Using organic potting soil for my snail?

[sdrake]

Would it be safe to use commercially obtained, organic potting soil as the substratum for my snail? I assume that organic means that the potting soil is free of chemicals, pesticides, and the like. Is that correct? Should the soil substratum be sterile to protect the snail from infection? If yes, can I safely sterilize the soil by baking it? If yes to that question also, bake for how long?

Thanks for your help.
Sandra 

[morningcoffee]

Mar 22, 2018 2:05:33 GMT sdrake said:

Would it be safe to use commercially obtained, organic potting soil as the substratum for my snail? I assume that organic means that the potting soil is free of chemicals, pesticides, and the like. Is that correct? Should the soil substratum be sterile to protect the snail from infection? If yes, can I safely sterilize the soil by baking it? If yes to that question also, bake for how long?

Thanks for your help.
Sandra 

The composition of potting soil sold commercially varies massively between brands so unfortunately there's no yes or no answer as to whether it would be suitable. Organic soil can still contain added nutrients for plants which could be harmful for snails, as well as things like anti-fungal additives. The soils can also be made with lots of different materials which can include things like perlite, bark and vermiculite which aren't ideal for snails.
The best thing to do is to buy a coir (coco fibre) brick or bag that's free of any additives - ideally ones intended for reptiles such as Exo Terra, Lucky Reptile or Komodo brands.

[ensnailed]

Mar 22, 2018 9:12:11 GMT morningcoffee said:

Mar 22, 2018 2:05:33 GMT sdrake said:

Would it be safe to use commercially obtained, organic potting soil as the substratum for my snail? I assume that organic means that the potting soil is free of chemicals, pesticides, and the like. Is that correct? Should the soil substratum be sterile to protect the snail from infection? If yes, can I safely sterilize the soil by baking it? If yes to that question also, bake for how long?

Thanks for your help.
Sandra 

The composition of potting soil sold commercially varies massively between brands so unfortunately there's no yes or no answer as to whether it would be suitable. Organic soil can still contain added nutrients for plants which could be harmful for snails, as well as things like anti-fungal additives. The soils can also be made with lots of different materials which can include things like perlite, bark and vermiculite which aren't ideal for snails.
The best thing to do is to buy a coir (coco fibre) brick or bag that's free of any additives - ideally ones intended for reptiles such as Exo Terra, Lucky Reptile or Komodo brands.

Hi morningcoffee,

I know this thread is old, but you've helped me before so I thought I'd ask my snail substrate question here. I've been using the Exo Terra coir mixed with some of their jungle mix and a small amount of activated charcoal at the bottom. I've been trusting that the leaf top cover, droppings, etc. would naturally end up creating a soil that contains all the beneficial stuff they need, but could you let me know if there's anything I'm missing, please? Or if I shouldn't add the carbon... I did that for the isopods, but also noticed I've seen snails on charcoal in the wild. Anyway, thanks in advance! The snails do seem to be doing well, but I'm one of those people who just wants to double check.

[morningcoffee]

Jan 17, 2021 21:56:15 GMT ensnailed said:

Hi morningcoffee,

I know this thread is old, but you've helped me before so I thought I'd ask my snail substrate question here. I've been using the Exo Terra coir mixed with some of their jungle mix and a small amount of activated charcoal at the bottom. I've been trusting that the leaf top cover, droppings, etc. would naturally end up creating a soil that contains all the beneficial stuff they need, but could you let me know if there's anything I'm missing, please? Or if I shouldn't add the carbon... I did that for the isopods, but also noticed I've seen snails on charcoal in the wild. Anyway, thanks in advance! The snails do seem to be doing well, but I'm one of those people who just wants to double check.

The soil set-up sounds fine to me. I'm not sure about the charcoal, I personally wouldn't add it as snails dig down, sometimes to the very bottom of the tank, to lay their eggs. Something they can tolerate on occasion in the wild can become a different matter if constantly exposed to it in the tank. However, a charcoal layer isn't something I've ever heard of doing before so there may be others with more experience of it who could confirm if it's safe long-term or not.