Mystery Snails - Calcium

[NoxArcane]

Hopefully this is the right place for this thread.

I know it has been asked a million times - calcium for Mystery Snails for good shell growth - but I the answers I'm reading are really only confusing me, particularly when products are mentioned and I don't know if they're available in Australia (I don't know what Tums even are!)

I know about adding spinach or cucumber in the tank, but the problem with these options is that they are not always available.

I have heard mention about the holiday feeder blocks are also good for giving snails calcium. Does anyone have any recommendations of what feeder blocks, so I can try and find some brands in Australia?

I have coral sand in a nylon stocking in my filter, but I'm not sure if that is enough. I have 3 Mystery Snails, in a heavily planted 200 litre tank with goldfish. (There are also some Ramshorn and Pond snails that hitched a lift when I bought my plants when I first setup the tank)
My tank is also fully cycled (has been since October last year, when I got my fish) My tap water is a neutral pH 7.4 (or perhaps it was 7.6)

I know the damage is done to my snails shells, but I am hoping to prevent them from becoming worse by getting the calcium into the tank.

Any assistance would be appreciated.

 

[venymae]

tums are an antiacid tablet for heartburn. Main ingredient is calcium bicarbonate or calcium carbonate. Also has a few additives such as flavoring. You find them at the pharmacy/chemist section of the grocery store. You probably have them with a different name. They look like chalk tablets. Hope this helps!

 

[NoxArcane]

tums are an antiacid tablet for heartburn. Main ingredient is calcium bicarbonate or calcium carbonate. Also has a few additives such as flavoring. You find them at the pharmacy/chemist section of the grocery store. You probably have them with a different name. They look like chalk tablets. Hope this helps!

I will take a closer look the next time I am in the supermarket, but looking on Google at the packaging, I can say I have never seen them before in our supermarkets. We have Mylanta for heartburn, but it's ingredients are entirely different when comparing them side by side.

 

[venymae]

I think any chalk tablet that contains calcium carbonate would work. Doesn't have to be TUMs brand specifically.

 

[NoxArcane]

Mum says that we have TUMS in Australia, so they could be an option... but I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts about the weekend feeders, or if they could recommend any brands of feeders that could be useful for this?

 

[wildroseofky]

You can feed snails human calcium supplement too. The kind with Vitamin D are fine. Here is a list of calcium sources for snails

eggshells, crack, rinse, drop in tank

high calcium veggies of any kind, no idea what is available in Australia

Plaster or Paris, used to mold things out of, pour it into chunks, let dry and add to tank

Plaster used to patch drywall. Make sure it does not have mold inhibitors in it.

Seashells, just drop in tank

Cuttlefish bone, just drop in tank

Leave the shells of snails that have died in the tank. The living snails will scavenge them for calcium

If your snails shell gets a hole or crack that allows you to see it's internal parts, you can use pieces of eggshell and crazy glue to patch it. Just be careful and do not get any crazy glue on the snails soft body part.

 

[NoxArcane]

While the shells are cracked, I don't see any of the snail's soft body inside, so I don't think I will have to patch the shells.
I've added some cuttlefish bone to the tank, so hopefully that will prevent any further damage to the shells. I've read that once damage has been done to the shell, it won't repair, so it's just a matter now of making sure it doesn't get worse.

I've been feeding them cucumber as well - they'll be due for another piece tonight. The last piece is all gone.

Thanks for the help.

 

[henningc]

You can also use reptile vitamins that are calcium and D-3. Easy to find in a pet store. Just place it where you can see it and the snails will go to it and it will disappear. I also use egg shells only I allow mine to grow a heavy growth of algea on them first. Egg shells, glass jar, aquarium water and put it in the window so the algea grows.

 

[Autumnsky]

Your water isn't too soft. But you can always scrape a little cuttlebone powder into some tank water and mix well and add to your tank just to get a little in there. They will eat off of the chunk of cuttlebone and they will get better shells going forward.

The vacation feeders can cloud the water, I wouldn't do that. My water ranges into the softer end and the acidity will ruin the snail shells. Hikari makes a Crab Cuisine and it is made for shelled creatures/inverts. Snails LOVE it.

 

[NoxArcane]

You can also use reptile vitamins that are calcium and D-3. Easy to find in a pet store. Just place it where you can see it and the snails will go to it and it will disappear. I also use egg shells only I allow mine to grow a heavy growth of algea on them first. Egg shells, glass jar, aquarium water and put it in the window so the algea grows.

From what I have read, the reptile vitamins and feeders aren't recommended for snails because many of them contain copper, and that's no good for snails.

My tank has a nice covering of algae on the glass, which I don't clean off very often so the snails always have something to eat. But I will try the eggshells. How do you go about weighing them down so they don't float in the tank?

Your water isn't too soft. But you can always scrape a little cuttlebone powder into some tank water and mix well and add to your tank just to get a little in there. They will eat off of the chunk of cuttlebone and they will get better shells going forward.

The vacation feeders can cloud the water, I wouldn't do that. My water ranges into the softer end and the acidity will ruin the snail shells. Hikari makes a Crab Cuisine and it is made for shelled creatures/inverts. Snails LOVE it.

I'll see if I can find some Hikari Crab Cuisine in Australia - and hope my Goldies leave it alone long enough that the snails can have it. (Which they probably won't; anything I put in my tank, my Goldies are all over it, is it edible or not)