Edible plants in terrarium?

[pinkunicorn]

Pardon me if there's a topic for this already, but I couldn't find anything with the search function...

Anyway, I am planning a bigger and better box for my current snailies and want to put some edible plants into it for them to munch on. The occupants will be aspersas, that ate pretty much every plant on our balcony where they were caught, but obviously such a selection isn't possible in a terrarium.

Does anyone have experience with this? What are some tasty and safe plants, that also like a humid and warmish terrarium environment?

As an extra bonus, it would be great if I can buy them from a supermarket or garden shop in Amsterdam (winkwinknudgenudge all Dutchies on the forum!)

[coyote]

I have tried to grow edible plants in my aspersa tank, without any luck. I have a pretty good green thumb with houseplants, but no luck at all with snail tank plants. If the seeds germinated at all, they grew only a little and then keeled over after a while. And the snails mostly ignored them anyway, so I've given up.

[oozyrat]

The only plants I've been able to grow in the terrariums are the plants in bird seed. We also have cockatiels, so every once in a while I plant some and the snails love it. It's very easy to grow because it doesn't need very much water or deep soil, and looks nice too. The snails seem to like the sunflower sprouts best

[Greta]

I was wondering if cress is good for them cuz if it is you could add that

[coyote]

I think cress would be okay.

[axoloa]

cress is good. aspersa love cress, but the problem you have is that they will try to eat the seed if you just throw it over the substrait.. Cress seed gets a thick slippery layer of moisture around them when wet.. If you were going to use cress seed with aspersa then it would be worth siffting your fingers thrugh the substrait to mix the seeds into the top 3cm.. the aspersa wont dig for the seed. Depending on the amount of aspersas you have, you may find that they eat the cress before it even has chance to let its leaves open out of the seed shell.. Cress has a strong aroma that is very apealing to most snail species... hope this helps.

[foghog]

like I mentioned before, grow it outside the habitat, then swap it in. same with cress, same with any other plants. you can grow sprouts really easily in jars that you cover the top with cloth with in a dark closet. just dump a bunch of seed in there, let soak in water for 20-30 minutes and drain out through the cloth top. then everyday put some water from the tap in it and drain it. do that and within days you will have tons of sprouts sprouting. then simply put them in soil, or plant them in your habitat. I put them in square plastic growing containers, about 4x4 by 3 inches deep, and just put them in the habitat with the snails covering the container up with coir. or you can buy a sprout growing station too. you can buy bulk sprout seeds, or use the heritage seeds from your garden after allowing the plants to bolt. mung bean sprouts, broccoli, alfalfa, water cress (which needs a lot of water, so put those in the snails watering dish with sphagnum,etc,etc.

[prowljazz]

Is it the Same for GAL's re Edible plants in Tanks as We are talking about Aspersas?
Thanks

[axoloa]

Hi prowljazz.. This is all the same for Giant African land snails, but as you probabaly know, GAL's can be picky.. it realy depends on what species of GAL your talking about, to what they would or wouldent enjoy having grown in their tank.. Fulica love cress and sunflour shoots, but often larger Fulica wont be to interested in a shoot popping up hear and their around the tank (if their not used to it). Personaly I would grow some shoots and cut them of, give it to your GAL's in a pile first, to make sure they enjoy it. If they do, next step, sift some seed into their substrit

[prowljazz]

Thanks Axoloa....
Cool That Means I can try something New for Prowl and Jazz's Tank.....

[prowljazz]

Does Anybody Have a List of Snail Edible Plant Seeds that I can buy in England for Growing?
Thanks and That Sounded SO Much Better in My Head and then to Mr ScarFace that it does Here... ***SIGH***

[pinkunicorn]

Aha I was wondering where this topic went and then forgot about it...

Thanks for the tips so far. I will try sprouting some beans and seeds, and try cress. I think I saw it at the supermarket, so I will try buying it ready first and see if they like it. I guess lentils are OK as sprouts, too, if beans are?

I tried basil (organically grown in a pot, so no fertilisers or pesticides) and it was yummy, though it didn't last very long and resulted in some falling snails as they tried to climb the stalks. Well, they didn't fall very long and hurt themselves. I've also been using root veggie stems successfully.

[saki114]

tried to plant beans... one inch tall when gobbled by Judy and her big fat appetite..... oh well ;D

[Vi]

I read that, adding earthworms can help with growing plants. They eat old bad stuff, and turn it into fertilizer, helping the plants grow. They also open up the soil and keep it fresh, and helps the plants grow/provide oxygen.

I don't know if this is an adaptation for the snails here, but the garden snails in my backyard eat the vines that grow on my wall, and fallen leaves off of loquat trees(little yellow fruit). My local zoo suggested for big snails(we don't have wild G.a.l.s here, but plenty big ones none-the-less) that you grow plants that grow quickly (we have grape trees/vines that grow pretty quick) in a seperate tank, and move it to the snail's tank, once it's pretty well established.(hard for vines ) That way, if they nibble off of it, it will still grow back, because it's already past the "baby" stage and will just continue to grow.

Not an expert though, just my 2 cents ;D

[ness]

Feb 10, 2012 4:34:38 GMT Vi said:

I read that, adding earthworms can help with growing plants. They eat old bad stuff, and turn it into fertilizer, helping the plants grow. They also open up the soil and keep it fresh, and helps the plants grow/provide oxygen.

I don't know if this is an adaptation for the snails here, but the garden snails in my backyard eat the vines that grow on my wall, and fallen leaves off of loquat trees(little yellow fruit). My local zoo suggested for big snails(we don't have wild G.a.l.s here, but plenty big ones none-the-less) that you grow plants that grow quickly (we have grape trees/vines that grow pretty quick) in a seperate tank, and move it to the snail's tank, once it's pretty well established.(hard for vines ) That way, if they nibble off of it, it will still grow back, because it's already past the "baby" stage and will just continue to grow.

Not an expert though, just my 2 cents ;D

Sounds like a good suggestion

[snailsrule18]

I tried some edible plants in my tank but I had to take them out because they died from lack of sunlight:C.

[vallery]

Try getting shade plants they grow well in a terrarium. Or woodland plants.

[vallery]

My snails are cepaeas and one edible shade plant that grows really well in my terrarium is Hosta. But I don't know if it is edible to all types of snails or not.

[crossless]

I would not put any worms in tank. I had worms once and they stressed my snails really much. Worms didnät stay underground and they tried stay close to snails skin because it's moist and cool. Once worm tried to go inside of snail.

I think most of herbs don't succedin snail tank because they start to rot in high humidity. :/