|
|
Post by avril2114 on Sept 1, 2020 9:34:49 GMT
I've recently, due to lockdown, been given 2 snails from my child's primary school...(classroom pets) I dont know where to start with regards to care, temps, humidity. They came in a plastic tub...no thermometer, no hygrometer, no heatpad. They have both eaten some cucumber. My dad has very kindly bought a vivexotic vivarium for them but I'm now reading that wooden vivs are not suitable for them. Will they be OK in there? Thankyou for your help.
|
|
daniele
Achatina immaculata
Posts: 245
|
Post by daniele on Sept 1, 2020 10:22:09 GMT
Do you have an idea abt what kind of snails are they?
Can you post a pic maybe?
Different snails require pretty different cares...
|
|
|
|
Post by avril2114 on Sept 1, 2020 10:50:57 GMT
Do you have an idea abt what kind of snails are they? Can you post a pic maybe? Different snails require pretty different cares... I have no idea. Il see if i can work out how to post a pic x |
|
|
|
Post by avril2114 on Sept 1, 2020 11:06:26 GMT
|
|
|
|
Post by avril2114 on Sept 1, 2020 11:08:13 GMT
|
|
|
|
Post by avril2114 on Sept 1, 2020 11:10:08 GMT
|
|
|
|
Post by avril2114 on Sept 1, 2020 11:11:24 GMT
|
|
daniele
Achatina immaculata
Posts: 245
|
Post by daniele on Sept 1, 2020 11:57:56 GMT
It should be an african snail for what I know... Unfortunately, I know almost zero abt them, so I cannot be helpful! They will need heatpad for keeping the temperature, also they will need a certain humidity level, and probably a little lamp too! I never heard that the wood isnt good for them... I suggest to wait for other user's reply!
|
|
|
|
Post by avril2114 on Sept 1, 2020 12:06:32 GMT
It should be an african snail for what I know... Unfortunately, I know almost zero abt them, so I cannot be helpful! They will need heatpad for keeping the temperature, also they will need a certain humidity level, and probably a little lamp too! I never heard that the wood isnt good for them... I suggest to wait for other user's reply! Thankyou xx |
|
|
|
Post by morningcoffee on Sept 1, 2020 12:07:52 GMT
I've recently, due to lockdown, been given 2 snails from my child's primary school...(classroom pets) I dont know where to start with regards to care, temps, humidity. They came in a plastic tub...no thermometer, no hygrometer, no heatpad. They have both eaten some cucumber. My dad has very kindly bought a vivexotic vivarium for them but I'm now reading that wooden vivs are not suitable for them. Will they be OK in there? Thankyou for your help. Hi and welcome to the forum. The snails look like Achatina fulica which are the most commonly kept giant African land snail. The problem with wooden vivariums is that the humidity of the tank can cause the wood to rot or mould, and it also makes it almost impossible to install a heatmat, which the snails are likely to need as the weather gets cooler. If it's possible, I would see if the wooden viv can be returned and replaced with a glass one such as an Exo Terra or Komodo. Large fish tanks can also work if they have a proper lid to keep the snails secure. Care is not too difficult. They like reasonably high humidity, but they don't like their environment too wet. Most people give their tank a gentle misting (you can use a basic spray bottle like you'd use for plants, you can get them cheaply from somewhere like Wilko or a garden centre) once a day or once every two days. You don't need to spray like crazy or soak the environment. Substrate should be at least a couple of inches deep, and kept somewhat moist (but not wet). I recommend coco fibre / coir for fulica snails, this works well to maintain moisture. You can buy dry bricks of coir online, at pet stores, or sometimes they have them in the pet section at Wilko if you are lucky. If you buy them online or at a pet store the brands they are likely to have are Exo Terra Plantation Soil, Zoo Med Eco Earth, or Komodo Tropical Terrain. All of these are fine. You simply need to soak the dry brick in plenty of water and within a few hours it will expand to make a nice loose soil-type substrate. The substrate should not be changed too frequently as snails need to ingest the soil flora/good bacteria as part of their digestion cycle. You can keep the surface of the soil free of old food, poop etc and wipe down the tank walls and any ornaments every few days, but the substrate shouldn't be changed frequently unless it has got too wet or smells. When you do change it (I change mine about every 3 months) you should always mix in some of the old substrate to help keep the natural soil flora going. Temperature for fulica is probably best at around 20c - 25c. At the moment they are probably OK without a heatmat while the weather is still warm, especially if they've been kept without one, but as the weather starts to get cooler it is likely to be necessary unless your house is kept very warm. Heatmats should be placed on the side of the tank on the outside of the glass, NEVER underneath the tank, for snails. You can insulate the back of it with polystyrene, radiator insulation or even tin foil to help direct the heat into the tank. The best diet for them is a varied mix of leaves, fruits and vegetables. It is also good for them to have a high protein source no more than once a week. I would recommend starting with dark lettuce (such as Romaine, little gem, round lettuce, Batavia etc) and dark leafy greens (kale etc) on a regular basis, and also including other things such as sweet potato, carrot, courgette, tomato, apple etc a couple of times a week. Cucumber is fine occasionally but isn't super high in nutrients so shouldn't be their main food. Protein source can be something like a small amount of raw meat, cooked egg, soaked cat/dog biscuits (thoroughly soaked in water until mushy), or even raw unflavoured nuts like peanuts or cashews. In my experience fulica also like to occasionally have well-soaked brown bread as a treat! With two snails you will also need to check regularly (probably once a week) for eggs, as fulica lay MANY eggs in one go and you will find yourself over-run with babies otherwise! Eggs can be humanely destroyed by just putting them in a tupperware and placing them inside the freezer for at least 24 hours. You can then just throw them away or put them in a compost bin, as they will no longer be viable for hatching. They should definitely have a place to hide in the tank, many reptile brands sell nice hides or caves that look nice in the tank and are easily cleanable, or a chunk of cork bark, however you can very cheaply make your own by using something like the bottom half of a sturdy plastic bottle with a thin layer of coir spread over the top, or using a cheap plastic plant pot on its side. Tank ornaments such as fake plants help make the tank look nice and snails seem to enjoy climbing or hiding behind them, again many reptile brands such as Exo Terra, Lucky Reptile, and Komodo make these or you can sometimes cheaply buy aquarium ornaments. Do make sure that there is nothing too heavy/solid in the tank like stone, as snails can damage their shells on these in a fall. Polyresin type ornaments are good. I hope that helps as a starter, please feel free to ask questions if you need any more info or clarification. |
|
|
|
Post by morningcoffee on Sept 1, 2020 12:25:27 GMT
Oh, I almost forgot - they must have a calcium source in the tank at all times. This should be provided for them to eat whenever they feel the need - you shouldn't try to force-feed them calcium or add it to their food, as they are able to regulate their own intake and giving them too much can cause serious problems.
Many people use cuttlefish / cuttle bone for them, which is usually sold for birds and can be bought at pet shops or online. I personally use limestone flour (calcium carbonate), which I put into small dishes like an old jam jar lid, moisten, and just leave in the tank near their food. In my experience they seem to prefer this, and also cuttle can get rather stinky when it gets damp and they don't seem to like to eat it then. Limestone flour is usually sold for horses so can be bought cheaply in bags online (I get mine from Amazon usually but eBay has plenty too) or from an equestrian supply store if you happen to have any nearby.
|
|
|
|
Post by avril2114 on Sept 1, 2020 12:50:00 GMT
Oh, I almost forgot - they must have a calcium source in the tank at all times. This should be provided for them to eat whenever they feel the need - you shouldn't try to force-feed them calcium or add it to their food, as they are able to regulate their own intake and giving them too much can cause serious problems. Many people use cuttlefish / cuttle bone for them, which is usually sold for birds and can be bought at pet shops or online. I personally use limestone flour (calcium carbonate), which I put into small dishes like an old jam jar lid, moisten, and just leave in the tank near their food. In my experience they seem to prefer this, and also cuttle can get rather stinky when it gets damp and they don't seem to like to eat it then. Limestone flour is usually sold for horses so can be bought cheaply in bags online (I get mine from Amazon usually but eBay has plenty too) or from an equestrian supply store if you happen to have any nearby. Wow!! Thankyou so much!! Such brilliant information. I have already bought cuttlefish and coco grow...coir? And I'm in the process of buying thermometers etc. What percentage humidity do they need to be at? My house is very hot! Even in the winter so I will probably monitor temperatures and get a heat mat just incase. Thankyou so much. X |
|
|
|
Post by morningcoffee on Sept 1, 2020 13:23:11 GMT
Wow!! Thankyou so much!! Such brilliant information. I have already bought cuttlefish and coco grow...coir? And I'm in the process of buying thermometers etc. What percentage humidity do they need to be at? My house is very hot! Even in the winter so I will probably monitor temperatures and get a heat mat just incase. Thankyou so much. X If the coco coir is one intended for plants, make sure it doesn't have any fertiliser or any other additives. Most of them are just plain coir but sometimes they include some additives that aren't suitable for snails. Humidity should probably be 70 - 90% but I would say don't get too hung up on numbers for either humidity or temperature, as long as they are in the right sort of region and the snails are reasonably active and eating well that should be fine. Lowering the ventilation a tank has can help keep the humidity higher if it's getting dry too quickly - snails do need some ventilation but they don't need constant fresh airflow or anything like that. |
|
|
|
Post by avril2114 on Sept 1, 2020 13:43:02 GMT
Wow!! Thankyou so much!! Such brilliant information. I have already bought cuttlefish and coco grow...coir? And I'm in the process of buying thermometers etc. What percentage humidity do they need to be at? My house is very hot! Even in the winter so I will probably monitor temperatures and get a heat mat just incase. Thankyou so much. X If the coco coir is one intended for plants, make sure it doesn't have any fertiliser or any other additives. Most of them are just plain coir but sometimes they include some additives that aren't suitable for snails. Humidity should probably be 70 - 90% but I would say don't get too hung up on numbers for either humidity or temperature, as long as they are in the right sort of region and the snails are reasonably active and eating well that should be fine. Lowering the ventilation a tank has can help keep the humidity higher if it's getting dry too quickly - snails do need some ventilation but they don't need constant fresh airflow or anything like that. Its this one. Thankyou so much for all the info x linksharing.samsungcloud.com/Ka8xvqKLECDN |
|
|
|
Post by morningcoffee on Sept 1, 2020 14:06:08 GMT
It looks like it says on the label that it can be used for reptiles, so should be fine! |
|
