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Post by koppite on Jan 10, 2010 16:50:05 GMT
what does everone use as theirs?
only had my tubs set up for just under a week and decided to get some peat, which i got at the garden centre, 65p for a small bag which does my for 2 tubs or 3 at a stretch.....
Also got some moss, and coco husk, but the latter seems to be disliked by the snails......
thinking acout coir, but the people wh use it do you mix it with anything or just use 100% coir?
Also, do you all re-use your substrate, do you just pick out the poo then bake it in the oven for half an hour or so? ........or do you find substrates cheap enough not to have to go through the hassle of baking it to re-use?
cheers ;D
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Post by crossless on Jan 10, 2010 18:01:13 GMT
I use peat too. I had once soil, I changed to peat for it's more available in markets. Sand in soil scratched tank and snails shells. In here coir and moss is so expensive that I would only use them in small tank or in some corner for decoration. Coir is lovely and very airy so it would be lovely try mix peat and coir togetter. Coir and moss can be used without mixin it to anything but it would look and feel interesting to mix peat and coir to togetter. No you can't reuse substrates! Snails need natural bacteria which is in peat and they eat it for better digestion. I change soil like every month or every two months depending when I remember. You can buy cleaning animals in tank so they will eat feces and old food bits then you don't need to change peat often. I'm lazy and don't pick up poo from peat. I just throw after use peat in freezer in container let it froze and take out let it melt and use it in my countryside cottages toilet compost as a "flush" and stuff. Yes peat and soil are the cheapest way to go I buy always (in Finland) one 65litres bag for 5euros, not much really.
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Post by snailcrazy on Jan 10, 2010 18:39:12 GMT
I just use coir and moss as my snails seem to prefer. I tried peat and compost from the garden centre but my snails spent most of their time on the roof and sides of the tank. I have found a local garden centre where I can get the coir block for 99p and the moss is a bit more expensive but I wash it out every so often and it lasts quite well. I also have springtails in my tank which are good for eating the poo. Think probably a lot of us on here have them. I know feebix has tropical woodlice which are good for keeping the tank clean.
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Post by crossless on Jan 10, 2010 19:13:26 GMT
I'm planning to buy some worms in my tank. I read that earth worms can't stand much heat and I'm my apartment is so hot in summer so I don't want to be all the time getting new worms. I read that in worm compost heap those worms can live higher in temperature near almost 30degrees celsius. In here you can get them from recycle centers next time I go near one I'll buy 5 of them and fed them good and let them free to snail tank after some time.
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Post by snailcrazy on Jan 10, 2010 19:27:12 GMT
Think feebs has worm in his tanks aswell. In fact feebs probably has loads of everything.
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Post by feebix on Jan 10, 2010 19:29:05 GMT
Correct. ;D lol
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Post by snailcrazy on Jan 10, 2010 19:36:28 GMT
Feebs is also very modest.
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Post by koppite on Jan 10, 2010 19:50:55 GMT
might see if i can find some cheap coir, i can get a BIG bag of moss for a tenner Jo - what are springtails? - I have a problem with creepy crawlies
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Post by crossless on Jan 10, 2010 22:07:32 GMT
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Springtail Here you go. They are tiny insects which eat rotten poo and old food. They are really common in damp terrariums and vivariums keeping soil clean. If happens that you ran out of soil you can temporary use moist folded towels as substrate and change it once week or then when is starting to smell and wash it after use. I think use towel in quarantine tanks, much easier than put soil in there. If happens that you put loads of soil for sick snail and it dies soon or get well so you need to anyway throw it out right away. So towels are easier to change then. But in "actual tank" I would not use towel until someday is that I ran out peat day. Remember substrates needs to be always fertilizer free so it won't do harm to snails eat it.
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Post by feebix on Jan 10, 2010 22:08:46 GMT
You really don`t need everything straight away, you`ll get there soon enough Springtails are tiny little insects that eat the snail food and poo. They occur naturally as well as being introduced, there`s not much you can do about it without keeping your tanks too clean which is a bad thing. Creepy crawleys are little helpers ;D and yes, I`m as modest as they come ;D
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Post by koppite on Jan 11, 2010 7:29:22 GMT
You really don`t need everything straight away, you`ll get there soon enough Springtails are tiny little insects that eat the snail food and poo. They occur naturally as well as being introduced, there`s not much you can do about it without keeping your tanks too clean which is a bad thing. Creepy crawleys are little helpers ;D and yes, I`m as modest as they come ;D you'd be surprised when they see me coming with the food how fast they come over....for a tortoise....... sory, no, mine don't have a hamster wheel, they're too upper class for that, and prefer the treadmill
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Post by feebix on Jan 11, 2010 10:39:07 GMT
Wrong thread ! lol Feebo doesn`t need confusing lol ;D
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Post by koppite on Jan 11, 2010 12:27:17 GMT
me thinks i need the chuffin morphine - i knew i wrote it some where, thats what you get with 1 eye on the comp and 1 on our 18month old little luvlie, who has now found the art to 'climbing' aarrrggghhhh
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Post by AlienSnail on Jan 11, 2010 14:32:39 GMT
me thinks i need the chuffin morphine - i knew i wrote it some where, thats what you get with 1 eye on the comp and 1 on our 18month old little luvlie, who has now found the art to 'climbing' aarrrggghhhh Oooh now that's a fun stage Good luck!
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Post by stixandsnailsyork on Apr 17, 2010 20:36:52 GMT
Hi All i am using orchid bark at the minute for my 3 4 foot vivs and coir for my smaller tanks does any one else use orchid bark? my local petshop said it was the best to use but i find it dries out to quick and no amount of spraying seems to get it damp enough all the way through. does any one have any ideas on how to keep it damper or some thing better to use?
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