# Snail Care Help! Lots of Questions



## MythicalBetta (Mar 20, 2017)

I ordered three mystery snails and they are on their way. I originally was ordering just one, but my dad got me three instead. I did NO research (bad move) and now I'm wondering if I'm prepared.
I've read that they can get up to golf ball size, which is a lot bigger than I expected. 
1) How and what do I feed them?
2) How do I know if they are male or female?
3) I have a 55 gallon and a 10 gallon. My 10 gallon houses my betta, and that's where I was going to put the snail. Now that I'm getting three, I was going to put two in my 55. I'm worried that any veggies i put in there will be gobbled up by my minnows (my little finned hogs). Any way to combat this? 
4) Is there a preferred habitat?
5) Do I need to get anything?
6) How do I need to go about cleaning my tanks once I have snails in them? 
7) Is any tank set up okay or do snails need a specific habitat?

Feeling very unprepared for my little snails now. xD


----------



## Rainbo (Nov 23, 2015)

Sounds like they are a bit like my ramshorns, and mylasian trumpet snails, only a lot larger, in that they are scavengers.

Once or twice a week I give my snails Tetra pleco wafers. Out of the different sinking fish and shrimp foods that I've tried they seem to like the pleco wafers the best. One of the reasons I feed it, besides the fact that they like it, is because it contains calcium and they need calcium for their shells. I don't feed it more often because I really do not want the snail population to explode. 

Here's a care sheet on Mystery Snails. Mystery Snail Care, Diet, Feeding & Shell Size


----------



## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

Your plan to put one in the 10 and two in the 55 sounds good. I agree with everything Rainbo has said. Mine eat leftover food. I feed frozen with a pipette and sometimes squirt directly in front of the Mystery Snails when they're on the glass.


----------



## MythicalBetta (Mar 20, 2017)

Thank you for the replies! I will look into getting some of those wafers. If I just put them in the tank, will the snails find them before the other fish in the 55 eat them?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-J320A using Tapatalk


----------



## RussellTheShihTzu (Mar 19, 2013)

Put a piece of the wafer in front of each snail.


----------



## MythicalBetta (Mar 20, 2017)

Okay, Thanks!: )

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-J320A using Tapatalk


----------



## kouha (May 22, 2017)

bug bites pleco formula is very good for all bottom feeders! i'd suggest that before any tetra products. my mystery snail has literally stolen blood worms from my betta before, they'll eat just about everything lol (blanched vegetables, green beans, fish food, algae). make sure ur supplementing their diet, they won't get optimal nutrition just from algae and excess fish food










in my experience they prefer harder water, too.


----------



## MythicalBetta (Mar 20, 2017)

How do I get the water in my tank to be harder? c:

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-J320A using Tapatalk


----------



## MythicalBetta (Mar 20, 2017)

I was looking on Amazon for pleco foods and found this one. It seems to have a lot less fillers than the Tetra brand. 
Ingredients: Green pea, fish meal, herring meal, kelp meal, shrimp meal, rice meal, Spirulina, Brewers dried yeast, paprika, lecithin, maragold extract, fish oil, DL-methionine, canthaxanthan, astaxanathin, inositol, beta carotene, vitamin e supplement, biotin, niacinamide, calcium panthotenate, riboflavin, folic acid, vitamin b12 supplement, FD&C Red #40 selenium yeast, manganous oxide, ferrous sulfate, zinc oxide, thiamine mononitrate, vitamin a acetate, calcium iodate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, vitamin d supplement.

That's in the same order as on the label. 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B008...co+formula&dpPl=1&dpID=513UOrZRc7L&ref=plSrch


----------



## MythicalBetta (Mar 20, 2017)

I've heard good things about Omega One. If I went with their veggie rounds, would that work for my snail?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-J320A using Tapatalk


----------



## kouha (May 22, 2017)

MythicalBetta said:


> I've heard good things about Omega One. If I went with their veggie rounds, would that work for my snail?
> 
> Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-J320A using Tapatalk


yeah omega one is pretty good! you can also look up a recipe for snello, my snails love it(and the calcium keeps their shells healthy!)


----------



## MythicalBetta (Mar 20, 2017)

Hey guys! Cuttlebone thoughts? Should I get some? 
I should break off a small piece and place it in my 10 gallon, correct? How big a piece should go in a 55 gallon with two snails?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-J320A using Tapatalk


----------



## Falcon (Jan 9, 2008)

MythicalBetta said:


> How do I get the water in my tank to be harder? c:
> 
> Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-J320A using Tapatalk


The thing is betta's prefer soft water and just make sure mystery snails have calcium in their diet and you should be okay.


----------



## MythicalBetta (Mar 20, 2017)

Okay! Today I prepared some snail jello using Tums as an ingredient. Will that provide enough calcium? I've read that snails need calcium in the water as well as in their diet, which is why I'm looking at cuttlebone.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-J320A using Tapatalk


----------



## Falcon (Jan 9, 2008)

Don't use the tums. You don't know what's really mixed in with them and could spell disaster for the tank. Stick to finding a bottom feeder wafer with calcium on the ingredients list. No cuttlebones.


----------



## MythicalBetta (Mar 20, 2017)

The "Tums" I used aren't name brand and have an ingredient list on the back. Also, the snello recipe I used called for Tums, and seems to have good reviews. I do want to play it safe, but I also would feel terrible if the supplies my dad bought me were wasted. 

Why no cuttlebone? (Saves me money if not, just curious)


----------



## Falcon (Jan 9, 2008)

MythicalBetta said:


> The "Tums" I used aren't name brand and have an ingredient list on the back. Also, the snello recipe I used called for Tums, and seems to have good reviews. I do want to play it safe, but I also would feel terrible if the supplies my dad bought me were wasted.
> 
> Why no cuttlebone? (Saves me money if not, just curious)


 can you link me to this recipe you found online?


Cuttlebones are from salt water. I would be very hesitant to use them in a fresh water tank....


----------



## MythicalBetta (Mar 20, 2017)

Oh, okay, thank you for catching that! Didn't realize cuttlebone was from saltwater, and many places I look they suggest using cuttlebone. I'll try to be sure that my snails get plenty of calcium from their food.

http://www.myaquariumclub.com/snail-jello-for-noobs-without-great-kitchens-2613.html

I used ten tablets that are 1000mg (basically Tums, different brand)

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-J320A using Tapatalk


----------



## MythicalBetta (Mar 20, 2017)

What I used is Equate antacid. The main ingredient is calcium carbonate. There is also dextrose, flavors, magnesium stearate, maltodextrin, starch, sucralose.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-J320A using Tapatalk


----------



## MythicalBetta (Mar 20, 2017)

If that isn't safe, I don't have anything to use for calcium in the food other than baby food and maybe veggies. 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-J320A using Tapatalk


----------



## Rainbo (Nov 23, 2015)

If you want to use the snello recipe, you can probably use pulverized egg shell as a source of calcium. Egg shell is what a lot of people use for calcium when they make homemade dog or cat food. How to Make Powdered Eggshell Calcium for Pets


----------



## MythicalBetta (Mar 20, 2017)

My friend and neighbor may have some reptile calcium. Would that work if they do have some?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-J320A using Tapatalk


----------



## MythicalBetta (Mar 20, 2017)

What if I made snello without extra calcium? The calcium they receive could be from the other ingredients of the jello. Maybe I could wash off an egg shell really well and put some in the tank? Would that affect my other fish? 
I could also get dandelion greens and add a little to the snello as I heard that dandelion greens have high calcium content. 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-J320A using Tapatalk


----------



## MythicalBetta (Mar 20, 2017)

My dad said the snails are here, he will be bringing them home later today. I want to make sure the food I make is good for them.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-J320A using Tapatalk


----------



## MythicalBetta (Mar 20, 2017)

I might make snello with no extra calcium added and instead make some calcium powder with eggshells amd sprinkle a little in the tanks. 

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-J320A using Tapatalk


----------



## MythicalBetta (Mar 20, 2017)

Snails are here! Super cute. Only one is fully out of its shell (been here for 3 hours maybe). Need snail food input.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-J320A using Tapatalk


----------



## Falcon (Jan 9, 2008)

they eat anything off the bottom. after talking with a girl at the lfs last night, she just feeds them a tums each week for calcium. a quarter piece per snail.....

she's been doing that for a year with no ill effects.....


----------

