Banana Slug Help

[saqueas]

Hello!
I am new to this forum and to owning a slug/snail. 
After years of wanting a slug or snail I finally purchased 2 banana slugs online 2 weeks ago. I researched as much as I could about them specifically and set up their tank as was recommended on some forums I found. I sadly did not find this one before my set up, but luckily have now.

First I will explain the issues and then describe my set-up and such so someone can maybe offer advice/help or tell me what I am doing wrong...

Sadly, one of my slugs has already crossed the rainbow bridge after exactly a week. I was very upset even after having it just a week. It was the larger and fatter of the 2 but ever since I opened it from shipping it was very lethargic. It mostly slept and I only noticed it eat one time. One night it expelled a large amount of slime and nestled into some moss. The next morning I noticed it was very leathery and unresponsive.. I was very upset. I contacted the site and they offered to send another. The lady from the site also contacted one of their frequent buyers at a university who also offered me some insight. It seems the university's set up is almost exactly the same as mine. I am just wondering where to find double distilled water and overall wondering if it was anything I did wrong.

My remaining slug is active and has been eating daily. The problem is that it seems like its mantle is receding? There is a small section on its left that seems to be like..missing? It doesn't look injured, just maybe deformed? I have not exposed it to any chemicals or salt, etc. I am washing and cleaning everything with the distilled water.

I looked it up for them specifically and didn't have luck finding info. I noticed it a few days ago and maybe thought it was due to how it was stretched out or I simply hadn't noticed it. Yesterday morning it seemed more pronounced, like the mantle was almost in 2 parts. I was getting worried, but had to go to work. Upon coming home I found it in its usual sleeping spot under some moss and checked on it. The main part of the mantle seemed very large and there was a large growth on the right side. It many have been its slug junk, I just want to confirm, lol. I started to try and research more, which is when I found this forum.. I let it continue resting and checked a few hours later, it was awake and looked fairly normal and was active this morning and seemed fine. Now I am just confused as to what happened and why, and then about the mantle receding, or if this is something normal I am unaware of.


For my set up I have a small glass tank with EcoEarth substrate. I have a heat treated log and some moss to hold moisture. I am misting it 2 times a day with distilled water. I read it was best to use distilled water for everything and to wash their food very week, both of which I have been doing. It has a cuttlebone also. I have cleaned the tank once and used no chemicals. Scrubbed the slime off and rinsed well. I know they are mostly decomposers and like rotting leaves but also read it was risky due to bacteria and such. Depending when it was raised I was unsure if I should add that into its environment. It enjoys apples and spirulina/kelp wafers. It doesn't seem interested in leafy greens or cucumber. I read they love mushrooms but mine doesn't seem to like that either. As far as other fruits, roots, and seeds for them, what do they usually like? I know that is often their diet other than decomposing leaves and scat. If I add leaves I am worried about bacteria and such. My room is usually in the low 70s for temperature. The glass tank is on a shelf far from heat and never gets direct sunlight.

If anyone can offer any help or suggestions I am all ears. I just want to provide the best for these little critters!

Left side you can see the mantle is indented a bit:



Was idle like this for a few hours:

[slimyrascal]

I hope someone responds to you soon!

[saqueas]

Me too :[

[mangoandlemon]

This is very strange, I haven't seen this before. Has his mantle been ripped ever? Do you have any pets that might get him? Any sharp/hard things in the terrarium? Perhaps your other one ate some of him, will he eat boiled egg or sweet potato? I think that the other one must of ate some of him, the trip will have made him weak and in need of protein. Your setup sounds good, I don't think this is your fault. For now I would feed him lots of protein if you can, and keep him very moist.

[saqueas]

I have a the small log in the tank but they just sleep under it, nothing else sharp is in there and no other pets can reach them.

This started happening as the one it came with wasn't well, but I'm not sure what happens when I'm at work. Do they chew on each other? What other protein is safe for them?

I will try and egg and sweet potato. I received another one and both still seem to prefer apple as the other one did.

[mangoandlemon]

Nov 22, 2015 5:15:28 GMT saqueas said:

I have a the small log in the tank but they just sleep under it, nothing else sharp is in there and no other pets can reach them.

This started happening as the one it came with wasn't well, but I'm not sure what happens when I'm at work. Do they chew on each other? What other protein is safe for them?

I will try and egg and sweet potato. I received another one and both still seem to prefer apple as the other one did.

I would try boiled egg, plain meat such as chicken breast, soaked dog treats, and raw plain seeds, such as something you could find at a health food store.

[saqueas]

Nov 22, 2015 15:02:18 GMT mangoandlemon said:

Nov 22, 2015 5:15:28 GMT saqueas said:

I have a the small log in the tank but they just sleep under it, nothing else sharp is in there and no other pets can reach them.

This started happening as the one it came with wasn't well, but I'm not sure what happens when I'm at work. Do they chew on each other? What other protein is safe for them?

I will try and egg and sweet potato. I received another one and both still seem to prefer apple as the other one did.

I would try boiled egg, plain meat such as chicken breast, soaked dog treats, and raw plain seeds, such as something you could find at a health food store.

I have cats so have dry cat food and such. I have slugs in my yard that eat it if it is outside but it does have some salt in it. Would it be dangerous to give them?

I did try the egg and will check if they ate it when I am out of work. Thank you for the suggestion!

[mangoandlemon]

Your welcome. I wouldn't risk feeding salty cat food, I hope they eat the egg.

[saqueas]

Doesn't look like they ate the one piece overnight. I left another piece and some sweet potato. I'd also like them to eat something other than apples but it seems to be their favorite. haha

[mangoandlemon]

Take the apples away, and replace it with something else for a few days.

[saqueas]

I took the apple away for 2 days but it doesn't seem like they touched any of the other foods.

The one with the ripped mantle doesn't seem to be doing well. It barely responds to anything and was in the same position when I left for work and upon coming back. The mantle that's hurt is like a flap now. It looks smaller and scrunched up, but still alive. I don't believe it will make it much longer.

Sadly, I can find little to no info and no one on here seems to know much either :/

[mangoandlemon]

Awe I'm sorry. Poor little guy.

[HazelSnail]

Probably not helpful at all, but the first picture reminds me a bit of a mantle tear injury on a snail... Not a clue if it's even possible for a slug to get that kind of injury. Poor guy, I hope he is able to pull through, and that someone more knowledgeable can help!

[mangoandlemon]

Yes, it is similar, but I don't know if it effects the slug in the same way.

[saqueas]

Haven't had a lot of time to post (I work in retail and had to deal with Black Friday), but the poor little one crossed the rainbow bridge last week.

I asked the site I didn't think I was ready for another in stead of the first, but they had already sent it.

I have the one now and it seems to be perfectly fine, it eats a variety of food and is active. Just hoping it stays that way.

Thank you for all the comments and thoughts, though. I know this is a snail board after all, it is much appreciated!

[mangoandlemon]

By snails, we mean snails and slugs. Slugs are welcome here, just not as many people have them. Sorry he died, but at least your other one is are right and doing well!

[leila]

Hi! I live in Washington State where these guys are native, so I think I will be able to help.

First question, where did you get this guy shipped from? The problem may have started even before he got to you, and shipping a live animal is never healthy for them.

Also important, low 70s (fahrenheit) is waaayyy to hot! Over here it is almost never over 65 and has been around freezing at night. Slugs and snails have natural antifreeze in them so don't worry about it getting too cold. I would recommend keeping his tank outside but sheltered near a house wall or even a window so it gets some heat. If it is super cold where you are, you can also get reptile heating pads that plug in and go under the tank from the pet store. If you get one that is less than half the size of the tank and keep everything outside, the slug can choose for himself how warm he wants to be.

If you are trying to get protein in him, I have had really good luck with fish flakes. I'm not sure how healthy these are for them (I use them as "training treats") but it is a sure way to get some food in him. My slugs also love fresh blackberries when they are in season. If you are feeding them store bought produce, organic is always better, or at least make sure you have washed everything really well. Slugs don't mind dirt, but they are very effected by pesticides.

I have never seen a mantle injury like that before, but it is definitely not normal. I am pretty sure it is due to stress, please do not touch or poke at it.

In case this is something bacterial/digestive for this little guy, I remember reading somewhere that feeding your slugs/snails raw pumpkin seeds for at least two weeks will help clear any parasites out of their gut.


Hope this helps!

[saqueas]

I got them shipped from Sacramento from a lab site. They get them shipped in from somewhere else, I am not certain. So, by the time I get them they have traveled twice already... :/ As I mentioned in earlier posts - one came extremely lethargic and the other had the injury. The current one seems okay but hasn't been eating a lot.

I am in Western NY and it gets very cold here, as you know we are famous for snow, lol.
I can try keeping it in the garage, etc. I just have it in my room since we also own 7 cats.

My current one seemed to be fine up until 2 days ago, it doesn't seem to want to eat anything.
Unfortunately the one with the mantle injury passed away.

I have been getting nothing but organic produce which I still rinse in distilled water. I have been adding fish flakes also.
Thank you for the suggestions, I hope this current one holds out for a while.

[malacophile]

With the exception of the mantle problem, this sounds exactly like what happened when I got my banana slugs. I'd ordered two of them from an exotics site located in California (not a lab supply site). Within one week of arrival, both of them died. For a few days, they moved around, ate, pooped and generally seemed fine, but then they became lethargic and eventually died. The company sent me a free slug, but that one met the exact same fate within the same time frame.

I gave those details to the people I bought the slugs from, and they suggested keeping the slugs in the refrigerator because they like the cold. I found this to be highly suspect information- it's not 40 degrees year round in their native range, and yet the wild ones seem to thrive. So I don't have a clue what happened. I had started thinking there was just something wrong with the slugs from the exotics site, but after hearing your experience, I'm not so sure.

I'm interested in comparing information to see if there could be any common denominator that might possibly explain the slugs' deaths:

What kind of substrate did you use? (I used Eco Earth coconut fiber bedding, but I don't see how it could have been the culprit)

Do you know what your approximate temperature/humidity levels were in their home? (mine were around 70 temp and 75% humidity, roughly)

Did you handle them, and if so, how often? (I let the first two slime around on my hands a bit as soon as they arrived, but only after washing my hands. After they started ailing, I picked them up to see if there was anything visibly amiss. I didn't handle the third one at all, but it made no difference.)

What kind of water did you give them and how? (I gave spring water in a small dish, which they never touched. I also misted them daily with spring water.)

I'd love to have more of these guys, but not until I can be reasonably assured they'll survive.

[mangoandlemon]

I highly doubt that slugs have anti freeze in them. Feeding pumpkin seeds does help, but we are not sure if it actually removes parasites.

[saqueas]

Sorry - I haven't checked this in a long while!

I do have a new question regarding my slug, but first I will reply to you, malacophile!

--------------------

The "replacement" this site sent me is doing very well, so I believe. This is my first time owning a slug/snail.

I use the same bedding, Eco Earth.

For temperate it was around the same. 70-74. I was going by my thermostat on the opposite wall, they were on the other end in a corner far from the heat and never in direct sun.

I did not handle them. The one poor one was lethargic from the start and only ate once that I saw. I handled it going into the tank and when I removed it exactly a week later for tank cleaning it has passed away the night before overnight. :[
It's companion lasted a week or 2 longer and I only handled it to clean the tank so 2-3 times maximum.

I misted a few times a day with distilled water, as I saw everywhere that it was recommended. I would see them "eating" the water droplets as they slid around.

--------------------

I am doing the same for my remaining one, and only made one change into moving it downstairs in my house.

We have an older house and no forced air. In my room I have one of those Japanese mounted wall units for AC/heating, while downstairs we have radiant floor heat and a woodstove.
It is in the kitchen and seems to be perfectly fine.

[saqueas]

I used to get notifications someone replied to here, sorry I'm so slow guys :[

--------------------

ANYWAY,

I have a question regarding my current sluggie. It came in November 19th and seems to be doing well from what I can tell!

It eats, poops, sometimes sleeps a whole day and doesn't move but gets back on track again.
Its favorite foods seem to be: romaine, kale, sweet potato, apple, algae wafers (I sprinkle the romaine in fish flakes also every other day)

Something just caught my eye about it recently while it is resting, though.
It usually sticks up top on the side of the tank to poop and sometimes just hang out at night.
A few weeks ago I noticed some liquid on it, figuring it made a droplet from me spraying it often.
But, this past week I noticed the liquid is coming directly from the slug itself. It's clear, odorless (I checked), and just dribbles down from it.
I generally notice this at night before I sleep and often it'll be in the same spot in the morning, but sometimes it will have pooped.
I don't even know...do they urinate? I was unsure due to how their slime works in collecting moisture.
It is behaving normally otherwise, slides around, eats, poops, stares at me wondering why I am talking to it, the usual. I will occasionally wet my hand with distilled water and give it a pat or help it when it gets something stuck to its face, lol.

So, if anyone knows what the liquid may be please let me know. It seems in decent health and I believe it has gotten fatter since coming to me but after the loss of my other 2 I am constantly worrying.

Thank you!

[leila]

Is the liquid coming from it's entire body or just its "hole"? Banana slugs will excrete a special numbing slime when stressed that is much slipperier than their normal stuff when they feel threatened. But if it is just coming out of the pneumostome, then I have no idea.

[saqueas]

The liquid just seems to be coming from its body. I've seen the thicker slime once when handling it the first time, but this is the consistnecy of just water. It doesn't seem to be coming from the pneumostome.

[saqueas]

I don't see the liquid as much now as it's mostly been hiding in the mossy log I made it. Ever since it has been sleeping in there it has been eating less, but doesn't seem thin at all. Not sure what's going on with it but I know what they look like sick due to my other 2. ;(