Kendallfish
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Snails naturally grow algae on their shells, so in time they'll start to look green and fuzzy. It's completely harmless, but it's also easy to clean.
-Gently remove snail from tank and place in bowl of water that's no colder than their usual tank temperature.
-Gently swab the shell with a Qtip while keeping them under the water. Aquatic snails can be held out of water for short periods of time, but air may get trapped in the shell and make them float (which is also harmless, just uncomfortable for them). Make sure to get the spiral, various snaily crevices, and the operculum.
-DO NOT SCRUB THE BODY. Snails are very sensitive creatures, so any foreign object that gets inside their shells or rubs against their appendages can irritate their skin.
That's it. Won't take more than a minute. Just repeat this cycle whenever you start to see algae development. For best results, give your snails calcium in the form of cuttlebone, drops, or calcium rich veggies. Calcium makes their shells strong and healthy, prevents cracks and chips, and bacteria is less likely eat the shell away.
Happy snail keeping!
-Gently remove snail from tank and place in bowl of water that's no colder than their usual tank temperature.
-Gently swab the shell with a Qtip while keeping them under the water. Aquatic snails can be held out of water for short periods of time, but air may get trapped in the shell and make them float (which is also harmless, just uncomfortable for them). Make sure to get the spiral, various snaily crevices, and the operculum.
-DO NOT SCRUB THE BODY. Snails are very sensitive creatures, so any foreign object that gets inside their shells or rubs against their appendages can irritate their skin.
That's it. Won't take more than a minute. Just repeat this cycle whenever you start to see algae development. For best results, give your snails calcium in the form of cuttlebone, drops, or calcium rich veggies. Calcium makes their shells strong and healthy, prevents cracks and chips, and bacteria is less likely eat the shell away.
Happy snail keeping!
