Soil and Coco

[mafalda]

I found the following in facebook:





Comment 1



Basically, snails are a species that eat the substrate as part of their diet. As you say, coco does not hold the nutrients and minerals that top soil does. And is an unnatural substrate for any animal and cannot be digested. If a snail were to consume a bit of substrate that wasn’t fully hydrated (it can dry out very quickly and then actually becomes hydrophobic) or the more fibrous parts, it can cause huge digestive issues - some which aren’t recoverable from.



Depending on brand, it can be rinsed or soaked in salt water (which as you can imagine is a big worry for snails) it is also the wrong pH for commonly kept snails as well which can cause shell issues and abrasions - not to mention host unwanted worms.



Snails burrow in soil to cool down and thermoregulate - coco fibre actually retains heat - again, unnatural for the species (it goes hand in hand with the advice that heat mats must never be placed underneath enclosures as this is unnatural and upsets natural behaviours which is a welfare concern).



Green leaves must be avoided due to high tannin levels which are fatal but these deplete over time as the leaf ages - and that is why fresh branches can’t be used and must be dried out prior to being added to enclosures xx



Comment 2



See my comment above, unfortunately the coco fibre advice is outdated, incorrect and even quite dangerous! Something we refer to as folklore, it was started by one group and spread through the UK and US and if you join the other group, you’ll see that it is ONLY this hobby where people try to state coco is ok. It’s not accepted in any other hobby other than a small amount to partially mix in. Even the foreign groups state how bad coco fibre is, staining shells and flesh. Unfortunately this hadn’t been known in home groups until a few years ago.



Top soil is natural and full of nutrients and minerals that snails need to thrive. Holds humidity, great for burrowing, promotes natural behaviours. It will not cause digestive issues or cause staining to the flesh nor abrasions to the shell.



I’m really sorry, but whoever told you that was misinformed 🙈 graded top soil is sterile - there is NOTHING included. It contains no pesticides, insecticides, fungicides, fertilisers, water retaining gel or crystals, no weeds, chemicals or pollutants and is heat treated so there are no living organisms and certainly nothing that is harmful to snails.



You can also join Centipede and millipede enthusiast forum as they’re very vocal about what constitutes as a good substrate. Sadly, misinformation is easily spread by unknowing people who don’t know any better!



Long history short the user says that coco fiber is a terrible idea.



I am bit concerned right now. Does anyone have an opinion (positive or negative) about this?

[snaileyhammy]

This has been something I’ve thought about before, but never really taken into consideration. I talked with another snail owner on a community about it, but they said I was wrong. So, I just stopped asking. But, I would like to investigate coconut fiber, and if it’s actually the best option for snails.

Coconut fiber does get very very dry, that’s true. So, if you use coconut fiber, people need to be aware of that and always keep it moist. Snails need bacteria that lives in their soil for their digestive system. (I believe I described that correctly) And I don’t see coconut fiber harming their digestive systems in any way, unless your substrate was super dry. Coconut fiber also doesn’t have any benefits to it, it’s “plain” I guess you could say. I don’t know if top soil would really be any better for your snail, but it could actually benefit your snail, rather then being “plain”.

Other then those things, there isn’t much wrong with coconut fiber, but I will make it my goal this week to further investigate coconut fiber. I think that other pre-mixed soils could be a better option for snails.

[snaileyhammy]

Ok, so I did a bit of research, and here is what I found out.

First I’d like to say that A LOT of information gets mixed up in the snail hobby. And just because someone acts like they know what they’re talking about, always double check.

Like you said, people claim coconut fiber can cause intestinal blockage, unbalanced pH, is too dry, and has no benefits. First, as of my research, we have NO evidence that coconut fiber can cause intestinal blockage. Sure, it may, but we have no proof of it, and of it being fatal. Coconut fiber does become very dry, but so does ANY substrate if you don’t wet it. There is a whole list of why “the coconut fiber has the incorrect pH for snails” thing isn’t true, but I can post that another time. And coconut fiber doesn’t have any benefits or things added, but nothing really needs to be added, and a cycle will form over time. People stating “top soil is better for snails” aren’t exactly right. The truth to that depends on what kind you buy. Top soil is said to be “organic” with no added chemicals, fertilizers, etc. But, just because something is “organic” doesn’t necessarily mean it’s safe. If you do find a top would that is “safe”, it is ok to use. But, a safe top soil is not better and has no more benefits then coco coir. There is discussion about if you need to add calcium powder, etc, to a snails substrate. Some people do it, and say it’s necessary. But, this is believed to be incorrect information. As you are already providing a calcium source, calcium in the substrate is optional or unnecessary. I have only really touched on these topics, but you can find more here m.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=718100585496654&id=380526089254107
That might have been what you read on Facebook.

Basically, if both substrates are safe, then neither one is better. There is a lot of interesting snail communities out there, with lots of opinions on this. Always be mindful of this, and be careful to whom you listen to.