Terrarium for snails is a full-fledged house in which mollusks spend most of their time. That is why its creation needs to be given maximum attention. How to choose a house in which unusual land inhabitants will be fully protected from any external threats? How to equip a plastic container and a glass aquarium with your own hands? The answers to these questions are best found before a new pet appears in the house.
Capacity selection
A terrarium for snails needs to be purchased or made with their own hands without fail - they will not live in banks or in other containers. This can be a large aquarium or a plastic container with transparent walls, modified by hand. Necessarily need a cover to avoid unforeseen shoots of pets from the house created for them. It is believed that the minimum size of the ularia should exceed 45 × 25 × 25 cm.
You can not choose for snails an alternative to the aquarium in the form of a plywood box or a cardboard box. In any case, the walls of the container should be smooth, convenient for cleaning and handling.
Horizontal containers are suitable for almost all snails, but woody species need free space for lifting, they are bought or prepared with a vertically oriented tank.
Volumes
When purchasing a terrarium even for a very small pet, it is important to remember that mollusks grow throughout life and can reach 20 cm in length. Of course, too large a terrarium will add to the difficulties in the care and cleaning. The standard volume for 1 snail is calculated from the standard of 10 l or dm3. Neglecting this rule is not recommended, since a small tank will greatly worsen the conditions for keeping pets.
If the snails are small and grow no more than 5 cm in length, it is permissible to choose more compact containers.
Inside an oversized terrarium, they simply will not find food. It is recommended to choose terrariums having a simple rectangular or square shape, rounded glass aquariums will be a danger to snails.
Materials
When choosing materials for a terrarium in which snails will live, It is worth paying attention to the following options:
- glass;
- plastic;
- plexiglass;
- from plexiglass.
Each of these materials has its advantages and disadvantages, but in general they have no particular contraindications for use as the basis of a terrarium. If you want to avoid strong temperature extremes, you should give preference to options with low thermal conductivity. This property is possessed by polymeric materials - plastic, plexiglass.
Glass has its advantages - increased transparency, high mechanical strength and chemical resistance. All these characteristics make it possible to provide convenient care for the terrarium.
Besides, watching snails in such a tank is much more convenient and interesting. Increased light transmittance of the material provides the opportunity to maintain optimal conditions inside the tank.
In the pet store, you can mainly buy ready-made plastic terrarium, but for the snail will have to modify it, reduce the number of vents. Experienced breeders prefer to buy a regular container with a lid with a capacity of 18.5 liters in the hardware hypermarket and do it yourself at the right level and in any desired quantity. Among the disadvantages of this option are opaque walls that interfere with watching pets.
Glass terrariums are most often made to order. They are heavier, need careful handling. But you can get the capacity of the desired size and even configuration.
How to make ventilation?
When choosing an ordinary plastic container for clothes as a terrarium, you can make ventilation holes in it yourself. To do this, with a drill or a soldering iron, holes with a diameter of up to 5 mm are made in the walls of the container. Usually one row is located at the top, the other on the opposite wall above the layer of soil substrate. But immediately turn the container into a sieve is not necessary.
For starters, just one row will be enough. Then observation is carried out. If there are signs of waterlogging, exceeding the moisture level, you can drill a second row of ventilation holes.
It is worth considering the breed of snails when creating a ventilation system. If Achatina feels good even at 70% humidity, then woody species need 80-95% for a comfortable existence. With quick drying of the soil, just glue several holes and adjust the humidity level.
Suitable soil
When arranging a terrarium for land snails, it is extremely important to provide them with high-quality litter that regulates the microclimate and provides the necessary shelter. The concept of "soil" is very arbitrary, since the nutrient substrate can be used differently. Sand, sawdust, needles categorically not suitable for these purposes, capable of injuring the pet’s delicate body with their sharp particles.
The best option is the use of coconut substrate or peat. These bedding options are safe, but require prior preparation for use. Specialized soil for snails from a pet store is also suitable.
If it is not possible to purchase ready-made substrates, you can use ordinary garden soil.
After preliminary processing in the oven (you need to keep it for 20-30 minutes at a temperature above 100 degrees), the earth will be completely safe for future use.
Some snail breeders use leaf litter as litter. It is used alone or in a mixture with other types of soils. Foliage allows pets to bury in it, maintaining the necessary moisture and shadow throughout the day. When buying a ready-made floral substrate, you must make sure that there are no dangerous salts and nitrates in it.
The selected soil is poured into the terrarium in an even layer, the thickness of which is determined by the size of the cochlea itself.
On average, this is 2-12 cm, it must be borne in mind that the substrate layer should allow the pet to completely dig into it.
In the case of a coconut substrate, it is preliminarily prepared by soaking in boiling water, cooling, washing and slightly drying. It is recommended to lay soft moss on top of the soil, which allows you to keep your pet's body clean, regulating humidity and microclimate in the terrarium.
Arrangement and creation of necessary conditions
In order to properly equip a home terrarium for snails, it is very important to take care of creating a comfortable environment in it. It is important to consider the features of the pet’s life. It is better for woody species to buy a high terrarium, for all the rest it will be enough to use the usual horizontal one with a wall height equal to the width.
Water and air
Despite the fact that land snails breathe atmospheric air, humidity parameters of the environment are also important for their comfortable well-being. Of course, these mollusks do not need a daily shower, but the atmosphere inside the terrarium should be humid. To monitor the state of the environment inside the tank, you need to place a hygrometer and a thermometer. Standard parameters for keeping snails:
- air temperature - from +25 to +27 degrees;
- humidity - 75-90% (the highest is needed for wood snails).
In order to ensure the flow of fresh air, it is necessary to make the necessary ventilation holes in the terrarium.
In a glass aquarium, a mesh top is mounted on the frame with additional snap fasteners.
The temperature in the terrarium should not be allowed to fall below +12 degrees, because under these conditions the snails can go into hibernation. As a heat source, you need to use thermal mats or cords, special lamps. You can not put the terrarium directly on the heat source, it is better to place it on the wall near the battery.
The snail breeder also has to maintain optimal humidity conditions inside the tank manually. Moisture is sprayed using a flower sprayer. This procedure is carried out 1-2 times a day.
Drinking bowls and feeders
The drinker for snails most often plays the role of a swimming pool or pool, so it must fully comply with safety requirements, be easy to wash and remove from the terrarium. But at the same time, inside the soil, the drinker needs to be sufficiently securely fixed, otherwise it will be easily displaced. It will be convenient to adapt for use for this purpose disposable plastic utensils without sharp edges, plastic or silicone lids for cans. Do not use glass, ceramic and any other rigid types of materials.
Decoration options
The terrarium used for keeping snails needs to be prepared and decorated. As a decoration, it’s not enough just to put a snag or place unpretentious plants. With the right approach, you can recreate the atmosphere of a spectacular rainforest full of exotic decorations inside.
Do not get the first scenery that comes across.
Any ceramic and clay decorations - pots, locks, imitation stones and snags are not recommended. A snail can hurt the body about such decor, in addition, with the active behavior of the pets, they will face damage to the carapace when dropped.
The best decoration of a tropical aquarium will be living vegetation. As a treat for snails, you can plant sprouted grains of wheat or salad. Pets will be happy to eat young growth. Succulents with thick fleshy stems, ferns, tradescans can be planted in the soil. They are diverse in shape, look spectacular, but are not of nutritional interest to the snail.
Sphagnum, as well as moss bumps, bark of deciduous trees, looks beautiful as scenery. As a shelter, you can use half the shell of a coconut, laying the soil next to the leaves of oak, birch. It can be placed inside the snag without sharp edges. Any decoration of natural origin must be pre-treated from bacteria and parasites.
Where to put the container?
Land snails are mostly nocturnal, preferring to hide from bright sunlight in the ground. That is why when choosing a place to install a terrarium, you should give preference to a shaded corner in which contact with direct sunlight is excluded.
It is not recommended to install it on window sills on the south side. Snails and drafts are dangerous, so they are best avoided so as not to provoke illness or death of pets.
Do not place the terrarium directly above the radiator or near the heater. Constant overheating can lead to the death of mollusks. Around the container, it is recommended to create artificial shading using lively indoor flowers or other decorations.
How to equip a terrarium for a snail, see below.
