My snails :)

[eibhlin]

I'm pretty new to owning snails. They are still in a temporarily container since i didn't really planned on keeping snails.
One of them has a crooked shell as you can see. He is recovering from a stepping incident. He replaced lost parts but the shell will always stay a bit deformed i think. He is doing fine tho, he eats, slides around and is able to withdraw in his shell if he wants.

Here they are eating their meal. I did some sepia powder on it so they get some calcium in since they don't nibble the bone yet.

[kookosmeloni]

Don't add extra calcium in their food unless they're sick or have a damaged shell and for some reason can't get enough calcium to repair it themselves. They can get too much of that stuff in their system and that's never good.
I'd say just put some powder somewhere else in the tank, since most of the smaller snails won't eat the cuttlefish bone. They like the powdered or more pasty calcium a lot more. It'll make a mess but don't worry about that.

[eibhlin]

Ah ok, didn't know that. I read on a site to do some on the food if they don't eat it by them selves since they are caught in the wild. I rinsed it off from the other food, just a bit on the cucumber they ate. One of them does have a damaged shell so i guess he could use it. I hope it wont kill them if they ate a bit more now?

[eibhlin]

After rinsing all the sepia from the food, the big snail slided over to the sepia and is now actually eating from it...

[kookosmeloni]

I don't think it will kill them since it was only a little extra calcium. Just remember to not do that in future.

[eibhlin]

Ill sprinkle it on the floor now They look fine, it's not like they are a huge pile of it.

[eibhlin]

I got them a prettier and better place to live. Decorated it with plants that were on the non toxic list and wood that is safe.
I covered the cave with dirt so it's also a soft spot + they can crawl over it now.

[kookosmeloni]

That looks amazing.

[eibhlin]

I have been digging trough the archives. Didn't find an answer. I was wondering how to maintain the tank? I swipe off the poo i see on the sides or lit. It's not always easy to see it on the soil i think? How often do you guys change the soil completely?

[kookosmeloni]

I change it when it gets smelly or if I get mold or mites, which is really unusual. Gnats used to be a problem but not anymore.
Just pick up their poop and any leftover food and you should be golden.

[eibhlin]

Look at those colors! Love it!

[kookosmeloni]

Man, I wish I had the patience and skill to decorate my tanks that pretty.

[lindz]

That tanks is fantastic and very beautiful!! What kind of plants did you decorate it with? I've been thinking about upgrading my larger snail tank, as I have like ten in there now. I change the soil weekly because the ten adult snails eat and poop something crazy. I can't keep up with it! Mine have a Schleich Elephant figurine that they like to cling to. But I like the lid on that tank better. Did you order the tank online? I think I've seen something similar on Amazon.

Really fantastic little tank!! Watch out for your Cepaea nemoralis - I began with 6 of them and then spring came and I found a few more on the sidewalks, and now I have like 40 (eggs hatching currently)! They make babies like crazy during the warm months

[eibhlin]

Thanks I got the tank at a local garden/pet center. It's wasn't very expensive. This one has a more closed lit compared to the exo terra ones. It's also a strong plastic and not bendable. I used some of the plants that were on the safe list on this site. The pink one is a polka dot plant, the other a spiderplant and the 3rd is some type of fern. They don't eat the plants as far as i've seen. They do like to climb on them, sleep beneath them or on them (depends on how large the snail is).

I try not to look for other snails anymore haha. I always see an other pretty one but 4 is enough atm. The weird thing is that my garden is FULL of snales. Like really FULL. I put a piece of watermelon outside earlier this week. My snails didn't ate the whole thing. And i swear there were like 20-30 snails on my porch. Somehow when i walk down the street, i don't see snails anywhere except for my garden. But a lot of people over here poison snales Most people think it's stupid for me to keep those "worthless animals" in my house. They only look at them as pests to kill and that eat out there garden.

They might get a bigger thank in the future tho. A friend of mine builds terrariums and i asked him if he could make one that isn't so pricey as the shop ones.

[eibhlin]

One of my snails is finally eating some of the sepia!

[eibhlin]

I just found 1 egg in my tank. Just one... There is a snail that dug into the soil. He is now like half buried and i expect this one to be the egg legging one. Can u just put the eggs outside? What place is best to put them? I was thinking about a forest maybe? I'm afraid if i let them hatch i will get attached to the tiny snails and end up with dozens of them.

[eibhlin]

Found the rest of the eggs. Picked up a snail that has been at the same spot all day. Seems this one is laying eggs. I hope i didn't disturb it. The eggs are all in a flower pot, lucky me. I don't have to dig tomorrow I think the snail mush have mated while outdoors because i don't have them that long to have eggs already.

[finch]

My wild caught snails laid eggs too! I put them outside under a brick that has holes in it and kept 12 to hatch. Good luck with them!