Should I be Worried?

[prowljazz]

Prowl, Jazz and Snailburt have Buried Themselves in the Compost Again....
This Seems to be a Thing with Them.... But when Rooted out They are Quite happy to Play...

Also I CAN'T Get Cuttlefish at the Moment.... All the Pet Shops have Shut Here and I don't Drive....
What Else can I use???

Thanks Guys

[copigeon]

Snails do bury themselves, sometimes for long periods.
You can purchase cuttlebone online - there are alternatives but most are subpar or less likely to be obtained. Unless you have access to soft limestone rock.

[prowljazz]

Thanks copigeon.... Nother Question Though, is it OK to keep waking Them up?

Have just ordered some Cuttlebone from Amazon.... Never thought about doing it online ***Slaps Head***

[foghog]

calcium is like one of the most common resources on the planet.....in england you have the island of wight and the cliffs of dover that are made of it......natural chalk is calcium carbonate. or you can probably go to a local stone supplier, that sells paving stones/etc and ask if they have any scrap laying around, they'll probably give it to you for free.
calcium carbonate is under different names as well argonite (Which I might add is what the cuttlebone is made out of), ,vatorite or calcite for instance are different forms of it. In Michigan we just happen to have the worlds largest limestone quarry.
The way snails get the calcium is they excrete a mild acid which dissolves it and they absorb it if I am to understand properly.

I'll also add eggshells contain the same calcium content as cuttlebone even. I'm not sure the problems with putting eggshells into a coffee grinder, turning it to powder and sprinkling it various places in light quantities for snails though. but don't see a problem, really. Does anyone else?

[foghog]

oh I found this also, no doubt for water snails...but I'd think it'd be good for land snails also no? I wanna see my smails sliding across jello for some reason.....nom nom nom....

Calcium Blocks for Picky Snails
Another gelatin/calcium recipe.

Ingredients:
1 tsp unflavored gelatin
5-10 calcium pills, crushed (Or other clacium source.)
1 tbsp honey
(optional) other vitamins, low-sodium seaweed powder, etc

-Dump gelatin into a small bowl. Boil 1 cup of water, and use as little of it as possible to dissolve the gelatin ( I used 3 tablespoons or so).

-Let it cool for a few minutes, then mix in the honey, calcium and optional ingredients. This step is kind of tricky- you want a thick paste, but without any air bubbles in it. Try kneading it instead of stirring.

-Flatten into a circle about ¼ of an inch thick. Put it on a sheet of waxed paper, and put it in refrigerator for a few hours. Once it is set, slice into thin chunks and place the chunks (not touching one another) onto a piece of waxed paper.

-Put them into a warm, dry room. If you have a fan handy, you might as well point it at them (if not, don’t worry about it). Leave overnight. By the next morning, they should be completely dry. When these blocks are done, they’re hard as a rock, and sink like one too. You could probably use a dehydrator, if you have one, but I found that they dried very quickly without one.

Tips:
-Don’t make these when it’s humid out. They won’t dry.

-Cutting it into small chunks is vital. If you don’t, it either won’t dry at all, or it’ll dry into an unbreakable shell of calcium with a gooey center.

-I chose to use honey in this recipe because the snails seem to love anything sugary (thus attracting a picky, injured snail), and honey has been shown to have antibacterial properties, so I figured that might help to postpone the decomposition process while they’re drying out. Other sweeteners or fruit purees would probably work, though.

[copigeon]

Other sources of calcium are available but not always accessible and have their cons. Stick with cuttlebone, its cheap, light and clean.
Snails are for the most part nocturnal in nature, if you let them establish their own natural pattern of activity you'll tend to see them about in the evenings. Extremes of temperature, humidity or lack there of, or a lack of food will cause lengthy periods of non activity.
Occasional "digging up" wont cause any issues, but I cant see a benefit of messing them about every day? Depends on how often you're disturbing them.

[prowljazz]

Thanks Guys....

And from Shut I mean No Pet Shops here at all now...... Which SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OK I'll Quit waking Them up in the Day, I'll get Them out just before I go to bed..... Does that sound Better Idea?