Puttin’ on the Ritz: How to Jazz Up Your Snail’s Tank Decor 🎷
Hello, everyone, and welcome back to Snailed It!
These betta leaf hammocks are also a lovely resting place for your snails. There's some colorful options online, too, if that's the aesthetic you're looking for.
When it comes to snailkeeping, the amount of "do's and don'ts" can feel overwhelming. There's so much that goes into keeping our snail friends happy and healthy! Today's topic focuses on a more lighthearted, fun aspect of snailkeeping: decor!
I've touched on setups before, but today, I'll focus on personalizing your tank. Safe and expressive are not mutually exclusive.
(Note: I am not sponsored by any brands I mention, nor am I affiliated with any sources I recommend. Thank you! 🐌)
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In my experience, key safety guidelines for tank ornaments can easily be summed up with the following points:
Guidelines for tank decor safety
- Paint — be wary of painted decorations. In my opinion, it's best to steer clear of these, as it's better not to risk the paint chipping off and polluting the water. The chemicals are highly dangerous to both fish and invertebrates.
- Open holes — this applies more so to fish, but it's best to avoid decor with small holes. Snails will try (and try) to cram into those small holes, scratching their shells. It depends on the species of snail, so observe and adjust accordingly.
- Sharp edges — Aquatic snails have soft feet; as with fish, you should avoid decor with sharp edges that could cut them. Check the decor by feel if shopping in-store, or if you're shopping online, be sure to read reviews.
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| Remove decor once/if your snails outgrow it. |
Bearing these in mind, we can now proceed to the fun part! Hooray!
Without further ado, let's dive into cool snail tank decor ideas!
Live plants
You can't go wrong with live plants! Different species like them for different reasons. Generally, snails eat decaying plant matter, so they'll leave the healthy parts of the plant alone. Live plants pack quite a punch: they help maintain water quality, they provide a safe space for ramshorns and bladder snails to lay their eggs, and they're a fun place to any snail to climb on!
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| This baby mystery snail loves this windelov fern! |
Silk/Artificial plants
If your green thumb doesn't translate to aquatic plants just yet, or if you prefer the aesthetic of artificial plants, then silk plants are an excellent alternative.
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| All snails love to climb! |
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| A baby bladder snail relaxing on this GloFish® plant. |
Similar to cats and cat trees, snails benefit from places to climb and survey their environment from. This form of enrichment is simple, yet engaging. Plus, it provides a platform for parasnailing (a form of play consisting of snails "jumping" off of surfaces and floating down). So long as the artificial plants are soft, they're generally a good, colorful fit for a snail tank. Natural-looking silk plants or artificial plants sporting loud, vibrant colors offer means to personalize your tank.
Terracotta pots
My snails love hanging out on and in this pot!
A cheap and adorably functional hiding space for your snails, genuine terracotta pots are a delightful addition to your tank. This applies to real terracotta; imitation terracotta pots will leach chemicals into your tank water, posing a severe threat to your favorite inverts. I'll link a guide to determining whether or not a pot is genuine terracotta at the end.
Note: do not add a previously-used pot to your tank.
Smooth stones
Smooth, reflective stones are a personal favorite among my snails, though admittedly, I'm not entirely sure why. My current theories are that they may see their own reflection, and/or that algae/food accumulates on them. Either way, the soft and cool feeling of the smooth stones are a dainty, delicate touch to the tank.
What do you think he sees?
Betta hammock
I discovered this one day after finding a spare hammock when reorganizing my supplies. Would a snail hang out on a leaf hammock? Turns out, yes, they will!
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| Hershel, ever the explorer, appreciating his new diving board. |
These betta leaf hammocks are also a lovely resting place for your snails. There's some colorful options online, too, if that's the aesthetic you're looking for.
Seasonal decor
DIY decor is a great option for anyone on a budget 🍬
Popular chain pet stores and online retailers alike sell a plethora of cute seasonal tank decor during the holidays. From tiny snowmen to Halloween cauldrons, this is a fun way to spruce up your tank and allow your snail friends to enjoy the festivities!
Bubbler
For my Pixar fans, do you remember the "Ring of Fire" featured in Finding Nemo? The majestic volcano bubbler will delight your snails for years to come!
Snails love bubblers. Many aquatic snail owners post videos of their snails enjoying a float in the bubbly stream. There's all sorts of cool bubblers, including tiny houses (with the bubbles coming from the chimney), pirate ships, treasure chests, and even dragons! In addition to the decor itself, you'll need an air pump and proper tubing, which you can easily find online or in chain pet stores.
Conclusion
So long as you follow general decor safety guidelines, there's so much you can do with a tank! It's fun to watch your style evolve as time goes by. Even snails like Malaysian trumpet snails benefit from decor to climb on and explore: having a variety of sizes in decor/plants achieves this. I hope you have a ton of fun setting up your snail's aquatic wonderland! If you're on Instagram, please feel free to tag me in photos of your tanks. I'd love to see your setup!