about substrate. Substrate is the ground for your snail. Imagine you were a snail, sliming around outside on the grass. The grass and dirt would be your substrate.
SUBSTRATE
Substrate is one of the most important things in the tank. The snails need it to crawl on, sleep on and even lay eggs in it!
My suggestions for substrate would be a mixture of potting soil, sphagnum moss and loam. Make sure you check it doesn't have pesticides or fertilizers in it!
Loam is a crumbly substrate. There are different loams, look for one with a low concentration of sand. It should feel crumbly and light. It holds moisture well but still drains eventually.
Sphagnum moss reduces pests and holds moisture extremely well, although it dries out much faster than other substrates.
Potting soil is good for burrowing and laying eggs. It holds moisture well. It also harbors pests, so you should clean it.
I'd suggest putting the loam down first, about two centimetres deep. Then I'd put the potting soil in, also two centimetres. Then put the moss in, about a centimetre. Make sure to clean all the substrate! There have been reports that, if you have mites, the moss makes it worse. Don't completely cover it with moss, use about a handful, two for a large tank.
DECORATION
Now we need some things for the snail/s to hide in. You can use many things, including pots, cups and fake plants!
You can cut a pot in half and put it down so the snails can climb in it. You could also cut a door large enough for them and put it upside down so the door is where they go in.
You could do the same thing for a cup, but it has to be large enough. Imagine your snail getting in and then the cup shifts so it can't get out again!
With the fake plants, you can cut them up into small pieces and place them in the tank, or you can keep it intact and place it in a corner.
FOOD AND WATER
It is very important to spray your snail tank every day with a spray bottle when the snail is in. You also need to get it food daily.
Apples are a good source for snails. They love it! Lettuce is also great. If your snail seems weak, place it gently on top of the food. You can watch the snail rasp the food. Rasping is when they lick the food and break parts off. They don't have teeth, so they lick. DO NOT FEED IT ANYTHING SALTY!
Water is very important. They die without it. Spray their tank everyday and it will be OK. Don't spray on it directly, they don't like it.
I think these are the main parts of a snail tank! Also, you might want to put small branches in the tank so your snails can climb on it. Make a distinct feeding place by putting your food in one spot only and they'll know where to find it!
BREEDING
For this you need a larger tank, another snail and the right temperature and such.
Follow these and you might have babies!
(1) Spray your tank every day, but slightly more than you do per day.
(2)Frequently bring your snails close together. There is a chance they will mate.
(3)Give them more food. We are trying to make it feel like Spring to them.
(4)Try putting them close and observing them.
(5)If they do mate, there will be white "goo" coming out of the two snails. This is not an infection. If it looks like its the snail's eye, it's not.
(6)Even if they pass away before they mate, there is a chance they mated while you were somewhere. When snails mate, they don't have a gender; they are both male and female. They swap "love" darts that make it easier for them to mate, then they go very close together and start mating both ways. So if one passed away, don't give up hope; they might have bred, so the other one might be carrying eggs. As bad as it sounds, all animals die. So it's not a good idea to bond fully with an adult snail, as they have usually lived for over a year, and their maximum is ten years.
SCIENCE FACTS
*If a snail loses an eye stalk, it grows back.
*When snails breed, they both become pregnant.
*Snails are a popular starter pet.
*They don't have sicknesses that humans have, but they have their own types.
*Because they produce mucus, otherwise known as slime, they can climb over sharp surfaces without being harmed.
*Snails don't have good eyes, they can only see the difference between day and night.
*Snails are nocturnal.
Ok, I have to go to the doctor, my brain is being annoying and has decided that it doesn't want to hear anything from my right ear. Update: I CAN HEAR AGAIN!
I'm not knocking the information at all, just that it may be a little complicated for many youngsters to sort out themselves.
I'm only feeling worse today, but this seems to be boosting me when I have the energy to do it.
