How to Set Up a Natural Environment for Pet Snails
Pick a tank to house your snails in., Add a layer of pesticide free substrate., Collect some decorations for your tank.This list is not exhaustive; there is a huge range of items that you can add to your tank to make it your own., Add supporting...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Pick a tank to house your snails in.
This can be any size or shape, but it should be well ventilated, secure and large enough to house the amount of snails and the structural designs that you want to include.
Fish tanks work well, or you can use Exo Terra Terrariums which are slightly more expensive but have integrated design features that work well for housing snails.
If you are going to use a fish tank, you may want to consider getting a backing to cover any wires that you may have (for lights etc) and to give added depth to the tank. -
Step 2: Add a layer of pesticide free substrate.
For this, you can use compost from a garden centre, but be sure to check that it does not have any added chemicals which could harm your snails.
Coir substrate is a good option, as it is a safe alternative to compost and is packed in a compact brick format, which is easy to store.
Remember, if you are going to plant live plants in your tank, you should make the substrate deep enough to allow them to root and flourish. , Whatever you do, remember to be respectful of the area that you are collecting from, to be aware of what items are toxic to you and your snail and to clean any found items carefully.
Here is the list:
Ceramics or Pottery (e.g. terracotta plant pots) Groundcover (Mosses)- If you are going to use live mosses, you can collect them from woodland or forest areas, but remember to be respectful of your environment.
Never collect too much moss from one single area and be cautious about where you are putting your feet.
If you are not looking, you could disturb or damage other habitats whilst you are out collecting.
Bark and Logs- Again, remember to be respectful.
There is no need to break pieces of live trees and plants, there are plenty of sticks and bits of old bark that can be found.
You can also carefully boil or bake any bits of wood that you find, in order to remove any harmful fungi/ bacteria etc.
Live plants- You can leave these plants in pots, or you can plant them directly in the terrarium/tank.
If you do choose this option, remember to pick plants that will survive best in the habitat you are providing them.
Low light plants are often best for indoor setups and there are many species available for bottle gardens etc that work very well in snail tanks.
Be aware that your snails may eat these plants and you may have to replace them after a while! , To make your new setup as close to the real thing as possible, it is sometimes nice to add other organisms such as woodlice and earthworms to keep your tank clean and tidy.
These can easily be found in your back garden or local green space.
This step is not essential, but it does mean that you will significantly cut down the chances of developing moulds or fungi within your tank.
These cultures are self sufficient and will maintain their numbers on their own, so you don't have to do any more or less with or without them. , This is the fun part! Once your tank is fully set up and established, you can go out and collect snails.
Snails prefer damp, dark places and will often come out in great numbers at night or after rainfall.
When picking up a snail, be gentle.
Never pull a snail off an object by its shell if it is stuck hard, or you could injure it.
Gently ease your snail off the surface and if you can't remove them easily, don't keep trying.
There are always more snails out there to find. , Snails prefer the damp and will remain in their shells if the environment is too dry.
Water any plants that you have when required, but don't overdo it.
If you have decomposer species in the tank, they may drown if you overwater and the tank remains permanently soggy. , Although there are live plants in the tank, your snails may not be eating them, so it is important to give your snails enough to eat.
Cabbage and lettuce works well, but beware of Iceberg lettuce, as it is too watery and has no nutritional value
- it's not worth feeding them. , There will be some waste that is not broken down, especially if you don't have support organisms in your tank.
Regularly remove this waste to prevent your tank from smelling or looking dirty. -
Step 3: Collect some decorations for your tank.This list is not exhaustive; there is a huge range of items that you can add to your tank to make it your own.
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Step 4: Add supporting organisms.
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Step 5: Collect snails.
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Step 6: Regularly mist the tank with water.
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Step 7: Feed your snails.
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Step 8: Clean up after your snails.
Detailed Guide
This can be any size or shape, but it should be well ventilated, secure and large enough to house the amount of snails and the structural designs that you want to include.
Fish tanks work well, or you can use Exo Terra Terrariums which are slightly more expensive but have integrated design features that work well for housing snails.
If you are going to use a fish tank, you may want to consider getting a backing to cover any wires that you may have (for lights etc) and to give added depth to the tank.
For this, you can use compost from a garden centre, but be sure to check that it does not have any added chemicals which could harm your snails.
Coir substrate is a good option, as it is a safe alternative to compost and is packed in a compact brick format, which is easy to store.
Remember, if you are going to plant live plants in your tank, you should make the substrate deep enough to allow them to root and flourish. , Whatever you do, remember to be respectful of the area that you are collecting from, to be aware of what items are toxic to you and your snail and to clean any found items carefully.
Here is the list:
Ceramics or Pottery (e.g. terracotta plant pots) Groundcover (Mosses)- If you are going to use live mosses, you can collect them from woodland or forest areas, but remember to be respectful of your environment.
Never collect too much moss from one single area and be cautious about where you are putting your feet.
If you are not looking, you could disturb or damage other habitats whilst you are out collecting.
Bark and Logs- Again, remember to be respectful.
There is no need to break pieces of live trees and plants, there are plenty of sticks and bits of old bark that can be found.
You can also carefully boil or bake any bits of wood that you find, in order to remove any harmful fungi/ bacteria etc.
Live plants- You can leave these plants in pots, or you can plant them directly in the terrarium/tank.
If you do choose this option, remember to pick plants that will survive best in the habitat you are providing them.
Low light plants are often best for indoor setups and there are many species available for bottle gardens etc that work very well in snail tanks.
Be aware that your snails may eat these plants and you may have to replace them after a while! , To make your new setup as close to the real thing as possible, it is sometimes nice to add other organisms such as woodlice and earthworms to keep your tank clean and tidy.
These can easily be found in your back garden or local green space.
This step is not essential, but it does mean that you will significantly cut down the chances of developing moulds or fungi within your tank.
These cultures are self sufficient and will maintain their numbers on their own, so you don't have to do any more or less with or without them. , This is the fun part! Once your tank is fully set up and established, you can go out and collect snails.
Snails prefer damp, dark places and will often come out in great numbers at night or after rainfall.
When picking up a snail, be gentle.
Never pull a snail off an object by its shell if it is stuck hard, or you could injure it.
Gently ease your snail off the surface and if you can't remove them easily, don't keep trying.
There are always more snails out there to find. , Snails prefer the damp and will remain in their shells if the environment is too dry.
Water any plants that you have when required, but don't overdo it.
If you have decomposer species in the tank, they may drown if you overwater and the tank remains permanently soggy. , Although there are live plants in the tank, your snails may not be eating them, so it is important to give your snails enough to eat.
Cabbage and lettuce works well, but beware of Iceberg lettuce, as it is too watery and has no nutritional value
- it's not worth feeding them. , There will be some waste that is not broken down, especially if you don't have support organisms in your tank.
Regularly remove this waste to prevent your tank from smelling or looking dirty.
About the Author
Barbara Hill
Enthusiastic about teaching organization techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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