A ''mouldy'' smell? :o

[Bumblebee]

I've noticed this with Bacardi and Whiskey,my two ''elder'' fulicas that I have, when I give them a shower, I use a sponge to clean their shell, and I can notice this well... mouldy smell coming from them, you know, the same sort of smell that you get if soft bread is getting bad? They smells like that a bit
Does anyone know how that is?
I also notice this same smell when I clean their waterdish.

I have also noticed some really tiny black dots on a few places on their shells, its not much and they dosn't move.
And I have tried to use the rough part of the sponge and carefully tried to remove those dots, but it dosn't help

They both are eating, pooping and laying eggs like they should, so it dosn't seem to affect them, I'm just curious about what it might be, or at least if others got the same with their snails

I did try and make a picture of the dots, but my camera is too bad to be able to see them =/

[crossless]

Mouldy smell comes from lack of ventilation. I usually open terrariums few times a day so air can change if there's no way that you can have more airholes in terrarium. That's better than nothing to make air change.

[girlnumbertwo]

When I kept my snails in their smaller tank I used to keep the lid open as they wouldn't climb out, when I moved them into their larger tank I kept the lid on and noticed an earthy smell begin to appear.
Maybe try opening your tank lid for longer whilst the snails are still inside?

[aerliss]

just a question; it's not the sponge, is it?

[coyote]

I too was going to ask if it was the sponge.

And I too will say I agree with the advice to provide more ventilation. That will cut down on the chance of mold forming in the tank. It can get tricky to balance the need for fresh air and the need for high humidity.

[Bumblebee]

I have smelled on the sponge and it dosnt smell anything, i first did suspect it as well
And its just so odd since I dont got any mould or smell in the tank itself =/
And that it is just Whiskey and Bacardi that smells too, not the other that live in there as well... =/

But ill try and see if more ventilation will work

[coyote]

Is the sponge damp or wet when you are smelling it? If it is dry, it probably won't smell moldy even if it is (unless it's got a heavy infestation).

[aerliss]

I guess it COULD be mould on the shells, but you should be able to wash it off.

Orange oil is a well known treatment for mildew in the house. I know they're not supposed to eat citrus fruits, but would adding a drop or two of orange oil to your cloth when cleaning their shells be okay?

Oh, maybe just giving them a polish with a seed oil after their baths? I use flax (linseed) oil on mine.

[Bumblebee]

No, the sponge have been wet when I been smelling on it.

And ill try that orange oil thing =) And citrus fruits (maybe not lemons tho lol) are ok to feed snails, just in very small amounts , so dont think a few drops of orange will hurt them ^^