Snailed It! Your Hub for Aquatic Snail Care

Aquatic snails: the focus and love of this blog. I started this blog to help streamline information for fledgling snailkeepers, and I want to promote helpful resources, so I'm taking some time today to shout out The Light Fish Blog and their article on black mystery snails . The owner of the site and blog, Miles Harrison, has over ten years of experience in the aquarium hobby. (You can check out his Instagram account  here !) The Light Fish Blog also has a thriving community site, which you can check out. It's always fun to meet and network with others in the hobby. (Note: I am not sponsored by The Light Fish Blog, thank you!) ************************************** I'll highlight a few key points in the article that I think are especially helpful and insightful.  "Their calcium-based shells have a traditional spiral pattern, and their eyes appear at the tips of their upper tentacles. It’s believed that these snails can see subtle differences in light, which they use to...

Hello, everyone, and welcome back to Snailed It! 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! 🐌) ************************************************* 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 invertebr...

The Shelled Sanctuary is an incredible rescue founded and operated by one individual dedicated to saving Giant African Land Snails (GALS) by providing them specialized care and by spreading awareness of their plight. In their own words, they are "a sanctuary for the loved, unloved, and misunderstood snails that get passed down to me due to rehomes, rescues, etc." Here are some excerpts from one of their posts that best sum up the sanctuary's mission: "These animals are far more than 'kids pets' like they are too often treated as, and deserve just as much respect as any other exotic animal. Giant african land snails, while beautiful, are often neglected to the point they die far earlier than they would naturally or with correct care, meaning many pass away before they are even 5 years old! This is partially due to incorrect care, accidental neglect, and also due to these lovely animals being marketed as 'children's pets' - something most children...

I always say that calcium is the key to optimal snail shell health, but...how does one actually go about supplementing it? Sure, there's suggestions on supplies to use; yet, there's not often much clarification about how to use them. When I first began snailkeeping, I was totally lost when it came to calcium supplementation.  Little lady is thrilled about all this calcium! For my beginner snailkeepers, this simple guide will show you four easy ways to ensure your aquatic snail is getting all the calcium they need.  Before we begin, I personally recommend supplementing calcium in both water and diet.  With that, let's dive in! (Note: I am not sponsored by any brands I mention, nor am I affiliated with any sources I recommend. Thank you!) Cuttlebone A delightful tortoise enjoying some cuttlebone. Credit: Richard Mayer, de.wikipedia, (CC BY-SA 3.0)   Snails require calcium carbonate to promote healthy shell growth. Cracked shells are a common sign of inadequate calcium...

Have you been considering adding a new snail friend to your family? Do you and/or your friends have a general interest in our shelly friends? Then please read this: The Starlight Snail Rescue  is an incredible operation run by dedicated Hannah C. "Hello! Here at Starlight Snail Rescue we rescue snails, slugs, and other small critters! We believe that snails deserve to be loved just as much as other animals! Another goal of mine is to educate people about snails and slugs. They are such fascinating and mysterious creatures. I think my love for them will never run out. — Hannah C. "           — excerpt from the Starlight Snail Rescue's homepage "Now from doctoring snails to finding them homes, I have officially opened my own snail rescue for snails, slugs, frogs, and so many other creatures! I hope you enjoy learning all about these creatures. Feel free to join me on my journey of helping animals one snail at a time."   — excerpt from the "About Us"...

  "What is this arm on my snail? Is he okay?" Among the most frequent questions I come across regarding aquatic snails include questions about anatomy — and rightfully so! Snails have very funky anatomy, sometimes mystifying both beginner and long-time snailkeepers. While we still have yet to fully understand how aquatic snails function, there's thankfully much that we do know. Today, I'll break down the components of aquatic snail anatomy, focusing on the mystery snail.  The mystery snail encompasses the anatomical structure present in each freshwater aquatic snail, hence my focus on this specific species. Lola, the master of balance! Siphon That question asked at the beginning usually pertains to the mystery snail. What is that little tube? Most initially guess either parasite or genitalia. You'll be relieved to know that it's neither. This is their siphon! I'll include this video I uploaded to my Instagram account for a fun summarization: My Siphon Vide...

In my last post,  I touched on the basics of ramshorn snail care. As I received a request to delve into their diet, I'd like to take the time to do so today. While I haven't owned them myself, I am very familiar with their care and needs after extensive research (I'm planning to buy some soon though!). I mention this just to note that I can't speak from personal experience, so any recommendations I make are based on research and second-hand accounts. I'll provide links to some of my sources below. Anyway, ramshorn snails are beautiful and lively additions to any tank. How are they best cared for? Let's dive in. credit: Eric A. Olson, Wikimedia, (CC BY-SA 2.5) (Note: I am not sponsored by any brands I mention, or any sources I recommend. Thanks!) Tank Size Ramshorns are best suited to tanks 3 gallons and above.  Tank Setup and Decor Pretty much anything goes! Live plants, silk plants, cute little pirates — the sky (or lid) is the limit! Of course, the same guidel...