Chalk for snails. Achatina feeding. Little Achatina - care

Achatina are unpretentious, omnivorous snails. They eat both plant foods (fruits, grass, herbs, mushrooms) and animals (gammarus, daphnia, bone meal and milk). However, be careful with different food experiments, as the wrong diet can cost your pet's life.

What can you feed Achatina

Snails prefer vegetables to berries and fruits.

Lettuce leaves are the snail's favorite food. They do not spoil for a long time and they can be used as an “edible” plate by spreading other vegetables or nutritional supplements on the leaves.

What foods are prohibited for snails

SALT is certain death for the snail

Why does a snail need calcium.

Eggshells are an ideal source of calcium.

Raw shells are softer and better absorbed by the snail than boiled ones. Washed and dried raw shells can be ground in a coffee grinder (about 7 seconds), crushed in a mortar, or simply rolled several times with a rolling pin.

How to prepare calce mixture

• Buckwheat - 100 gr.
• Oat flakes (Hercules) - 100 gr.
• White rice - 80 gr.
• Wheat groats - 80 gr.
• Eggshell - 4 pcs.
• Food chalk - 30 gr.
• Soaked and dried cuttlefish or sepia shell.

In turn, grind all the ingredients in a coffee grinder or blender, then mix everything and put it in a dry, airtight container. The output of the calces mixture is about 800 gr. Read recipes for useful top dressings for the proper growth and development of the snail.

A complete food table for snails.

Experiment, offer your pets a variety of foods, they themselves will tell you which foods they like best.

The most popular are Achatina snails. These are real giant clams. If you provide them with proper care, nutrition, then they will grow large and will delight the owner for about a dozen years.

This article is intended for persons over 18 years of age.

Are you over 18 already?

Feeding snails is usually never a problem. The main thing is that the food is varied, fortified and healthy. Inexperienced owners are immediately interested in how often the mollusks need to be fed, as well as how long snails live without food. There are no clear guidelines on how many times a day to feed these pets. In general, once is enough, but it all depends on the individual characteristics of the snail species. It is better not to experiment, how much you can not feed the baby. But, experts say that grape clams can survive without food for 8 weeks, Achatina can generally be put into hibernation if you plan to leave for a long time.

It doesn’t matter if you bought a shellfish in a store or found it on the street, everyone’s favorite food is greens, fruits, vegetables. There is not much difference how to feed the mollusk in winter, spring, summer. At home, he always stays at the same temperature.

What grains can be fed to shellfish? The list of cereals, in principle, is large, most importantly, exclude semolina from the diet. Most shellfish are delighted with oatmeal, barley, corn grits. Put fodder chalk, which is rich in calcium, in a mixture of cereals.

b "> How to feed Achatina snails at home?

The huge African snail is known as Achatina. These are quite cute, friendly and calm clams that can live in a dry aquarium. With proper care and good nutrition, snails will be very comfortable living at home.

Little Achatina hatches from an egg completely helpless, but give her a little time, and the baby will grow and become stronger literally before your eyes. We will talk about what you need to regularly feed small and large Achatina a little later. Crumbs are born with a translucent body and two curls of the future shell. Therefore, it is customary to count the number of rings on the shell without the first two. Domestic snail Achatina grows really big and strong. Mollusks grow all their lives (10-15 years), but the most intensive period is the first two years. Achatina is often used for cosmetic purposes.

It is not necessary to feed Achatina very often, only at the moments of their wakefulness (most often evening and night). Sometimes mollusks may not wake up every day, but every other day. These creatures literally adore vegetables, fruits and greens. Snails eat both grass and cereals, mushrooms. Do not accustom Achatina to only one type of food. If from childhood they are given mainly only cucumber, then they can ignore the rest of the food.

Do not forget that calcium plays a major role in the structure of the shell. To make the shell strong and beautiful, let's eat eggshells, fodder chalk.

It often happens that children bring snails directly from the street. It is not so easy to persuade a child to part with a mollusk, and parents decide to leave a street snail at home. If you wish, you can catch a country, garden snail.

But in order for the creature not to die in the first days of home life, you need to know how to feed it and where to keep it. Land-based ordinary or forest mollusks need to be fed in much the same way as giant Achatina, just the portion sizes will be much smaller. Offer the clam lettuce leaves, various fruits and vegetables will gladly be used. Make sure the food is clean and as natural as possible. Remove leftovers immediately after the clam has eaten, otherwise spoiled food can harm your little friend.

Today, more and more aquarium, vine and ornamental snails are bred as pets. These creatures are completely unpretentious, you do not need to spend a lot of money and time on them. If you have an aquarium, then you can not do without ampoule. It is these mollusks that will help keep the area clean. But be very vigilant: ampoule is sometimes difficult to keep in one place. Often they run away from the water, die.

It depends only on you which snail you decide to get (river, field, earthen, Madagascar or American). All of them are beautiful and attractive in their own way. Teach your kids how to feed snails and they'll happily serve as hosts all the time!

Snail food

It is very important to choose the right food for your snail species and maintain a healthy diet throughout life. Wash store-bought products thoroughly before offering to little friends. Food should be absolutely free of additives!

Each type of snail differs in nutritional characteristics. We will look at some of them in detail. Enough has already been said about Achatina snails, now let's move on to the aquarium inhabitants.

d"> How to feed hatched Achatina snails?

Reproduction is a natural process in any living creature, and snails are no exception to the rule. But if you have baby Achatina in your house, you need to clearly know all the details of caring for and feeding crumbs.

Newborn Achatina cannot be picked up in the first days of their life, they are too fragile and defenseless. These creatures are only 5 mm long. But after three days, the cubs will be ready to begin adulthood. Their diet, in principle, will practically not differ from the parent. But, you should pay attention to the fact that kids especially love lettuce, cucumbers, zucchini. In order for the children to grow up quickly, place a raw egg shell in their home. Remember to spray the sides of the container or aquarium from time to time so that the clams have water to quench their thirst. It is not recommended to give a lot of soft food, the baby may suffocate in a piece of banana, for example. Best of all, at first, greens and finely chopped carrots will go.

Babies grow so fast that in just five months they can become larger than their parents. If you plan to raise a real giant, for example, for an exhibition, then immediately choose a suitable candidate among the kids. From the first days, provide the snail with the best nutrition and comfortable living conditions. Depending on the species, a snail can grow by 30-40 cm in six months!

If you love exotic animals, and especially all kinds of shellfish, then try to make friends with snails. These silent creatures are able to diversify your life, they will quickly become your good friends!

Proper care of Achatina snails at home is an important topic for lovers of exotic pets. These African beauties are considered the largest of the molluscs, have a shell up to 25 cm in size, a heart, kidney, lung, brain, and have conditioned reflexes. They are unpretentious, but some conditions must be met when caring for them.

Achatina - content

African Achatina snails are land snails, care and maintenance at home do not require increased hassle. Many aquarists consider them ideal domesticated pets. Achatina do not smell, do not bite, do not cause, do not require communication and walking, even on vacation or a business trip you do not have to worry about them - the snail will easily live alone for a week or two.

What is needed to keep Achatina snails?

For unpretentious Achatina, when kept at home, you will need a transparent container. Suitable Vessel:

• from plastic;
• from plexiglass;
• old glass aquarium.

To make the mollusk feel comfortable, the volume of the container must be at least 10 liters, if a family of snails lives in it, it means more. For fresh air to enter, the terrarium must be equipped with top covers with small holes through which the occupant cannot escape. Caring for Achatina snails at home - how to fill the container:

1. The bottom is covered with a layer of substrate 10 cm high, flower or pure peat is suitable. You can add sand, hazelnut shells or walnut cores to it. The substrate is needed so that the snail can burrow into the ground - they like to do this, they lay it there. Compost should be moistened a little with a spray bottle daily.
2. Additionally, large stones, snags, halves of coconut can be placed in the aquarium - snails will hide in them. Green vegetation (fern, ivy) will decorate the living area and become useful food for the inhabitants.
3. A plastic feeder with low edges and a drinker made of a plastic cap are placed in the vessel.

Temperature for keeping snails Achatina

African Achatina, when cared for and kept at home, will feel comfortable at a temperature of 20-30 ° C and a humidity of 80-95%. Similar conditions are close to their natural environment. Mollusk activity depends on sunlight, humidity and ambient temperature. They go for walks mainly at night or during the rainy season. If the gastropods climb up the walls, it means that their house has high humidity, they hide in the ground - it is very dry. The container must not be installed in direct sunlight and near heating devices.

Achatina care at home

Unpretentious domestic Achatina snails during care, in addition to maintaining optimal temperature and humidity, require cleaning the aquarium, balanced feeding, and care during the breeding of mollusks. Close attention should be paid to the pet's shell - it is his protection from diseases and external damage. When caring for Achatina snails at home, you can arrange water procedures for them:

1. Place a bath with non-cold water in the terrarium, there should not be much liquid in it in depth.
2. Occasionally give pets a warm shower, holding them in your hand over the sink for about 3 minutes.

Caring for Achatina snails at home - cleaning the terrarium:

1. The container is cleaned 2-3 times in 3 months.
2. Cleaning includes a complete wash and replacement of the substrate.
3. If the walls of the aquarium are covered with mucus (it is left by crawling gastropods) or an unpleasant smell is heard from it, an unscheduled cleaning is necessary.

Achatina care in winter

The giant Achatina snail requires special attention during care and maintenance in winter. In the cold season, at low temperatures and insufficient humidity in the terrarium, the mollusk can fall into suspended animation - hibernation, while it closes the shell with a protective film. Many breeders do not recommend letting Achatina hibernate for more than 2 months, otherwise the individuals may die.

For young animals, suspended animation is generally harmful - they have a period of active growth and need to constantly eat well. To wake up a pet, it is recommended to hold it under a stream of warm water or just sprinkle it. In a few minutes, he himself will crack the protective film and show himself into the light. In order for the snail not to hibernate, the recommended temperature and humidity must be in the dwelling.

Achatina - shell care

Large Achatina snails need special care for the shell, you need to pay attention to the following points:

1. For good growth and development, the mollusk must receive a sufficient amount of calcium. Otherwise, the pet may start having problems with the shell - it will begin to exfoliate, become fragile, and the snail itself will not reach the gigantic size for which it is so famous. The inhabitant also needs calcium if she is pregnant or her shell is damaged. Chalk, powdered eggshells or sepia, a mineral stone for birds, are used as top dressing.
2. Another common problem is chipped and cracked shells. Sometimes a mollusk crawling along the upper edge of the house falls down, which can lead to shell injury. In this case, it is necessary to treat the damaged area with an antiseptic and put the pet in a separate vessel so that it does not rub against its relatives (Achatina like to do this).

Achatina eggs - care

When caring for Achatina snails at home, you need to know that these mollusks are hermaphrodites. Each individual has both female and male genital organs and, having reached the age of 6-7 months, they can reproduce. To produce offspring, a pair of adults are placed in a separate vessel for a week. Achatina are hyper-fertile, they bury their eggs in the ground approximately 2 weeks after mating. A clutch can contain 50-400 eggs at a time. Their size is 4-5 mm, they resemble chicken ones in shape.

Many breeders care for Achatina masonry in a separate container. They shift them with a plastic spoon into a separate transparent vessel and sprinkle with a 1-2 cm layer of soil so that the adults who are always digging do not harm the offspring. The substrate and walls of the vessel must be irrigated daily, the container should be closed with a lid. The development of eggs occurs at a temperature of 25-27 ° C and a humidity of 70%, it is important to avoid fluctuations in the values ​​of these indicators.

Newborn Achatina snails - care

African newborn Achatina snails, the clutches of which were cared for in comfortable temperature conditions, are born a month after fertilization. The egg shell becomes thin, all the calcium from it goes to the formation of the shell of babies. In the process of birth, the mollusk separates and tries to get out of the ground. In this case, it is advisable to dig the soil around the masonry to help the newborns get out. For the first few days, snails finish eating the remains of their shells.

Little Achatina - care

The basic principles of caring for Achatina small:

1. A food container of 8-10 liters can become a temporary home for newborn snails; they do not need a spacious dwelling.
2. There must be holes in the lid of the container so that air can get inside.
3. In the first few months, it is best to place a thermometer and hygrometer in the container. The optimum temperature for keeping small Achatina is 25-27 ° C, humidity is 65-70%.
4. An incandescent lamp will help maintain the desired temperature, and a spray gun will help maintain the humidity.
5. For small Achatina, cabbage and lettuce leaves serve as soil. If they live in a terrarium with a substrate, then preference should be given to flower soil, coconut flakes. Moss, sand, sawdust and stones are prohibited.
6. It is better to put the container with the kids on a shelf or bookshelf, and not on the window.

What can you feed Achatina snails?

When caring for African Achatina snails at home, it is important to feed them correctly and in a timely manner so that the mollusk grows healthy and does not get sick. Their diet should consist of plant foods, mineral supplements and animal protein. Achatina - proper nutrition and care:

1. Diet basis: lettuce, dandelion, plantain leaves; various greens; shoots of vegetables and cereals.
2. Vegetables: cucumbers, spinach, pumpkin, carrots, zucchini, tomatoes, peas.
3. Fruits and berries: apples, pears, watermelons, melons, bananas, apricots, plums, strawberries, raspberries, cherries.
4. Proteins: mashed meat products, fish food, meat and bone meal, boiled egg.
5. Mineral supplement: feed chalk, eggshell, small shrimp, special reptile mixes, sepia.

There are a number of foods that are forbidden to give to snails. Salt poses a mortal danger to them. It is necessary to ensure that in its pure form and in large quantities it does not get into their diet. It is forbidden to give gastropods spices, sweet, smoked, spicy or sour foods, fried foods. Pasta, raw potatoes and citrus fruits should also be discarded, the latter do not have a very good effect on the pet shell.

How to feed Achatina in winter?

In the cold season, the diet of shellfish should not be scarce. Winter food consists of: oatmeal, wheat bran, bread soaked in milk. Complement the menu with bananas, beets, carrots. Most snail breeders grow green grass on their window sills, which they sell in cat veterinary shops. Many people do not know if it is possible to feed Achatina with canned products. The answer is no, salt has a bad effect on the health of the pet. Pickled vegetables are best replaced with frozen ones from the supermarket, defrosting them before feeding;

How to feed small snails Achatina?

1. For the first few days after birth, a few lettuce leaves sprinkled liberally with eggshells or chalk are enough for them.
2. After a week, chopped greens, grated vegetables, calcium and grain mixtures, ground in a coffee grinder, should be added to the kids' diet.
3. They need minerals for growth and the formation of a beautiful and strong shell. Vegetable protein will help to form a healthy shellfish faster.
4. From the second week of life, animal protein can be added to the menu.
5. Starting from the age of one month, grated fruits and vegetables are replaced with sticks.

How many times to feed Achatina?

If an African Achatina lives in the house, nutrition and care for it must be done correctly. better in the evening, because these mollusks are nocturnal creatures and in the evening they become active. For adults, one feeding per day is enough, it is allowed to give them food every other day. Young animals need to be provided with round-the-clock access to food. Food should not be placed on the ground, so that it does not mix with the substrate and does not deteriorate, does not become moldy. For food, you need to use a bowl or, in extreme cases, a lettuce leaf.

Achatina snails - vegetarians

We continue to tell you on the pages of our website about exotic pets of our house and. In our previous publications, we talked about how to properly care for such snails and about why and why. If you remember, very often in view of the wrong diet Achatina and begin to hurt. That is why, we decided to dedicate this publication to the question of the correct diet for shellfish.

So, what to feed Achatina snails? Let's find the answer to this question together...

The diet of Achatina snails

The basis of the diet of Achatina snails

The basis of the diet of Achatina snails can be lettuce leaves (all types), a variety of greens, shoots of cereals and vegetables, and even beet tops. Many Achatinas love Chinese cabbage. Also, make sure to include cucumbers, pumpkin, spinach, carrots, zucchini, young corn on the cob, tomatoes, peas and cabbage in the main diet of the clam.

As for fruits, it can be apples, watermelons, pears, bananas, melons, apricots, mangoes, avocados, pineapples, plums, cherries, strawberries and raspberries.
However, get ready for the fact that the Achatina snail in matters of nutrition can be a little capricious - give preference to some products, and neglect others. Here you will have to adapt to your shellfish, although attempts to diversify the diet with permitted fruits and vegetables should not be abandoned.

How to feed a snail

You can cut soft vegetables and fruits into slices, while hard foods are best grated or mashed. Make sure food is at room temperature when you feed it to your snails.

What not to feed snails

Many snails love strawberries

There are a number of products that are forbidden to give Achatina snails. And, you, as a loving owner of your clam, must definitely learn it by heart. So, first of all - salt poses a mortal danger to snails. Make sure that salt in its pure form or as an addition to the main dish does not get into the diet of the snail.

It is also forbidden to give these crumbs human products from your table, spices, fried foods, sweet, sour, smoked foods and spicy dishes. As for eggs, pasta, they are also included in the list of products under the ban.

Regarding citrus fruits, the opinion of the owners of Achatina snails is divided - some believe that it is better not to give them at all, while others argue that they can be given, but under supervision. Why such a controversy, you ask? The fact is that acids found in citrus fruits - lemons, tangerines, oranges - have a destructive effect on the shell of a mollusk and can cause damage to it. Ah, this is a serious problem. So, if you are interested in our opinion, then it is better to refuse citrus fruits too.

Mineral nutrition of Achatina snails

• In order for your snail to be healthy and grow, it needs calcium. This is especially true for snails at an early age, which are actively growing. So, until they are 1 year old, try to provide them with this element as much as possible. After - the need for calcium is somewhat reduced, but still remains relevant.
• In the event that the Achatina snail still does not receive the amount of calcium it needs for growth and development, it may start to hurt, it may begin to have problems with the shell - it may exfoliate, become fragile, and the snail itself will not reach large sizes for which African snails are so famous.
• Also, you should especially ensure that the snail receives the calcium it needs in cases where the Achatina has shell damage or is pregnant.
• As a calcium supplement, you can use natural chalk or eggshells (from raw eggs) ground into powder. Also, you can give her sepia - a mineral stone for birds. If you give the Achatina snail a pharmacy version of calcium, make sure that it does not contain sodium. It is very important.

Natural proteins in the snail diet

Proteins of animal origin are also necessary for the Achatina snail for normal growth and development. Therefore, you can pamper your clam with mashed meat products, fish food. However, make sure that all these meat protein supplements do not contain salt in their composition, otherwise you will simply kill the poor snail.

It is also important to remember that meat dishes are only an addition to the main diet, which is plant foods, and not vice versa.

Achatina snail feeding regimen

Feed the snails in the evening

It is better to feed Achatina snails in the evening, since these mollusks are nocturnal creatures, and it is in the evening and at night that they become active. For adults, Achatina will need 1 feeding per day, while young snails should be provided with unhindered and round-the-clock access to food.

In no case do not make such a mistake as putting food directly on the ground - use a special bowl or tray for this. In extreme cases, the role of a “plate” can be played by a leaf of lettuce. Remember that due to the atmosphere inside the terrarium, the food in it deteriorates faster, therefore, so that you do not encounter such unpleasant phenomena as flies, mold, unpleasant odors, food residues must be removed a few hours after feeding to prevent the start of processes decay and their mixing with the substrate. Thus, you will maintain not only cleanliness in the terrarium of the snail, but also take care of its health.

By the way, if you have small Achatina - before throwing away the remnants of leafy food, be sure to carefully inspect them so as not to inadvertently throw away a tiny Achatina with them.

Many parents who choose a pet for their child stop at snails. These animals feel great at home, and are also not very whimsical in food and care. You can leave home for a week, leaving your pet food for all this time and he will not be lost without you. However, like any other animal, the snail must eat properly. This begs the question: how to feed snails at home? Let's take a closer look at this issue.

Achatina

Achatina is one of the most popular snails that people have at home. How to feed Achatina snails? The answer is simple, like any other snail, Achatina needs plant foods, such as:

• cabbage,
• greens,
• cauliflower and broccoli,
• lettuce

Achatina also love fresh vegetables. They will like:

• cucumbers,
• carrot,
• zucchini,
• as well as boiled potatoes.

You can also offer your pet boiled fish and lean meat.

Grape snails

No less popular than. So what do you need to feed grape snails at home? Grape snails, like Achatina, love greens and vegetables. In addition, they are very fond of fruits and berries. They really like

• Strawberry,
• bananas,
• pineapples,
• grape,
• as well as watermelons and melons.

In general, almost all land snails have the same diet, however, it can be expanded through mixtures of seeds, cereals and ground grains.

River snails.

Basically, river snails are needed in aquariums, where they live quietly with fish. The question is, what can you feed them? The nutrition of these snails will be slightly different from the previous ones. River snails can be fed fish food, algae tablets, chopped vegetables, and broad leaves.

When to Give Food

There is a misconception that snails can only be fed once a week. It is not true. The animal, of course, will survive, but will grow poorly. It is better to give food in small portions in the evening of each day. Why in the evening and not in the morning or afternoon? In the evening, the snail is most active, so this time of day is the best for feeding.

How to feed a snail

Cooked food should not be placed on the ground; this requires a plate or stand. Remove uneaten food before bed so it doesn't spoil overnight. In the place where the snail lives, you need a compartment for water. The liquid in it should be no more than a centimeter, otherwise the snail will drown. When cooking, hard foods should be made into a pulp, while fruits and some soft vegetables can simply be cut into small pieces. Food should be at room temperature, as well as fresh and washed.

What not to feed a snail

First of all, you can not give anything salty and fatty. Otherwise, you will poison your pet. You should also exclude snails from your diet: spicy and spicy foods, as well as sweets. In no case should snails be given citrus fruits, because they contain acid that destroys their shell.

We hope that we have fully answered the question of what to feed snails at home, and if you still have questions, feel free to ask them in the comments to the article. Remember, the main thing is that the snails feel comfortable in your house, and then they will live and delight your eyes for a very long time. Proper nutrition is the key to all this.