Housing
As I have already mentioned I have a special tank for my snails. When I bought my snails and set up, I had everything I needed. This was
Tank
A special glass 'Exo-Terra' tank with front opening doors for good access with a heat mat half the floor size of the tank - this provides heat on a portion of the floor space so the snails can go there if they want to, but space they can go to if they get too hot. As the heat mat is under the floor and the moist substrate it also provides a small amount of evaporation which gives the tank a bit of humidity, which the snails like.
Substrate
Dry Coconut Husk that I mixed with water to make the substrate - the earthy stuff that makes the snails floor material.
Calcium
Cuttlefish Bone for the snails to eat as a source of calcium (very important)
Food Bowl
A food bowl is not absolutely necessary but it helps keep the tank and substrate clean by stopping wet foods like tomatoes and cucumber seeds being left in the substrate. It also keeps the food cleaner. I know the snails do not mind but as I am looking in the tank a lot I want it clean and tidy!
Water Bowl
The food and water bowls I have chosen were not the same ones supplied (although I do use the plastic ones some times). The ones in the pictures are resin bowls made for reptile pet owners. I have found they work very well because they are shallow which means the snails cannot drown in it, but also big enough that they do not tip over when the snails climb on it.
Furniture
Other furniture in the tank includes a piece of wood for them to climb over. This gives the tank some extra details and gives the snails something different to explore
When I bought the snails they were about 1 year old but already had a shell length of about 8 cm and the tank was 30 cm wide by 30 cm deep by 30 cm tall. It did not take very long for this tank to look a little bit crowded because the snails grow so quickly.
After about 2 months I managed to talk my mum and dad into buying a bigger tank, which is the one in the picture (Dad thinks the snails are okay and likes helping me build the habitat but Mum loves my snails so much they are almost her pets too, so I did not have to bug them too hard!) The bigger tank is a 60 cm cube and has exactly the same 'furniture' in it, but I was able to add some extras to make the tank look nicer. These were
A light (specifically designed for this type of tank) - the snails do not really need light if kept in a well lit room, but it helps me see into the tank a lot better.
After about 2 months I managed to talk my mum and dad into buying a bigger tank, which is the one in the picture (Dad thinks the snails are okay and likes helping me build the habitat but Mum loves my snails so much they are almost her pets too, so I did not have to bug them too hard!) The bigger tank is a 60 cm cube and has exactly the same 'furniture' in it, but I was able to add some extras to make the tank look nicer. These were
A light (specifically designed for this type of tank) - the snails do not really need light if kept in a well lit room, but it helps me see into the tank a lot better.
Plastic Plants
These give a bit more of a natural look to the tank - I could put real plants into the tank but the snails would eat them really quickly. If you want to put real plants into the tank, make sure thy would be safe in case the snails do eat them.
Hides
To try and keep the habitat looking realistic and natural I put a clay plant pot laid on its side. This is somewhere I have found normal snails in my garden and if they want to the snails could hide out in there.
Moisture
The coconut husk substrate needs to be kept moist so I use a water sprayer every night and give the whole tank a good spray which the snails seem to love!
