Post by inky on Mar 31, 2014 10:25:29 GMT
I came back from school today, procrastinating as much as possible and putting off my homework as usual, so I decided to check on my snails, see if I need to change the cuttle bone, etc. I saw Snowball very quickly, as usual hanging off the roof by half her foot (worrying me a bit in the process). I couldn't, however, find Gary.
I went upstairs and grabbed my torch before looking all over the walls and soil to find him. I then noticed a streak of slimy dirt going up the wall from Snowball, so I traced it. It turns out it was actually going downwards into the soil.
In the corner of the tank, were about 40 little eggs, neatly buried under the soil. Of course, I was ecstatic - until now I'd never managed to get the conditions quite right. Of course, I still had to search for Gary, so I picked up the torch again and searched to find him burying himself under the soil, supposedly laying as well. He's still like this, so I'll check when everything is reburied.
A few questions, though.
Are the eggs hardy or fragile? Is it possible to pick them up carefully and place some outside without bothering the others? If so, how would I pick them up? With tweezers or just a plain glove? Also, what sized cuttle bones should I buy? I understand that baby snails - as well as the adults after laying - need extra calcium for shell growth and development. Does this mean I should buy a larger bone or is it useless? I don't want it to go off, but I don't want to run out early!
Lastly, if I remove the parents from the tank and move them to another one and thoroughly clean the tank with the eggs, will these eggs be free of any diseases?
Thanks and sorry for all the questions!
I went upstairs and grabbed my torch before looking all over the walls and soil to find him. I then noticed a streak of slimy dirt going up the wall from Snowball, so I traced it. It turns out it was actually going downwards into the soil.
In the corner of the tank, were about 40 little eggs, neatly buried under the soil. Of course, I was ecstatic - until now I'd never managed to get the conditions quite right. Of course, I still had to search for Gary, so I picked up the torch again and searched to find him burying himself under the soil, supposedly laying as well. He's still like this, so I'll check when everything is reburied.
A few questions, though.
Are the eggs hardy or fragile? Is it possible to pick them up carefully and place some outside without bothering the others? If so, how would I pick them up? With tweezers or just a plain glove? Also, what sized cuttle bones should I buy? I understand that baby snails - as well as the adults after laying - need extra calcium for shell growth and development. Does this mean I should buy a larger bone or is it useless? I don't want it to go off, but I don't want to run out early!
Lastly, if I remove the parents from the tank and move them to another one and thoroughly clean the tank with the eggs, will these eggs be free of any diseases?
Thanks and sorry for all the questions!