Snail maintenance?

reignman40

reignman40

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Jun 15, 2005
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Spokane, WA, USA
Hello all. I am new to keeping snails in my aquarium and I hear that you need to add calcium to the tank to keep their shells healthy. Right now I have 4 Ramshorn Snails (2 Red and 2 Blue). I also have recently spotted 3-4 random hitch hikers, not sure what they are yet. My question is what is a good method to do this? I've heard crushed coral is a good way. Also how often, how much do I add. Do I just toss it in the tank? Are there other ways other then the crushed coral?

Thanks,
Curtis
 
A lot depends on how hard your water is to begin with. I target 80+ ppm calcium becasue below that I had trouble. You really don't need a test kit to decide whether or not to add calcium. The snail shells will show signs if calcium is low. they begin to get a white etched appearance, and this indicates the need for more calcium. if the snails are growing well and the shells stay thick with good color, I wouldn't mess with success. if they begin to get the etched look increase calcium quickly, and they will recover. If you wait too long the snails will die.

If you do need calcium, there are a lot of options that work.

Crushed coral is one. it can be bagged and put in the fitler, I'd start with about 1 teaspoon per 5 gallons and adjust accordingly. Fair warning though, Crushed coral also adds Kh and will cause your Ph to increase also. Additionally if your Ph is already high crushed coral will not dissolve rapidly if at all. the ratio of calcium to carbonate usually makes crushed coral better at adding Kh than it does at adding calcium.

Calcium Chloride is a good way to increase calcium without changing Kh or GH. Cacl is available at pool supply shops, and also comes in the form Of "driveway heet" ice melter available anywhere it snows in the winter.
Farmers use Cacl to add weight to tractor tires so a TSC or Farm Fleet store should also have it.

You can also supplement with high calcium foods such as Hikari Crab cuisine. Most foods designed for crabs, crayfish shrimp or lobsters will be very high calcium.

Also visit the bird department at your LPS and get some cuttle bone (also called cuttle fish bone) you can rubberband it to a rock and sink it somewhere in the tank. the snails will graze it for calcium as well.

That's all of the tricks I've tried so far and all seem to help, but calcium in the water column via Cacl has done the best for me.

BTW I've never seen a blue ramshorn, and would very much like to. If that is a correct I.D. I would be interested in purchasing offspring should you decide to sell some. PM me if you wish.
Dave
 
you can feed them cuttlebones. Cut a small piece off and drop it into the tank. Make sure it isn't powdered up when you put it into the tank or it'll cloudy up your water pretty quickly

i've also heard of people using Kent's Marine Calcium for snail shells

give it a try
 
Cuttlebone is not dense and is full of air. Dropping pieces in will do nothing, as they float. Secure a cuttlebone or a half-cuttlebone to a rocc with a rubberband just as daveedka suggested.

But first read your GH and KH, if the water is hard you likely don't need anything else. Just watch for signs of erosion on the shells.
 
I raise and breed apple snails. I put crushed coral in a media bag and stick it in the filter to help buffer/raise the PH of my water. (snails like it at 7.4 or above, but not much above 8.4). I also feed weekend feeders, as the plastery stuff holding the fish food together is full of calcium. Some people crumble human calcium pills into the filter. I also add kents liquid calcium (for marine life), about one drop per five gallons. (I add it a few times a week, almost daily when my females are laying tons of clutches as those take extra calcium to form...). For the ramshorns, likely your regular tank conditions are fine, and a small weekend feeder once in a while wouldnt' hurt things etiher. IF you are interested in more snail care info, there is some great stuff at www.applesnail.net, and a lively discussion board too.

Emily
 
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