Snails Galore!

The Online Snail Community

Caring for snails

 

Introduction

Snails

Caring for snails

Your snails will need to be kept in a tank or storage box which should be 45x25x25 for two snails but you should provide as much room as possible. The tank should have a good deep substrate. You can use general-purpose composts,coir,moss or peat. I reccomend not to use moss on it own but would use clumps of it in the tank. Snails can be kept a lot of temperatures from 19 degrees celcius to 30 degrees celcius. If your house is very warm your snail should be fine but if your house is cold you should buy a heat Mat which needs to cover half the tank.You can also use a WinterWarm radiator. Feeding your snails is very easy your snails will eat most fruitt and veg e.g. apple, banana, cucumber, spinach, cabbage, lettuce. They also eat seeds oats,and some raw meat, depending on the type.

Calcium 

You must give your snails a constant supply of calcium, which can be a cuttlefish bone, powdered egg shell, natural chalk or powdered oystershell.

Humidity 

You can also give your snail a bowl of water 3mm deep or your snail might drown. You should also spray your snail once a day (depending on the species).

Housing

Snails should be kept in a well ventilated tank/tub. Plenty of space for the snails to crawl around in and at least 2" coir/soil. Heat is dependent on the type of snail, some heat mats are cheap and will keep your snail warm. Plants, pots and branches are a good idea as the snail will enjoy hiding and climbing over them. A water dish and food dish can be provided but since snails soak moisture from their foot a spray will be fine for them. Moss is a great substrate for snails, its easy to clean and its easier to find the snail in it, although not all snails will like it. Even having a small slab of moss will be good to find out if you snail likes it or not.

Food


Snails eat many thing and food should be changed either every day or every two days. They love cucumber, lettuce, sweet potato and other green veg. Be careful of fruit as some fruit will have to much acid in it, causing the snail to blister. Some apples have too much is to pick a sweet apple and wash it before feeding. No oranges although some people have said their snails like it and seem fine. If you snail is ill and not eating, put fish flakes into a small dish and let your snail soak for awhile, it will absorb some of the nutrients in the food. Calcium is a must in every tank, if you have more than two snails then its best to have two cuttlebones in the tank as well.

Posting your Snails

Firstly get some moss
[image]
take the snails to be sent and place them in a tub just larger than them (mine is allot larger due to sending eggs as seen in next picture)
If sending eggs put in a seperate tub or they will be squashed during transit
[image]
Cover in moss(some people use paper towels but i prefer moss) so the snails cant bump into eachother etc
[image]
line your box with newspaper or paper towels for insulation
[image]
place tub inside box and then cover in newspaper, close lid and selotape up
[image]
[image]

that is all but here are a few tips not to forget.


  • Dont forget to put the snails in the box it sounds silly but it has been done.
  • Dont forget to put holes in the lid of the plastic tub none are needed in the box.
  • Write a senders adress on the back incase of complications.
  • Write adress of reciever clearly.

 

Welcome