Snail Food

[JassyR]

I got some ramshorn snails last minute from someone giving them away for free. They are happily in their new tanks right now, and I have fed them some blanched veggies and algae wafers. However, I've been in search for calcium chips for their shells, and I can't find any! Do any of you know where I can get some or if they are necessary?

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Spinach, collards, and sweet potatoes are all fairly high in calcium, if you want to feed them. If you want to add calcium to the water, you could try adding some oyster grit to their filter, of get a piece of cuttlebone from the pet store and float it in the tank. I'm not sure how effective that is, but it should help.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Snails will also eat anyway leftover food from feeding your fish.

 

[Slaphppy7]

I hope you like them, you'll have hundreds before long, they breed like mad.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

I hope you like them, you'll have hundreds before long, they breed like mad.

Tell me about it.

@JassyR, if you don’t want them to overpopulate very quickly, I recommend you remove them immediately.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

I hope you like them, you'll have hundreds before long, they breed like mad.

I don't think that's necessarily the case. The pond snails in my Sumatra tank are reproducing at a very manageable rate. I'm not sure why they explode in some tanks and stay under control or even die out in others. Feeding schedules, water chemistry, allelochemicals, other factors? Some people insist that MTS won't take over the world if you don't over-feed...but I think there's more to it than that. This calls for a scientific study!

 

[JassyR]

@JassyR, if you don’t want them to overpopulate very quickly, I recommend you remove them immediately.

I plan on giving them their own seperate tank once I have the funds

 

[PheonixKingZ]

I plan on giving them their own seperate tank once I have the funds

You won’t be able to remove all of them from your main tank, once they start breeding. That was my concern.

 

[Slaphppy7]

You won’t be able to remove all of them from your main tank, once they start breeding. That was my concern.

Yep.
Eggs are being laid as we type.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Yep.
Eggs are being laid as we type.

Fertile little critters. Someone needs to have "that talk" with them, I guess.

 

[Slaphppy7]

Fertile little critters. Someone needs to have "that talk" with them, I guess.

Apparently, they already have, but the little buggers didn't listen...

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Kids these days.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Kids these days.