Beginner with Helix Aspersa

[sas02]

Hey, I found a snail on a wall and later identified it as a Helix Aspersa. I set up a terrarium for him with soil, a stick, and some stones with half a cardboard cup on its side as shelter. 

1- I find that every time I spray water to humidify the environment and almost close the lid (to let air in) he becomes rather inactive. On the other hand, when I open the lid he becomes very active and tries to go out of his space ("escape"). Does that mean anything or is that normal? I think maybe I'm disturbing him when I'm here and every time I leave him he gets the chance to sleep.

2- It's been 3 days and I gave him, as food, a thin slice of cucumber, slices of plum, and a slice of tomato. But I realized that he doesn't eat much of it. Just to make sure that that is normal behavior, how much does one snail eat? I just want to make sure that I'm not over or underfeeding him. I also cut a paper cup to its base and filled it with water. He sometimes goes to there to bathe or to drink.

3- I read that calcium is essential for snails. Is eggshell powder enough for him or should I buy calcium supplements? I searched the stores around me and didn't find any cuttlefish bone. That was a bummer because it's said it's the snail's preferred source.

That's it for now
Thank you for helping and this community is a real treasure as it has so many useful threads.

[rat]

1. First of all, yes, it is normal. My snail doesn’t move for a while when I spray their cage and they crawl into their shell. However, I’m not sure about the rest. It may be because their environment isn’t exactly preferred, like soil, decor, space, etc. Or they may just be a very curious snail. My snail doesn’t really do that when I open the lid, even when they are by it.

2. You can try feeding your snail more variety of foods if you really think they’re under eating, they may just dislike those. Otherwise, by experience I think my snail doesn’t really eat much. I’ve seen my snail eating once in the weeks I’ve had them, and seen only two small holes in food so far. It’s probably normal, and also, I’ve read snails eat until they are full..not sure that’s true, maybe.

3. My snail does fine with crushed egg shells. It’s been a few weeks and they are absolutely fine. If you want, you can search for cuttlefish bone elsewhere, but I think they should be good for a while. If you want different types of calcium, look some up and try those.

Note: I’m a beginner but I have tons of research done.