Post by AlienSnail on Sept 4, 2010 22:36:16 GMT
Snails vary from species to species, and even between individuals so it's best to try them on a variety and get to know what they like. Please note that snails do well on a mixture of fresh and slightly spoiled food, it is best to let old food stay in the tank for a little while.
Generally speaking though:
Algae Flakes (well soaked untill thoroughly mushy - this can take hours - or at least it does with mine!)
Apple
Artichoke
Banana
Basil
Beans
Blueberries (cut in half so snails can get to the juicy insides)
Butternut squash (Cucurbita moschata)
Cabbage
Carrot (peelings are good, sometimes preferred)
Cauliflower
Celeriac (root celery)
Cherry
Clover
Courgette
Cress
Cucumber (a snaily favourite but has little nutritional value)
Dandelion Leaves
Dog Biscuits (some use Boneo brand - soak thoroughly and mash)
Fish Food Flakes (e.g. Goldfish Flakes - misted with water and served on top of their other food is good)
Leafy vegetables/salad in general - darker greens generally equates to better nutrition.
Lettuce (though people have found that snails are not keen on Iceburg Lettuce. Romaine is good to try)
Kale (Curly Kale has a high caclium content)
Kiwi
Mango
Marrow
Mushrooms
Nettle
Passion Fruit
Peach
Peas
Pears (ripe)
Pepper
Plantains (Musa paradisiaca - banana-like fruit) (when very ripe - totally black and mushy)
Plum
Potato (peelings are good to use)
Pumpkin seeds
Raisins
Spirulina
Strawberries
Sweetcorn
Sweet Potato
Tangerine
Tomato
Turnip
Watermelon
The following are wild plants and/or plants often grown in gardens. If you cannot positively identify it then it's best to leave it alone. Also, for nature conservation, you need to be certain that it is ok to pick certain plants. Most snail keepers will NOT have tried these plants with their snails, therefore PetSnails cannot recommend them.................
yarrow, henbane, thornapple, alyssum, aster, carnation, mums, hollyhock, larkspur, lily, nasturtium, pansy, petunia, phlox, sweet-pea, zinnia, rose, chive, leek, elder, camomile, bindweed, sorrel, radish, mulberry, mountain ash, magnolia, California boxwood, hibiscus, rape, nightshade berries, thistle, Plantains (ribwort and broadleaf plantains: Plantago lanceolata ( en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plantago_lanceolata )and Plantago major ( en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plantago_major )
All foods have their merits and a varied diet is best, but it's worth noting that Algae flakes, fish food and sweet potato are especially high in nutrients.
Calcium.
This is essential to add to your snail's diet, for proper bodily function, shell growth and for the proper development of eggs and embryos.
Sources include cuttlefish bone, limestone flour, liquid calcium sold for aquarium pets, crushed oyster shells, egg shells. Most captive bred snails do well on cuttlefish or limestone flour. Wildcaught snails often don't recognise it so you may have to sprinkle some limestone flour over their food.
Food safety for your snails: Some folk choose to give their snails mainly home-grown or organicially produced vegetables to avoid pesticides, and some folk simply buy standard produce and wash it well. These are points that you may wish to consider when choosing food for your snails.
Suggested ideas for providing fresh produce is to buy living plants and place them in the tank, or to plant seeds in there.
Fussy eaters Snails fed on a wide variety as hatchlings are not likely to be so fussy later. refrain from giving their familiar favourite food for a few days and give them something else, see if they eat it. You could try sprinkling their favourite food with damp fish flakes, then a few days later sprinkle something different with damp fish flakes.
Food to avoid - may be deadly
Onion and members of the Onion family
Salty food
Processed starch such as pasta, bread etc (the reason is that these foods may expand within the gut, causing a blockage, water retention, bloating and often death).
Caution required
Celery, Leek unsure - caution advised
Parsley, Spinach and Rhubarb(they're high in oxalates and can interfere with the intake of calcium, however it shouldn't harm to give it on odd occasions)
Grapefruit, Pomelo, Lime & Lemon - caution required due to the high citrus acid content
Avocado - unsure about his. People have given this to their snails without any noticeable problems, however it is poisonous to many animals ( en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avocado#Toxicity_to_animals )
Oxilate content - www.lowoxalate.info/recipes.html Scroll down to Food Lists to see PDF files to download
Snail Mixes
Basically you can vary the ingredients, you can use most cereal grains, Pumpkin seeds, Sunflower seeds, Hemp seeds Algae flakes, Fish food flakes
For further information please check out the diet section supersnails.proboards76.com/index.cgi?board=diet , a sub-board located within the Care section
Generally speaking though:
Algae Flakes (well soaked untill thoroughly mushy - this can take hours - or at least it does with mine!)
Apple
Artichoke
Banana
Basil
Beans
Blueberries (cut in half so snails can get to the juicy insides)
Butternut squash (Cucurbita moschata)
Cabbage
Carrot (peelings are good, sometimes preferred)
Cauliflower
Celeriac (root celery)
Cherry
Clover
Courgette
Cress
Cucumber (a snaily favourite but has little nutritional value)
Dandelion Leaves
Dog Biscuits (some use Boneo brand - soak thoroughly and mash)
Fish Food Flakes (e.g. Goldfish Flakes - misted with water and served on top of their other food is good)
Leafy vegetables/salad in general - darker greens generally equates to better nutrition.
Lettuce (though people have found that snails are not keen on Iceburg Lettuce. Romaine is good to try)
Kale (Curly Kale has a high caclium content)
Kiwi
Mango
Marrow
Mushrooms
Nettle
Passion Fruit
Peach
Peas
Pears (ripe)
Pepper
Plantains (Musa paradisiaca - banana-like fruit) (when very ripe - totally black and mushy)
Plum
Potato (peelings are good to use)
Pumpkin seeds
Raisins
Spirulina
Strawberries
Sweetcorn
Sweet Potato
Tangerine
Tomato
Turnip
Watermelon
The following are wild plants and/or plants often grown in gardens. If you cannot positively identify it then it's best to leave it alone. Also, for nature conservation, you need to be certain that it is ok to pick certain plants. Most snail keepers will NOT have tried these plants with their snails, therefore PetSnails cannot recommend them.................
yarrow, henbane, thornapple, alyssum, aster, carnation, mums, hollyhock, larkspur, lily, nasturtium, pansy, petunia, phlox, sweet-pea, zinnia, rose, chive, leek, elder, camomile, bindweed, sorrel, radish, mulberry, mountain ash, magnolia, California boxwood, hibiscus, rape, nightshade berries, thistle, Plantains (ribwort and broadleaf plantains: Plantago lanceolata ( en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plantago_lanceolata )and Plantago major ( en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plantago_major )
All foods have their merits and a varied diet is best, but it's worth noting that Algae flakes, fish food and sweet potato are especially high in nutrients.
Calcium.
This is essential to add to your snail's diet, for proper bodily function, shell growth and for the proper development of eggs and embryos.
Sources include cuttlefish bone, limestone flour, liquid calcium sold for aquarium pets, crushed oyster shells, egg shells. Most captive bred snails do well on cuttlefish or limestone flour. Wildcaught snails often don't recognise it so you may have to sprinkle some limestone flour over their food.
Food safety for your snails: Some folk choose to give their snails mainly home-grown or organicially produced vegetables to avoid pesticides, and some folk simply buy standard produce and wash it well. These are points that you may wish to consider when choosing food for your snails.
Suggested ideas for providing fresh produce is to buy living plants and place them in the tank, or to plant seeds in there.
Fussy eaters Snails fed on a wide variety as hatchlings are not likely to be so fussy later. refrain from giving their familiar favourite food for a few days and give them something else, see if they eat it. You could try sprinkling their favourite food with damp fish flakes, then a few days later sprinkle something different with damp fish flakes.
Food to avoid - may be deadly
Onion and members of the Onion family
Salty food
Processed starch such as pasta, bread etc (the reason is that these foods may expand within the gut, causing a blockage, water retention, bloating and often death).
Caution required
Celery, Leek unsure - caution advised
Parsley, Spinach and Rhubarb(they're high in oxalates and can interfere with the intake of calcium, however it shouldn't harm to give it on odd occasions)
Grapefruit, Pomelo, Lime & Lemon - caution required due to the high citrus acid content
Avocado - unsure about his. People have given this to their snails without any noticeable problems, however it is poisonous to many animals ( en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avocado#Toxicity_to_animals )
Oxilate content - www.lowoxalate.info/recipes.html Scroll down to Food Lists to see PDF files to download
Snail Mixes
Basically you can vary the ingredients, you can use most cereal grains, Pumpkin seeds, Sunflower seeds, Hemp seeds Algae flakes, Fish food flakes
For further information please check out the diet section supersnails.proboards76.com/index.cgi?board=diet , a sub-board located within the Care section