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Post by kristensaurr on Mar 31, 2010 23:55:17 GMT
Hi everyone. Recently I've adopted a snail I found in the backyard, along with a slug I found under a rock It's safe to say I don't know much about snails. However, I've been doing some research and I currently have them housed in a moist environment with lettuce and lots of places to hide. I've read up on calcium and plan on buying some cuttlefish shells as soon as I can, though for now I've been crushing up eggshells and sprinkling it on their food to make sure they get some. I'm hoping to find my camera so I can take pictures and find out what species of snail/slug I have, but for now I have some pretty general questions. 1) Can the snail and the slug be housed together? They're about the same size and the slug doesn't move much, he loves the hide I've made him. They are both only 2-3 inches when fully extended. 2) I've been scared to try anything other than lettuce. I have some things growing in my garden such as: Squash, Sweet peas, various herbs, broccoli, tomato, bell pepper, strawberry. Is taking the leaves from these plants okay? How about the fruit/vegetable itself? 3) The substrate is actually substrate I stole from my friend It's for tarantulas [of course the substrate I put with my snail/slug is fresh] but it sticks to my snail and slug. My snail doesn't seem to like it too much and he climbs up the wall and hangs from the ceiling of the enclosure [that I make sure to wet daily so he can get as much water as possible, he actually just really likes being upside down ]. Naturally, when they move the substrate slides right off and it does not make moving for them difficult. I'm just wondering what a good substrate choice would be. 4) My parents are divorced and I switch back and forth every week. Will it be okay if I leave them at my dad's house if I clean up snail trails/put in fresh food before I leave? Or should I just take them with me back and forth? [That wouldn't be a problem, it would just be easier to leave them here or there.] Other than that, just any general advice would be very nice. Thank yoooou~
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Post by kristensaurr on Apr 1, 2010 1:21:25 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Apr 1, 2010 6:49:29 GMT
It says we have to sign in and i have aaccount just i dont go on it
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Post by Deleted on Apr 1, 2010 6:56:19 GMT
Welcome to the Forum 1)Well i dont think they should as in previous posts i have made the slug dosent have a shell to hide in from the heat but you could have some shady places fr it. 2)They can have Pea's sweetcorn sweet potto squash ad strawberries, If you go on my site which is in my Signature there is a food section. 3)Is it soil or spaghnum moss? If it is soil ke sure you freeze it for about 3-6 hours o kill any pests. 4)It depends on how expensive the tank was like my Pomatias tank was £59.99 and it is glass so i dont take that anywhere, Where as my grove snails tank is plastic and was only £15.00 so i do transport it. If it is quite heavy leave it at your dads, if it is not expensive and can be lifted easily then you could transpot it. Do you live in England? if so what colour shell does your snail have any patterns?
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Post by Bumblebee on Apr 1, 2010 9:40:26 GMT
I can't say whether its good or bad to keep snails and slugs together, think a lot depends on the temperature, so that it doesn't get too cold/warm for either of them. When it comes to food you can feed them pretty much any vegetable/fruit, just avoid normal iceberg lettuce since it doesn't contain much nutrition at all, also cucumber is poor with nutrition and contain mainly water. Sure, you can still feed it to them, but maybe as a treat then . And what I recently read, you should also avoid avocado www.yorkblog.com/pets/2008/11/avocado-can-poison-your-pet.htmlWhen it comes to substrate, the best substrate would be moss, peat or coir. Im using peat for my snails, and it doesn't get sticky at all on the snails, it holds moisture good and they can easily dig in it. Just make sure the substrate you chose doesn't contain pesticides or fertilization-stuff. I'm not sure whether you actually need to 'treat' any of the items you put in the tank. Ive never done any treatment to the peat im using in my tank, and this summer I will have had my snails for a year I've read about this topic on a swedish reptile forum (think it is the most wellknown/biggest forum in sweden/scandinavia for reptiles, and with alot of people that got several of years with experience/knowledge), and there I have read that no treatment is actually needed of freshly picked branches, moss etc, other than perhaps just rinsing it in water to remove possible dirt, since they say that it wont carry any pests that can attack the reptiles.. And you could take the snails with you, the best would be then to have to tanks, one at your mothers place, and one at your dad's, and that maybe your parents could help heat/moisture it up a bit the day before you arrive so that the climate in the tank is more suitable for the snails. I would only leave my snails without a keeper for a week as a last option if there is no other way, and then make sure they have alot of food that doesn't spoil quickly, moist the tank as much as possible and add some more water bowls in case it would get a bit drier in the tank. Since leaving food and poop in the tank for a longer time can attract various pests that can bother the snails.
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coyote
Archachatina papyracea
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Post by coyote on Apr 1, 2010 19:51:44 GMT
Hi kristensaurr, welcome to the forum. Congrats on your new slimy pets! If you found the slug and snail in roughly the same area, you can probably house them together successfully because they would have similar temperature and humidity needs. You don't mention exactly where you are, so it's hard for us to narrow down which species you might have found. A pic would help, in addition to which country and which part of that country you are. Personally, I recommend coir (coconut husk fiber) for substrate. Sphagnum moss is another good one. Tarantulas like a more arid habitat than snails, so your current substrate is not optimal for your snail and slug. Snails tends to climb up when they want to feel safe. It's possible your snail is still getting used to his new place, and his habits will change as he settles in. Try offering sweet potato and cucumber in addition to lettuce. You can find more detailed food info here: www.petsnails.co.uk/care/feeding.htmlIf it was my snail and slug, I'd be taking them with me back and forth, just to be on the safe side. The food could go moldy in the meantime, or the snail could have a fall from the top of the tank and crack his shell, etc. I like to keep a close eye on my guys so I can intervene right away if necessary and make things right. Good luck with your guys, and feel free to ask any further questions you might have!
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Post by crossless on Apr 1, 2010 20:59:00 GMT
Welcome. Slugs and snail keeping is only little different with slugs you have to keep terrarium humidity level stable, you can't let terrarium dry out. Slugs don't have shell which could protect them from drying out. Slugs and snail can be kept in same terrarium is they have same ideal temperature and humidity level. Easiest to know that fact is to see if they would live in same ares in geographically when they would live in wild.
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Post by kristensaurr on Apr 1, 2010 23:15:27 GMT
Ayyy, thank you everyone <3 Like I said, my friend gave me her substrate for her tarantulas. She says it is: "Eco Earth coco fiber. It may also be called "jungle bedding" or something. Just look for coconut coir or coconut fiber." I am thankful for suggestions for any other sort of substrate as I plan on going to buy some at the petsmart next to my dentist's office after my next ortho appointment This particular substrate isn't the best at staying moist and I think that's why my new friend's aren't diggin it too much. The snail hangs from the ceiling of the enclosure and the slug hangs from the ceiling of his hide. It's not that the substrate is STICKY. It's just, if I were to pick them up their little butts are covered in dirt :F I think that would happen with any kind of substrate though so I'm not particularly worried. Yes, the snail AND the slug were found in the same backyard, in the same patch of grass, on/under the same rock. I've housed them together and though they don't seem to chat much They don't seem to mind each other at all. I live in california [the united states] and I found them outside during the cold night. Now I just keep them in my room at about...room temperature...and they seem to be doing just fine. The tank is just a cheepo plastic thing that was previously used for energy bars. Nothing fancy. It's circular shaped and about a foot in diameter and maybe 4 or 5 inches deep. I've filled it about 2 inches with the substrate and they definitely don't need more room XD I did try sweet pea leaves, because I found a different snail on said leaves at my mom's house They seem to prefer it over the celery for sure. You guys are pretty awesome...just sayin :] I'll be able to get pictures of them today, as I am going to my mom's house :] I'll be leaving for san fransisco in the morning [from sacramento] and won't be back until Sunday. I hope they'll be okay :[
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Post by kristensaurr on Apr 2, 2010 2:59:45 GMT
This is the snail :] Slug :] The setup, though the thing the slug is in is normally flipped over so that it's dark :] The thing with the rocks is a little save I've made and that plastic thing has water in it.
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Post by crossless on Apr 2, 2010 4:26:56 GMT
Lovely looking slimers you have. If you leave loads of food and give good spray before you leave they will be fine till you get back. So few days with loads food and humidity they will be ok for weekend. I'm sometimes really lazy snail keeper and on some weekends I don't change food and spray them if I'm busy so I just make sure they have that time enough food and humidity till weekend is over and I can take care of them again. I rarely leave my snails alone and they are fine about 4 to 7days depending is it summer or winter and have to spray little bit more terrarium than usually so humidity stays in terrarium. In summer I don't leave them alone for week just in case terrarium would dry out usually summer I freak out if it's been days since I have seen my slimers. I'm too addict to them too, don't like to be without them too long. <3
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coyote
Archachatina papyracea
Cochleas ego amo
Posts: 2,955
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Post by coyote on Apr 3, 2010 5:16:59 GMT
Kristensaurr, can you moisten the substrate at all, by soaking it for a while? Will it hold moisture? If so, it may be acceptable for your tank as long as you pre-soak it before using. Otherwise I'd recommend using the coir block that can be soaked to rehydrate it. Having a slug makes retaining moisture more critical than if you just had a snail. I see from your pics that you have a few air holes in the lid, which is good , and the plastic lid will help retain humidity. You may want to think about eventually getting a slightly bigger tank, such as a Critter Keeper. They come in various sizes and have snap-on lids. The greater height will accommodate the snail's instinct to climb up, and you will have room to put a couple of plants in there and a stick to climb on, plus little hiding places.
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Post by crossless on Apr 3, 2010 5:25:37 GMT
Faunariums will dry out fast if you don't cover some of the air holes.
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Post by snailybailey on Apr 11, 2010 23:19:17 GMT
Hi, I think everyone has given you some good advice so I wont add any more, but just wanted to welcome you to the forum and hope you get all the advice you need!
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