Food questions

[blackscorpion]

Hi there,

While surfing around to find more information on snails, I came across this webshop which sells snails, food for snails and other things. I am interested in buying their snail sticks, but there are also other items you can buy and I was wondering if anybody can tell me if any of the below are absolutely necessary for snails, just a handy extra or if it can be dismissed. Just a note, I have just regular garden snails (Cornu aspersum, Cepaea nemoralis and an unidentified Clausilia-like snail). The Cepaea and Clausilia are very new, but the Cornu aspersum has been living with me for 3 to 4 months on different kinds of vegetables and fruits. So if anyone can help me with the below, I want to treat my snails well, but don't want to buy unnecessary things...

SNAILSTICKS
The ingredients are: calcium, corn starch, wheat bran, fruit, vegetables, herbs and protein.

PROTEIN MIX
Basically dried insects.

SNAIL FRUTTI
No idea what this is...

DRIED GAMMARUS
The name says it itself.

HEMP AND/OR HEMP FLOUR
It says this is against (lung)worms.

BEE POLLEN
It says this is for a stronger immune system and against infections.

Thanks,
Blacky

[dinowcookie]

Snail sticks I'd say aren't a great idea. I've read someone mention that mixing calcium through food isn't good because you don't want to make the snails eat extra calcium unknowingly. I also know that you can feed your snails boiled egg white to give them protein so it's not necessary to buy something for that specifically. But Aspersa's en Nemoralis don't seem to need it per say. 
Also I heard of people feeding snails mixtures of hemp seed because they have a lot of nutritious value so I think the hemp flour is okay too

Just make sure that everything you feed them is completely wet/soaked. With fish flakes and other foods that absorb water (like bread crumbs and such) it's risky because the food may absorb water inside the snail, become bigger and harm the snail (a bit like if you would eat a sponge :S).

As for "absolutely necessary" I don't think any of these are.

If you feed them veggies, fruits and a source of calcium (crushed egg shell or cuttlefish bone) they should have all they need
Be careful to be varied though. Lettuce and cucumber are loved by snails but not very nutritious, so also give them other foods regularly ^_^ 

This thread has a list of what's safe to feed your snails: petsnails.proboards.com/thread/9416/feed-snails  

[blackscorpion]

Thank you!

I bought some dried gammarus today and moistened some together with fish food flakes, curious if they are going to eat it. I did not know you had to let fish flakes absorb water! I always gave it dry on top of a piece of cucumber or courgette. Always a very little bit though. From now on I will let them soak!

As for the food in general, not going to buy the sticks then, they always have cuttlefish bone (sepia) and I see them sit on it once in a while, so that will definately be enough calcium. Plumeau indeed luuuurves cucumber, salad and courgette. Other foods he mostly ignores. But going to try to give some other things withou addid cucumbe or such. I gave them some greengage (?) today and strawberry besides the gammarus. Curious if they will eat it...

Thanks for the advise!!

[kaidashade]

I know someone who feeds their GALS gammarus and apparently they love them. I've had similar success with dried daphnia,which are a bit smaller and more bitesized for them.