aquaguy
Achatina achatina
Posts: 63
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Post by aquaguy on Mar 13, 2013 20:15:34 GMT
I have already asked about the temperature, but I need some more questions answering, and I might as well ask them all on this thread to save making any more.
1.) I don't know whether the tank for my GALS is too small. The height is 8 inches, the length is 12 inches and the width is 8 inches. My GALS is about 4 inches at the moment.
Is is tank big enough for now?
2.) What is the average temperature for a A. Fulica? Because in winter, it will always hibernate and I don't know whether to put in near a radiator. It gets to about 23 degrees C.
3.) It doesn't seem to eat much, even in the summer. I throw away more food than it eats! It just won't go near it, and will occasionaly nibble it. It will eat a few pieces of cucumber on occasion, too.
4.) How humid do I keep the tank? I spray it twice a day (sometimes more, just to keep it active) but I don't know if it is too much.
Thank you AquaGuy
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Post by vallery on Mar 13, 2013 20:38:15 GMT
Hi aquaguy , Could you list what you are attempting to feed your snail. Also what do you use as substrate? You can also go onto the website of this forum by just clicking on the site address at the top of the page, there is alot of information on there.
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aquaguy
Achatina achatina
Posts: 63
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Post by aquaguy on Mar 13, 2013 22:27:04 GMT
Hi Vallery,
I try and feed him as many fruits and vegetables as I can, but it won't eat many. It will only eat cucumber and sometimes watermelon, banana and tomatoes.
I use general purpose compost because it has already been sterilized. I don't know if I need to use anything else.
AquaGuy
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Post by Paul on Mar 14, 2013 0:12:36 GMT
The size of your tank sounds fine for now... This may help you decide about tanks. It should only be taken as a rough idea... It's hard to reduce to a calculation. In my opinion, the more space the better. www.petsnails.co.uk/snail-calc.phpFulica are pretty cold-tolerant compared to other species. I would have thought the temps you are talking about would be fine. What I've found is you can encourage activity by having a more distinct night and day. If you keep it hotter and slightly drier in the day with plenty of light (indirect sunlight or fluorescents) and then spray a lot before night-time you can simulate it. Try partially covering your tank with a towel - that makes it darker and ups the humidity.. let it cool down a few degrees. That may help a lot. It certainly did for my West African snails... usually east African ones are much more active at all times. I've found that snails get stuck in their ways when it comes to food. Babies are more likely to try anything. I did find a few ways to encourage variety. One is... not to always provide their favourite foods. Instead of putting 4 things in the tank each day, try 2 per day or even 1 per day and rotate. I used to add the food at night and remove in the morning. Also, try non-vegetables.... crushed hemp, sunflower seed or pumpkin seed ... or porridge. If you get a really fussy snail, try withholding food for a few days and then add in a few foods they're unsure about. That has worked for me. Once they try it out of "necessity" they can come around and will accept it more readily. Animals in the wild don't always have steady food supplies... a few days won't cause any harm and a mono-food diet surely is more harmful. Snails seem to adore crushed oyster shell - perhaps a light sprinkle over new foods may make them try them. Your substrate is fine... make it deep so they can bury and put some stuff in your tank... cork bark, leaf-litter, plant pots. Real plants are good - they keep the tank fresher - but African snails tend to dig them up. Bear in mind, plant decorations make hunting for eggs much, much harder!
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aquaguy
Achatina achatina
Posts: 63
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Post by aquaguy on Mar 14, 2013 1:47:40 GMT
Thank you, you really helped.
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Post by shaydeesnail on Mar 14, 2013 9:54:56 GMT
When I was younger I kept two GALSs on two seperate occasions, their tanks were too small and they were kept alone, and they acted the same as you've described. I'd say your tank size is fine but maybe your particular snail needs a larger environment- but my opinion is that these snails do much better with a friend. Now all my snails are kept in groups, they are very active. Paul's suggestions were great, couldn't have said it better myself but thought I'd just add this on
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aquaguy
Achatina achatina
Posts: 63
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Post by aquaguy on Mar 14, 2013 10:42:49 GMT
Thanks.
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aquaguy
Achatina achatina
Posts: 63
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Post by aquaguy on Mar 14, 2013 10:49:35 GMT
Just another quick question. Can you keep garden snails with GALS? Can you put different species of snails together?
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aquaguy
Achatina achatina
Posts: 63
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Post by aquaguy on Mar 14, 2013 17:44:44 GMT
My snail has been on the side of the tank all day and night now. I've sprayed it and it won't move. How can I wake it up? I want to make sure it is okay.
It has been like this since I first got it (1 year ago). I don't know what to do. I have done all I can. It is just always so lethargic!
Honestly, I am not sure hwo good the conditions were in the pet shop. I don't think they were brilliant...
Also, how can I get it to eat more calcium? I give it cuttlefish but it hardly ever eats it. I also tried eggshells but it won't eat those, either.
Thanks.
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Post by morningcoffee on Mar 14, 2013 18:57:57 GMT
My snail has been on the side of the tank all day and night now. I've sprayed it and it won't move. How can I wake it up? I want to make sure it is okay. It has been like this since I first got it (1 year ago). I don't know what to do. I have done all I can. It is just always so lethargic! Honestly, I am not sure hwo good the conditions were in the pet shop. I don't think they were brilliant... Also, how can I get it to eat more calcium? I give it cuttlefish but it hardly ever eats it. I also tried eggshells but it won't eat those, either. Thanks. That's kind of what snails are like normally... they are not necessarily the most active creatures in the world. You should only really worry if the snail stays in one spot for days without moving. 24 hours in one place is fairly normal, especially with the weather as cold as it is at the moment. If you really want to wake the snail up, lift it gently off the side of the tank, and place it in some shallow warm water. You can trickle some warm water over it too. This should do the trick. As for calcium, you could try limestone flour instead, or crushed oyster shell. Snails seem to really like that. They don't seem to like cuttlefish as much when it's wet for some reason. You could try grating some over its food too.
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aquaguy
Achatina achatina
Posts: 63
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Post by aquaguy on Mar 14, 2013 19:31:55 GMT
Thanks. I was just concerned, but doesn't lifting them off the tank hurt them? Maybe when it turns summer it will be more active. Although, it is Britain, so it may not be that warm. Haha.
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Post by starcrazy19 on Mar 15, 2013 13:38:38 GMT
Mine won't touch cuttlefish unless it's bone dry - I break it into bits and rotate them, so each is in the tank a couple days, then taken out, dried, and scraped clean ready for its next go around :) You should try him on oystershell and limestone flour though incase he prefers that, bugz2go ebay shop sells combined packs of food & calcium supplements that you could try so you can get it all in one go, no fuss. He might like the snail food they sell too, mine love it and if he doesn't eat much, that might be a higher-nutrient option for him. Try him with fish-food too maybe, the flaked kind, spray a bit of water in it so it goes goopy before you feed it to him. I wouldn't put garden snails in with a gals, especially as the tank seems on the small side as it is. Since you are having so many worries with him it might be a bad time to get a bigger tank and add another gals into the equation but they do seem to like company. Other snails moving around, climbing on them, seems to keep them a bit more active.
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aquaguy
Achatina achatina
Posts: 63
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Post by aquaguy on Mar 15, 2013 17:05:24 GMT
Thanks starcrazy19.
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