How To Set Up a Natural Environment for Pet Snails
A pet snail can be a good pet for people with time to take care of it and limited space to keep one.It's easy to care for and look after snails, which make for a unique conversation piece.Maintaining a snail's habitat is as easy as feeding them, cleaning their home, and misting the enclosure every few days once their enclosure is set up.
Step 1: Pick a tank that is plastic or glass.
The tank should be at least 25 cm long and 18 cm high.The plastic or glass enclosure with a lid will keep the soil moist and reduce the chance that your snails could escape.If you keep the tank out of direct light, the snails will like it.The temperature of the habitat can be maintained by placing the tank away from sunlight.
Step 2: A deep layer of pesticide-free Substrate is added.
Check the pH level of the compost and make sure there are no added chemicals that could hurt your snail because compost from a garden center works well.The bottom of the tank is about 8 cm deep and should be moistened with a water spray bottle.If you want to add live plants to your tank, you'll need to make it deeper.Check the requirements for your plants to make sure you have enough room to grow.If you plan on using soil from your garden, leave the soil in the fridge or freezer overnight to kill any small organisms.
Step 3: The tank should be covered with a ventilated lid.
There should be a few holes in the lid for the tank.Carefully carve out a window in the lid if it doesn't.To stop outside bugs from entering the tank, cover the holes with mosquito nets.You don't need to worry about laying nets over the holes in the lids if they come with holes already cut out.
Step 4: The soil needs to be moist but not soaked.
The soil should not be muddy or wet.If you want the soil to feel soft, spray some water over it.The humidity level should be maintained by spraying water in the tank.If the tank feels damp, add more holes to the top lid.To maintain the environment's humidity, you may need to keep the tank moist more often than once or twice a day.As long as it's covered by nets, your snails won't be able to escape and a large hole is preferable to small holes.
Step 5: There are garden-themed decorations for your tank.
There are a lot of things you can add to your tank to make it look better.If you want to raise the pH of the soil, you should avoid items such as painted pots or water bowls, as snails don't need a dish to get water and may drown in the bowl.Some suggestions for decorations to add to the snail habitat include Plain ceramics or unpainted pottery for your snail to use as a home, various sizes of rocks to hide amongst Bark and branches, small statuettes, and a broken plate.
Step 6: Live plants make the habitat look natural.
You can either plant them directly in the soil or leave them in pots.Plants that thrive in the same conditions as snails can be found in low light plants.If your snails eat the plants, you may have to replace them.Ivy, which grows quickly and is usually avoided by snails Moss, adds a bed of green to the soil and provides something for your snail to eat.
Step 7: Support organisms such as pill bugs and earthworms.
Other organisms such as earthworms, pill bugs, and woodlice will clean and maintain the soil in addition to making the habitat feel and look more natural.Earthworms, pill bugs, and woodlice break down the soil, while the bark and natural additions to the tank enrich it.While earthworms, pill bugs, and woodlice are good for the tank, just about any small bug can be found in your back garden or your local natural area.While you don't have to add other bugs, they serve as natural barriers against fungi and will cut down on the chances of mold in the tank.
Step 8: The humidity levels should be maintained by misting the tank with water.
If the environment is too dry, snails will stay in their shells.When your plants need to be watered, take care not to over-soak the soil.If the soil feels moist and damp, don't spray the habitat.Don't use a spray bottle that was used for chemicals, instead buy a new bottle to protect your snails from harmful contaminants.If the tank becomes permanently soggy, the decomposer species may drown.
Step 9: You should give your snails an assortment of vegetables and fruit scraps.
If you want to use fruit and vegetable scraps as food, cabbage and green lettuce are good choices.Do not give your snails lemons as they will react negatively, instead give them non-citrus fruits like apples, bananas, and melon.Give your snail a source of calcium by adding some ground up cuttlefish bone to the habitat.You can find this in the bird section of your pet store.Try something else if the food is not eaten after a few days.It may take some trial and error to find something your snail likes to eat.
Step 10: You can clean up your snails' waste with gloves and a trowel.
If you don't have support organisms in your tank, there will be some waste that is not broken down.Your tank will smell or look dirty if you don't remove the waste.When handling this waste, wear gloves and use a small trowel to avoid being in contact with it.
Step 11: Place plain water on the sides of the habitat.
As your snails explore and climb around, the sides of the tank may start to accumulate snail waste.To reduce this build-up, simply wet a rag with regular water and wipe down the sides of the tank once a week.Chemicals are toxic to snails, so don't use them.
Step 12: If the soil is getting wet, replace it with something else.
As the snails and other organisms in the soil will naturally regulate and maintain its health, you won't have to replace the substrate at all.If the soil is too wet or moldy, remove the organisms from the habitat and place them in a small container with some dirt.If you have other organisms maintaining the soil, you won't have to do this very often.Make sure the soil is healthy and hydrated by checking it a few times each week.