I need help with my two snails.

[tomsmith]

Yesterday my Dad and I got two giant african land snails. I named them Cocoa and Vanilla. However, Cocoa seems to like spending most of his/her time under the compost in the tank, while Vanillia tends to just be sleeping A LOT. She/he does like eating but only when /she/he wants to.

Plus I have this cuttlefish bone which I found on the beach and I was wondering, since snails should'nt eat salty foods, should I give it to them? It about 1 year old or so- it may be 6 months old for all I know. 

Plus they seems to smell a bit- is that normal?

[etana]

Hi, welcome to the forum! Congratulations on your new snails.

You got them only yesterday, so it's perfectly normal that they're resting now as they settle in. Even after the adjusting phase (which might take some days) they will be nocturnal, so you will always see your snails doing a lot of daytime sleeping.

The cuttlefish bone's age is not a problem, but it can't have sea salt in it. Rinsing and boiling needs to be done before you can give it to the snails.

Snails themselves don't have much of a smell to them when they're alive, but the tank can get smelly with rotting food or too much water in the soil. It's common, but not pleasant.

Have fun, and be sure to ask any questions you may have! We'd also love some photos!

[tomsmith]

etana Thanks!

How long should I boil it for?

So at the moment, they're just adjusting to their new tank? Ah, so that's why! 😊

[etana]

A thread about cuttlefish bone:
petsnails.proboards.com/thread/13828/cuttle-fish-sea-safe-snails

Especially scroll down to see what Zorst says.