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Post by Jade on Jan 31, 2015 13:13:43 GMT
Hi guys, I have an 8.5 watt prorep heat mat that is covering a little over half of the back of my new glass tank. I have the thermostat set to 25c with the probe in the cool end of the tank. I placed a thermometer directly in front of the heat mat but it seems to be stuck at 20c. Any idea how I could get it up to the right temperature? Another problem I seem to have is that little Gary doesn't seem to like his coir substrate. Ever since I first got him he has actively avoided it and seems to prefer hanging around on the roof, in his strawberry house and occasionally he will sleep in a pile of moss. One time I found him on the soil but he was inside his shell appearing to be hiding from it. It doesn't feel overly wet or anything, could it just be that the substrate is too cold for him or he is just fussy? Any advice is appreciated, thanks  |
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Post by muddydragon on Jan 31, 2015 14:02:06 GMT
To answer the temperature question (quoted from are you prepared for winter): One of the best ways to improve tank temperature is that of insulation, it will also save on your electricity bills! If your tank is on a hardwood floor surface or similar consider placing it on a section of carpet or similar material to help insulate from cold floors. Insulate the back of the tank and the heat mat. Various things can be used I find foil faced polyisocyanurate insulation board to be the best as it is easily cut and has a foil front. Although good, I find that expanded polystyrene tends to moult after a while and nothing is more annoying than those little expanded polystyrene balls floating around the place! You can also place extra insulation on the short edges of the tank. (leaving only the front un-insulated). Insulate the top, this is one of the most useful things you can do (hot air rises!), obviously this can cause complications with ventilation that is on the top of tanks, hence it is advisable to only leave the top covering insulation on overnight (or whatever time period is coldest in your house). Insulation that can be draped over the front I have found to be best, such as an old duvet and duvet cover. (do not panic if you forget to uncover them one day they will not suffocate, but try not to get into the habit of doing so). Extra heating If your tank is still struggling to maintain temperature after insulating the tank it may be worth considering extra heating. You want to maintain a temperature gradient in your tank so be sure not to cover the entirety of the back of the tank, I would aim for around a third. However you can add to the heated end by placing another heat mat of the short side. |
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Post by muddydragon on Jan 31, 2015 14:04:24 GMT
Regarding coir. Snails do spend a lot of their time on the roof this is perfectly normal i would not worry too much about it. Aslong as the coir is fine and doesn't contain large chunks they shouldn't have a problem with it
can you post a picture of the coir then we can advise more (for example if it looks too wet or too dry )
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Post by Jade on Jan 31, 2015 15:17:26 GMT
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Zorst
Achatina tincta
Posts: 734 
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Post by Zorst on Jan 31, 2015 16:11:33 GMT
The air temp has gotten really cold here so what I've done with the tanks here is I covered some cardboard with silver foil that I use for cooking and put this behind the heat mat and on 2 sides of the tank leaving the front piece of glass clear, so reflecting the heat back into the tank.
I then used some old towels and blankets wrapped around 3 sides of the tank and held in place by tape. On top of the tank IE the lid I have 2 folded towels that hang a bit over the blankets etc on the sides and an old pillow on top. This keeps the tanks at about 23 - 27.c which the snails all seem happy n active at, they are mating and laying loads of eggs so they must be happy in there tanks. I'll get better insulation when I have the cash but for now this is proving to be pretty effective. I just got creative and used what I had around to insulate the tanks.
You don't say what kind of snail Gary is but I also find they are more active if they have a friend with them.
Zorst
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Post by Jade on Jan 31, 2015 16:34:38 GMT
I could probably dig out some card from somewhere and use some foil, thanks for that advice.
Gary is an Achatina Reticulata and I am planning on getting him a friend when the weather is better, maybe an Archachatina Marginata.
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Post by etana on Jan 31, 2015 16:57:26 GMT
Heh, another cooking foil & old towel user here.  It's good for emergencies, my snails were getting ill from cold so I had to do something quick, but now I do have the temp at a minimum of 25C all the time. I hope to get something that looks nicer at some point though. The coir in your photo looks all right to me. Anyhow, my snails were a bit weird for a while when I changed from 100% soft, fine reptile soil to a mix that was mostly coir and a little bit of reptile soil. They'd stretch from one decoration to another and then to food, and really try not to touch the coir, and if they had to, they'd use like 1/10 of their foot and not put their weight on it. I think they found the texture so different, they weren't sure if it was okay. They did get perfectly used to it eventually though, now they sleep on it just fine, snail around with the full foot, and burrow in it, too (though as Muddydragon said, they still sleep on the walls and ceiling too a lot). My BF put it well - snails wouldn't have spread all over the world if they weren't careful with things they don't recognise. Could also be partly that since Gary lives alone right now, he can't see another snail being relaxed about the coir, so it takes a longer time for him to adjust. My snails often try new things and places only after someone else does it first and the others can follow slime trails and such. I have the same strawberry house in my small snails' tank, btw. |
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Post by Jade on Jan 31, 2015 18:39:23 GMT
I put the foil on the back wall and sides of the tank and put an old towel on top of the tank. I then put some bubble wrap over them. The thermometer has gone up to 23c already!
One time Gary climbed on top of the strawberry, and stretched as far as he could to climb up the thermostat and onto the roof! I hope he feels brave enough to go on the soil sometime too.
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Zorst
Achatina tincta
Posts: 734
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Post by Zorst on Jan 31, 2015 20:42:16 GMT
I have Retic's as well they can be more cautious than say the Albopticas, who are more cautious than the Bulldozer margies and the Immac's. I managed finally to get some Coir after mine had been on peat because that's all I could get around here.
Thankfully it wasn't to much of a change texture wise more that it can be a bit drier which in my case has proven to be better as the peat could get very swamp like if I wasn't careful. These guy's are all fine with it and dig holes in it n slime happily over it.
Though they also sleep on the walls and the roof where ever they feel is a good spot even hanging on the twigs lol.
Zorst
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Post by Jade on Feb 1, 2015 11:34:32 GMT
I am hoping that when the weather is a bit warmer maybe he will go and burrow in the coir.
I haven't found him asleep on the walls yet but he sure does love the roof and as for the strawberry house, he rarely leaves it!
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Post by rhianna22 on Feb 5, 2015 19:20:41 GMT
I have the same problem with my snails! They will not go on the coir. They do everything possible to avoid touching it and cleverly move things around the tank to make bridges over the coir. Only once in the 4 months that I've had them have I seen one of them on the coir, and he really hated it, he was producing so much slime!
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Post by Jade on Feb 5, 2015 20:26:41 GMT
It's really strange, I have no idea how to encourage him to explore a little more. If only moss weren't so expensive, I would just fill the tank with that.
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It's good for emergencies, my snails were getting ill from cold so I had to do something quick, but now I do have the temp at a minimum of 25C all the time. I hope to get something that looks nicer at some point though. 
