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Post by morningcoffee on May 3, 2021 9:42:30 GMT
If the soil contains small pieces of rocks, can this be problem for the snails? I took some soil from the same place i took the snails from, and the soil contains small pieces of rocks. Soil in nature contains small pieces of rocks, and snails can survive in the wild... so, having small pieces of rocks in the soil, shouldn't be problem for the snails, right? I cleaned the soil well, but it's impossible to make it absolutely 100% clean. No, very small rocks or pieces of rock shouldn't be an issue. Snails don't eat by swallowing things whole, they use their radula to rasp at things so there's very little chance of them being to ingest a whole stone that's big enough to be harmful.
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Post by morningcoffee on May 3, 2021 9:41:15 GMT
Hello fellow snailsters, It is very hard to get soil without pesticides, fertilisers, wetting agent from garden centres where I am in Australia. Thus, currently I am using coco peat coir that comes in a brick and expands with water. I finally found an insect reptile petshop that sell soil. This soil has no pesticide and fertiliser and the ingredients are: Sphagnum peat Longfibre sphagnum moss Mulched eucalyptus bark Composted bark Charcoal And a small amount of organic compost will this suit for garden snail Helix Aspersa? I am not sure about the charcoal. Thank you. Coir blocks are what I use, it's a good substrate. I'd stick with that personally.
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Post by morningcoffee on May 1, 2021 11:57:22 GMT
Thanks for the reply. Its been 4 days since i catch the snails. In the terrarium, they have water and food (and moist), but i didn't put soil. Everything looks good - they sleep enough, they are active when they don't sleep and eat well... They digest the food, and they don't show any signs of problems. Is it really impossible for snails to live without soil if they are kept as pets and don't live in the wild? Also, i heard that snails can keep the eggs inside themselves until the last moment before the hatch, and when they feel the eggs are about to hatch, they will release the eggs. They do this, in the wild, too, if they decide it's unsafe to leave the eggs alone. Is this true? In this case, is soil still needed for the hatch? Can you explain me how soil helps snails to digest? My snails don't have soil, but they still digest the food im giving to them. Thanks. Yes, they require soil. Keeping them in a bare enclosure without any substrate is unnatural and cruel. Please don't keep the snails if you are not willing to provide them with an appropriate environment. At least just go outside somewhere and scoop up some soil and put it in the tank, as even that would be better than giving them nothing at all. The soil as part of the digestion cycle is thought to be related to requiring natural bacteria from the environment in order to digest their food, this is also why you should not keep snails in an environment that's too clean. It takes longer than 4 days for digestion problems to occur. This is an extract from a paper called "The Life of Achatinidae in London" which discusses the digestion cycle of snails: "When the animal has finished cleaning itself, it extends its head and foot and ambulation commences, the dorsal body waves now being more powerful. Shortly after this a snail may cease ambulation, its head being slowly lowered to the soil and then raised again. The process is repeated a number of times and the soil below the head is ingested, leaving a shallow depression that is wet from the snail's activities - apparently due to secretion that accompanies the dorsal body waves. Ambulation may then recommence, the snail may delicately examine a piece of apple with its anterior tentacles, its down-turned optic tentacles and with its lips. It may now commence to feed, its activity being accompanied by powerful and rapid dorsal body waves that bring a watery secretion from the external surface of the head and cervical region into the feeding area, There is some evidence for suggesting that each snail may have a cycle of feeding activities, viz. the ingestion and communition of food that is then defecated without, or with very little digestion; the ingestion of soil - and some food - followed by digestion and defecation; and, finally a period (?one night) of little intake of food followed by a day when the faecal string consists of material from the digestive gland. There may be a 3-day cycle, that raises problems in the feeding of these animals. It also raises the question of the animal's possible need for regular ingestion of soil flora and fauna together with rotting food material. In one useful but hazardous experiment a vivarium was provided with double-sterilized soil, all surface soil and faeces were removed 3 times weekly and the loss replaces with more sterilized soil. The first sign of trouble was a cessation of oviposition in a formerly actively reproducing population of mixed ages. In 3 weeks the snails then ceased to feed and became lethargic and, in the following month, 13 out of 24 snails died. At this point the experiment was terminated!"
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Post by morningcoffee on May 1, 2021 8:21:30 GMT
When land snails lay eggs, is it necessary to have soil, so they can bury the eggs inside the soil? Usually, snails firstly put the eggs inside slime, and then put the eggs inside the soil. But is soil necessary for snails to lay eggs in? Can't snails just put the eggs inside the slime and then to put the eggs-containing-slime on the surface of the bottom of the terrarium or on the surface of the tree that is inside the terrarium? Or if the snail thinks it's unsafe to leave the eggs alone, is it possible for the snail to keep the eggs inside its body, until the eggs are ready to hatch, and the snails will lay the eggs in the last moment before the hatch? If soil is necessary, can it be sand? Thanks. Snails need a suitable substrate to lay eggs in. In most cases, soil or a similar soil-type substrate is the best one, but damp sphagnum moss can also work. Sand is not suitable for egg laying for most species. The soil helps to keep the eggs moist and give them the best conditions for hatching, and protects against damage or predators - including after the eggs hatch, when the baby snails will spend some time eating and digesting their eggshells under the soil before emerging. Snails must also have a soil-type substrate in captivity because they need to ingest it as part of their digestive cycle. If they don't have soil or a soil-type substrate they can ingest, they will eventually stop eating and die. Sand is not suitable as a land snail substrate due to this. They must always have soil or a similar substrate (like coir) inside their terrarium at all times.
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Post by morningcoffee on Apr 28, 2021 9:39:09 GMT
Hi Emily, thanks for the new pictures. The navel (= umbilicus) should be closed (or nearly closed), I suppose. Unfortunately we don't see it. I'm quite sure now that it is Massylaea vermiculata (formerly Eobania vermiculata; a rather variable species), the so called "chocolate-band snail". The mouth lip is folded back quite far and the shell pattern is rather typical. Massylaea vermiculata has a large distribution area in the Mediterranean area and is quite common.
Have a nice time: wolf
Eobania vermiculata was going to be my guess as well. Didn't realise they were now called Massylaea vermiculata either - thanks, as ever, for your knowledge wolf
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Post by morningcoffee on Apr 26, 2021 7:52:38 GMT
Hello, The substrate is about 3cm deep for the young snail’s tank. The other tank for older snails is the same 3cm deep and they have no issue in depositing eggs at the bottom. It’s the first time she lays so hopefully with practice she can do it. Btw, I saw the other young snail in the same tank was checking out the eggs on the substrate and possibly munch on it, do snail eat other snail eggs when available to them? I am not breeding so will scoop the eggs out. I'd maybe make the substrate slightly deeper personally just to give a bit more space for egg laying, maybe add an extra cm or so, but it's up to you. It probably is just inexperience though. Some snails will eat eggs, it's not something I've seen aspersa do before but you never know. Some species are really keen on eating each other's eggs, at least in captivity.
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Post by morningcoffee on Apr 25, 2021 14:35:21 GMT
Hi, I have young Helix aspersa possibly 5 months old that started to mate few weeks ago. It has been burrowing for 2 days and today I found few eggs on the surface but she is still inside digging and possibly keep going. Is this normal for first time laying eggs and possibly not experienced yet? Or is it because the substrate need to be deeper? As comparison, my older helix aspersa usually dig till it hit the bottom the. deposit their eggs in clumps. Once finished it will close the tunnel and go away. Hope to hear from you. Thanks Could be due to lack of experience, or maybe the snail accidentally dug some of the eggs up while turning the soil over. How deep is the substrate?
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Post by morningcoffee on Apr 21, 2021 21:32:43 GMT
Hi all, I am new to this forum. I have an elderly garden snail Helix Aspersa whose shell has started to peel off and turns white. I applied some organic coconut oil and when it dried it left like whitish residue. I tried to remove it with water and cottonbud but the oil settles in the crevices. Any idea how to remove it? Thanks heaps in advance. I am new to owning snails. Hi and welcome. Coconut oil liquifies with gentle warmth, you may be able to warm it with a finger or your palm where the oil has solidified, and then wipe it away. The shell turning white is usually due to the periostracum layer coming off or wearing away, which is the outer part of the shell, and it can't be "fixed" with oil or anything else. It's very common in snails as they age.
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Post by morningcoffee on Apr 20, 2021 9:56:59 GMT
Thanks so much. Is there any way you can direct people from Texas me way? Hopefully if anyone is in Texas with snails available, they'll see this thread, but it might be helpful to sign up for a forum account rather than as a guest so that people can send you private messages here. With a user account, you can change your settings to alert you via email when someone sends you a PM.
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Post by morningcoffee on Apr 19, 2021 15:55:13 GMT
Uh oh! The bugs have returned! Using a phone with a better camera than my own I've managed to get them on video. They are absolutely miniscule, as my snail's shell is only 5cm in length. What can I do to get rid of them?! imgur.com/a/39FNwHIThese look like harmless bugs that are often found in soil (they often appear in houseplant soil too). They're unlikely to bother your snails. If significant numbers of them are building up, you can change most of the substrate and clean the tank, however they're very likely to return over time.
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Post by morningcoffee on Apr 19, 2021 15:53:26 GMT
I stated I am from Texas though? I'm new to this forum I'm not sure what you may be addressing. Hi Savannah, Buying a land snail from within Texas is fine, if you're able to find someone selling them. You may already be aware, but just FYI shipping live snails / slugs over state lines is illegal, so you wouldn't be able to obtain snails from out of state - see here for more info: petsnails.proboards.com/thread/16277/shipping-snails-slugs-legal-info
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Post by morningcoffee on Apr 15, 2021 7:59:15 GMT
Last night when i got back from bird watching and about to feed my snails. I found one of them pooping but it's look ing weird. I'm so worried that she's going to be sick or something. Can you help? Should I be worried? Looks like it should be fine. Snail poop can look different depending on what they've been eating, what part of their digestion cycle they're in etc. I can't see anything in the pic to be concerned about. Is the snail eating and behaving normally?
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Post by morningcoffee on Apr 8, 2021 9:24:37 GMT
The round-shelled snails in your pics are Helix aspersa / Cornu aspersum, not Helix pomatia.
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Post by morningcoffee on Mar 25, 2021 9:07:22 GMT
I have recently noticed my snail tank has mites, they’re extremely small and round. Very slow, they barely move. I haven’t noticed any on the snails but they seem to like their poop! From what I can tell they are food mites (probably from a snail mix). I’ve heard food mites are not harmful to snails (although I would like to get rid of them) Does anyone have any experience with this type of mite? Thanks If they aren't on the snails then they shouldn't be harmful mites. It's quite difficult to completely get rid of them in the long term, doing a tank clean (while keeping some of the old substrate) can reduce their numbers for a while. If you want to completely eradicate them, you could try adding predatory mites to the tank (Hypoaspis miles) which you can buy online from garden supply stores etc. However, the predatory mites die out once they've eaten all the mites/bugs in the tank, so it's unlikely to keep them away permanently. Tiny mites, springtails etc seem to always be able to find their way into snail tanks sooner or later. If they're not bothering your snails at all then it may be better just to do some mild cleaning to reduce their numbers every now and then and learn to live with them if possible.
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Post by morningcoffee on Mar 19, 2021 9:43:13 GMT
I have 9 garden snails (2 wild caught in October of last year and 7 of their babies born in December that I decided to keep) in a 10gal tank, and for the last few weeks it seems to me that most of them estivate quite a lot? I would say despite my research I'm still new to snail care since I only got these babies last year and I tend to get a little paranoid, so I'm unsure how much estivation is considered "normal." Whenever I (gently) pop them off the sides of the walls or they happen to fall off or something like that, they wake up just fine and snail around for a bit. They also seem to get active for a day or two whenever I do the monthly soil change + tank cleaning. This sounds like they may just be normally sleeping/resting a lot rather than repeatedly aestivating.
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Post by morningcoffee on Mar 19, 2021 9:39:42 GMT
Hi, I've had my garden snail for a few months and he's suddenly stopped eating calcium? I've tried crushing it up smaller, sprinkling it into his enclosure, even dusting his food with it but he refuses to touch it, and I've noticed he's been rasping at his shell. Should I be worried? He used to eat it before, but after the winter he's lost interest. The calcium type is cuttlefish bones. Help appreciated! Thanks! They often don't like to eat cuttle if it gets damp or wet. Make sure that it's dry and clean. You could try swapping to something like limestone flour but chances are that he's regulating his own calcium intake and if he's not eating it, it's because he doesn't need to at the moment. Don't ever add calcium to the snail's food as this can cause an excess intake which can lead to serious health problems or even death. Rasping at the shell is most likely to clean it or wear down rough areas and unlikely to be related to calcium intake.
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Post by morningcoffee on Mar 15, 2021 10:57:00 GMT
His shell has been normal for awhile but now half of his shell is really light in color and the other half is the normal dark color. Is this normal? It may be something like normal aging of the shell. If you could post a photo that would help identify if there is a problem, you can upload a pic to a site like Imgur or Imgbb and copy/paste the link here.
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Post by morningcoffee on Mar 11, 2021 9:28:33 GMT
I just upgraded to a 32 gallon tank, and I think I have plenty of room now to get a few new friends! I currently have 5 garden snails, and while I'll definitely be getting more snails, I'd also like to get a few other critters for my tank. I was thinking plain old worms, would that be good? Or slugs? I just haven't been able to find many people who have experience with other bugs in their snail tank other than pill bugs. I use coco coir and sphagnum moss with a base of vermiculite and rocks to prevent mold. I have moss, wood, and rocks as decorations. The tank can get a little cold just because it's hard where I live to keep it warm, but it rarely dips below 60 degrees fahrenheit. It's pretty wet in there, and I feed them the normal snail-safe fruits and veg. So is this safe for any other little bugs? Some people have reported worms in their tank actually entering the breathing hole of their snails and becoming stuck inside the mantle cavity, leading to the death of their snails. I'm not sure how common this is, but something to consider. Some people keep woodlice and/or springtails in their tanks as a "cleanup crew". I would personally not include any creature that can bite, sting, or secrete harmful/irritant liquid (millipedes, centipedes, spiders etc), as the snails don't have a big area to escape from them inside a tank. Also your tank should not be kept wet, as the majority of land snails don't like wet, soggy conditions. The tank should be moist/damp but no more than that. Try picking up a handful of substrate and squeezing it firmly - if more than a drop or two of water comes out, it's too wet. Be careful with rocks as decoration in the tank also as these can easily cause a serious shell break if a snail falls onto one.
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Post by morningcoffee on Mar 10, 2021 18:05:07 GMT
Plastic mesh would be safe if it was securely taped down to be secure, but it'd probably provide too much ventilation to keep decent humidity in the tank. Something more solid with fewer airholes would be better. I've seen others with mesh lids use plastic wrap with a few holes poked in it to keep the humidity, so I might try that as well! Yep that would work! I used to use clear bin bags / recycling bags to cover a metal mesh roof on an Exo Terra tank to keep humidity higher and prevent it from rusting, never had a problem with that.
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Post by morningcoffee on Mar 10, 2021 9:43:07 GMT
Hi! I have 5 garden snails, and I'm switching them from an 8-gallon tank to a 32-gallon tank tomorrow. The only issue is that this new tank I have is a fish tank, and didn't come with a lid (it's second hand). What would you guys recommend I use as a lid? I was planning on going to home depot tomorrow and finding some fine plastic mesh, is that safe for them? Plastic mesh would be safe if it was securely taped down to be secure, but it'd probably provide too much ventilation to keep decent humidity in the tank. Something more solid with fewer airholes would be better.
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Post by morningcoffee on Mar 9, 2021 10:52:07 GMT
Hello. I am thinking of buying a snail as a pet. I have had many garden snails when I was younger and I would love to purchase or adopt a giant african land snail as a companion. The problem is that I am studying abroad, and I would be away from home and from my pet for holidays such as christmas or easter, which would be about a month or a month and a half, maybe two months tops in the summer. I have looked into snails because I know that they can be alone for some time, but i would never put my pet in danger. Does anyone know for how long can Snails be left unsupervised, or if it’s not possible, if it is easy to travel with them? If i could carry it with me in a plane, the flight home is only two hours, so if i bought it a terrarium for home that could be a solution too. Thank you very much! I would personally be just about OK with leaving a garden snail or one that had come in from the wild for that long (although you'd have to prepare carefully) but I wouldn't leave a GALS for that long due to them having more specific temperature and humidity requirements. If you could get someone to come in and look after it while you were away, that might be OK. I have travelled in a car with GALS (fairly short distances of about 40 mins drive) but never on a plane - the temp/humidity changes in the environment may not be good for them. You would have to check very carefully what the customs/import restrictions were for both countries to be certain it would be allowed to go in and out without being confiscated, as well as ensuring that the plane operator company would allow the snail on board.
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Post by morningcoffee on Mar 9, 2021 10:47:57 GMT
Hello, does anyone know if gold child ivy is poisonous? (Hedera helix) I’m pretty sure it’s the same as English ivy but I was just gonna ask lol. It is toxic to ingest, but there's masses of it in my garden where many wild snails live and I've never seen them eat it or have any issues with living by it.
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Post by morningcoffee on Mar 7, 2021 22:36:24 GMT
Sorry for your loss. Unfortunately this is why heatmats should never be put underneath a snail tank, only on the side.
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Post by morningcoffee on Mar 5, 2021 9:56:10 GMT
I’m planning on taking in some tree snails, as they are very plentiful in my area. Has anyone ever kept or raised these unique invertebrates? Any help or advice would be very appreciated! Thanks in advance! I know they can be quite difficult to keep in captivity due to often having an unusual diet - if you know the species of snail that would be helpful. Liguus may be able to offer some advice?
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Post by morningcoffee on Mar 3, 2021 15:31:58 GMT
Heya! I recently got an achatina fulica called Quinoa and need some help on what to feed them. I've been giving them fresh Collard greens, cabagge, lettuce, carrot, cucumber, apple and soaked spirulina flakes. I also tried bananana, mushroom and brocolli but they didn't eat it, I'm worried that this diet might not be providing enough nutrients to Quinoa, so what else could I try to feed them? Also, how often should I offer them Spirulina flakes? I give it every 1-2 days and they always eat it all. *I'm not sure about Quinoa's age, but their shell is 7 cm long so I guess they're an adult already*
I would say spirulina no more than once a week. The current diet sounds good but you can also try most other leafy greens, veg and fruits to see what they like - try other varieties of lettuce and greens, sweet potato, corn, butternut squash, courgette, tomato, radish etc. Try to stay away from onions or anything in the onion family as some people believe these may be toxic to snails. Snails also sometimes enjoy other things as an occasional treat such as pumpkin seeds, nuts (unsalted and unflavoured only), soaked cat/dog kibble, soaked fish flakes, or even a small piece of soaked brown bread.
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