Pets Stack Exchange
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Questions tagged [snails]

Snails are molluscs living on land or in the water. Questions are about snails kept as pets. Land snails are usually kept in terrariums whereas water snails are kept in ponds or aquariums.

Snails are molluscs living on land or in the water. Snails have a shell they can retract their body into to escape dangers or to protect themselves from drying out. They move by contracting an elongated mucus-covered muscle called the foot.

Questions are about snails kept as pets. Land snails are usually kept in terrariums whereas water snails are kept in ponds or aquariums.

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How can I safely pick up a garden snail?

I have a pet garden snail who is fully grown, but still not very big. Sometimes I need to move my snail around for one reason or another, like for cage cleaning. But I'm afraid to pick snails up, because I'm afraid I might hurt them if I just try…
user43
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What are some effective non-chemical methods for controlling the snail population in an aquarium?

I always had problems with snails in my aquarium. They reproduce faster than I can remove them. Last time I had such problem it was solved by restarting my aquarium: took all the water of it, throw away plants, sterilized stones and wood with…
woliveirajr
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How do I determine the gender of a snail?

I have many snails, but I don't know how to differentiate between the males and females. Someone once told me there is no male or female; that all of them lay eggs. Is this true, and if not, how do I differentiate by gender?
user34
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Do freshwater snails in aquariums pose any harm to the fish in my aquarium?

Sometimes I have snails in my aquarium, and I have hard times getting rid of them. I was wondering, do they pose any harm to the fish in my aquarium? I mainly remove them because they are ugly and they eat some of my plants (my expensive plants).
woliveirajr
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Why don't cats eat snails?

We have plenty of snails in the garden, but the cat does not show the slightest interest in eating them - I wish he did! Even when he is hungry and I crush a big, fat snail and offer it to him, the cat just stares at it. I'm wondering if there is…
Karlom
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Are underwater snails strictly bound to 'under' the water?

I recently bought a little aquarium, which I stocked with live plants to create a sort-of-natural environment. I haven't stocked the tank with any fish at the moment, but I have noticed some tiny little snails. They must have been attached to the…
Cthulhu
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Is there a way to repair apple snail shell damage?

My snails have damage on their shells. I think they had a calcium deficiency, and ate each other's shells to make up for it. I've changed their diet, and things seem to be getting better. Now I'm concerned that their eaten shells are too weak and…
Richard C
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Would my fish benefit from snails in their pot pond?

"How do I know if there is too much algae in an outdoor fish pond or pot?" tracks the potential issues with too much algae in my fishes environment. I keep goldfish outdoors in large, ceramic pots, approx 50 cm in diameter x 80 cm tall. The pots…
user6796
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How long does it take for a snail to mature into an adult?

I recently bought some turbo snails. Shortly after, I was gifted with a ton of little snails that come out after dark. Unfortunately, they seem to just be food for everyone else. Maybe I should try to put them in the sump? How fast should the…
Gary
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Can snails and betta fish cohabitate?

So my mom just brought home three snails home. One for me, and two for my brothers. I set the bag in the water for 20 minutes, and then put the snail into the tank. My female betta fish has been in this tank for about 2 months, once the snail was in…
Zoey l
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Do betta fish attack snails?

I had a small snail (about 1" / 2.5 cm shell) in the same tank as my betta fish. They seemed to both be doing fine living together for the 7 months I've had them. But this week, I checked up on the tank and found the snail shell overturned. I tried…
user812786
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What are the ideal starting fish populations for this 20-gallon long aquarium?

My son is going to get an aquarium. We picked out a 20-gallon, long aquarium (along with some plants and decorations). I have yet to pick substrate, pump/filter, etc. I'll be setting it up and taking care of it until he is old enough and…
Beofett
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Need help with snails in a betta tank

I have a fairly docile betta that I just moved to a heated 10 gallon tank. I bought a live plant that turned out to be infested with snail eggs. I'd prefer not to harm the snails, but they are rapidly reproducing. I was told that a loach is…
StaceyW
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How can I reduce feeding my fish to keep my snail population under control?

I posted the other week about some snails I had noticed in my relatively new tank; where I was warned that it would be wise to get the snail population under control while I can. Sure enough, the snail population has increased - not to the point…
Cthulhu
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How to warm up a snail terrarium?

I'm taking care of my roommate's 11 giant African snails for a week and it turned out that they have been depraved of necessary heat and space to move for months. They are now, and have been for months, living at average temperature 18 °C instead of…
Luka
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