What to feed/not to feed your snails

[coyote]

There are so many good, safe things for our snails to eat, I don't know why someone would want to take a chance with something potentially problematic. Sticking with the known safe foods will provide a healthy, varied diet for our snails.

[ness]

Aug 17, 2010 4:22:57 GMT katatsumuri said:

I have been feeding this food to my snails sense I found them. It is highly nutritional, and my snails just love it. It is the only food they come running for. It is a dry food, I just add a little water to it as I feed it to them. And the best part is it is only about $3 for 13oz.

Intriguing. What's in it please? Is it a kind of seed mix?

[crossless]

www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2753945#prodTab1

"Designed for gut-loading crickets to increase their vitamin/mineral content prior to offering them as prey, Fluker's Cricket Feed allows insect-eating pets to benefit from the nutritional value of the insect itself,and from the insect's nutrient-rich gut contents as well.

Ingredients:
Ground yellow corn, calcium carbonate, soybean meal, wheat middlings, ground soybean hulls, meat meal, fish meal, animal fat preserved with BHA, dicalcium phosphate, salt, dl-methionine, cyanocobalamin (source of vitamin B12), riboflavin, calcium pantothenate, nicotinic acid, choline chloride, folic acid, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride, vitamin A acetate, cholecalciferol (source of vitamin D3), dl-alpha-tocopheryl acetate (source of vitamin E), menadione dimethylpyrimidinol bisulfite (source of vitamin K), magnesium oxide, thiamine, cobalt carbonate, ferrous carbonate, copper sulfate, calcium iodate, manganous oxide, zinc sulfate, zinc oxide.

Guaranteed Analysis:
Crude protein (min.) 19.0%, crude fat (min.) 4%, crude fiber (max.) 9%, calcium (ca) (min.) 8%, calcium (ca) (max.) 9%, phosphorus (p) (min.) 0.6%, salt (nacl) (min.) 0.1%, salt (nacl) (max.) 1.1%, ash (max.) 22%, added minerals (max.) 22%.

Feeding Directions:
Feed as the primary source of food to crickets and most other feeder insects. The insects can be maintained on the diet until the time comes to feed them to your pet. To ensure optimal nutrition and calcium intake, feed the insects to your pet on the day after they have consumed the diet. Store in a cool, dry place. No refrigeration needed.

Available in a 10.5 oz. jar.

Made in the USA."

I don't know is there anything to worry about that BHA.. I feed my snails with coltsfoot and it's said that it's been tobacco substitute. Snails do in wild some thing that maybe would make some health issues in humans. But now days I try avoid everything that has preservative in it. And if you have spare time always you can think how to make own mix with constituents that are in animal foods.

[cherryblossom]

have had a lookie through the posts... I havent seen strawberries though in the lists....

what are your takings on strawberries? M y kids eat lot of strawberries, grapes, bananas etc so, would bits of strawberry be ok for the snail to eat?

[ness]

Yes strawberries are absolutely fine. Sorry for forgetting about them.
Grapes can be used also but my own snails were never ingterested in grapes. However your's may be... #

I'll add strawberries to the list.

[cherryblossom]

Thank you I just wanted to make sure before I tried. He doesnt seem remotely interested in thm! booo! I will keep trying though

[crossless]

My snails seem to love Cucurbita pepo 'Butternut'. I don't like the taste really so maybe I feed it to my snails. It's so cheap that I could maybe buy it for seasonal treat in future. It's so hard that you almot can't cut it with knife so it won't go bad in fridge fast. It tastes like boiled potato swimming in oil, eww.. x)

[DullEyeLama]

This might be a noob question, but "all" those foods mentioned about are okay with water snails too right ? Is there something there which should be avoided with water snails ? (raisins? basil? etc)

[crossless]

Aquatic snails can eat same foods as lands snails but aquatic snails may prefer old water plants and algae too.

With aquatic snails people tell you to boil their food so it won't float, but I have seen pictures where some skewer are anchored some how to bottom of the tank. Example this way.: www.petsie.fi/pet.php?petid=146982&s=images&img=20556582&showAll=1

[lostsouls65]

I have just given some English parsley and they really are going for it like mad, never seen them eat with such enthusiasm :-) Highly reccomended!

[lostsouls65]

As I am new to all this so I am still in the experimental stage of what they like etc...tonight I gave them some dill and boiled carrots, boy oh boy did they go for it! The whole packet of dill was eaten by all 4 of my GALS. Only the thick bits were left but I am sure they will gobble that up too tonight
Any other suggestions what they really might enjoy?

[whitney01]

You can also try to give them cabbage..

[morningcoffee]

Oct 16, 2010 3:22:11 GMT whitney01 said:

You can also try to give them cabbage..

None of my snails have ever showed any interest in cabbage. Most of them like lettuce though.


lostsouls65 - have you given them sweet potato? They tend to love that, you can feed it to them raw, boiled, mashed etc. It is more nutritional when raw though. Mine also tend to go crazy for sweetcorn and baby corn, and watermelon

[lostsouls65]

I gave them some left over boiled sweet potatoe and you are right, they really like it. I have given them some cabbage in the past but they dont seem to be keen on it.
When I used to live in Cyprus I used to see snails eating a plant called "Mallow" I found some in the woods the other day and yes they really enjoyed it, placed about 6 leaves in the tank over night, there was no sign of them in the morning

[lostsouls65]

Mine love Dill, they eat it with such enthusiasm

[coyote]

They can eat raw sweet potato too. Mine love it.

[lostsouls65]

I have bought them some sweet potatoes tonight, they will get it tomorrow night,
Honestly dill is on their top list for mine. I take them out the tank and watch them eat in a smaller container. Love watching them eat their fav food

[gasmaskman]

Oatmeal. Snails come running for oatmeal. thats what i use to lure snails out of hiding so i can capture them and feed them to my wolf snails. (im not a bad person. my snails need to eat)

[whitney01]

uhmm.. sounds good.. i will try also to feed my snail on that. where can i buy some of that?

[bobbiflower]

Hi so I just wanted to get other peoples opinion on what there land snails eat.Mine seem to like lettuce and apples.What do yours like??

[pickalilly]

My Albopictas love cucumber, round lettuce, sweet peppers, chicory, sweet potato, carrot, apple, courgette, and hemp.

[coyote]

The all-time favorite food of my snails is sweet potato.

[Deleted]

Defintly Cucumber! I gave then a quarter of one and the next morning all that was left was some of the flesh and all the skin!

[Gravy]

So far, my snails seem to love Romaine lettuce most. I am going to give them basil for the first time today. I'm expecting they'll love that.

[ness]

All of my snails (except the Megalobulimus) really go for sweet potato, cucumber, sweet corn, tomato, apple and wet fish flakes. They also appreciate mushrooms and will eat other food too.

My Megalobulimus enjoy thin strips of carrot (not the pealings), sweet potato, cucumber wedges and leafy vegetables/salad.