Good Snails?

[M0rdrid]

Hey all,

I've been doing research into getting an Ornate box turtle and heard snails can be very good sources of calcium for tortoises and turtles. I was wondering if nitrate snails were a good choice, and if they were where would be a good place to get clean ones. I work at a franchise pet store and don't trust any live animal or feeders we sell, and wanted to see where I could look to get some. And if I only can get them from where I work what's the best way to treat the snails to ensure they are safe for a turtle. Like if I bred two infested snails would the offspring also be infested even if I removed the parents from the tank?

I don't have a turtle yet but I'm prepping for when I do and want to make sure I have a lot of live varieties ready to go for him.

 

[MNGuy]

Hey all,

I've been doing research into getting an Ornate box turtle and heard snails can be very good sources of calcium for tortoises and turtles. I was wondering if nitrate snails were a good choice, and if they were where would be a good place to get clean ones. I work at a franchise pet store and don't trust any live animal or feeders we sell, and wanted to see where I could look to get some. And if I only can get them from where I work what's the best way to treat the snails to ensure they are safe for a turtle. Like if I bred two infested snails would the offspring also be infested even if I removed the parents from the tank?

I don't have a turtle yet but I'm prepping for when I do and want to make sure I have a lot of live varieties ready to go for him.

Do you mean nerite snails?

I don't have answers to your questions. All I can say is if you mean nerite snails, they don't reproduce in freshwater so you'll constantly be buying new ones. They'll lay a ton of white eggs, but they won't hatch. Nerite snail larva need brackish water to hatch and survive.

Ramshorn snails reproduce like crazy and would make a much easier, renewable food supply. I have two aquariums and I'm always trying to give them away.

Good luck.

 

[M0rdrid]

Do you mean nerite snails?

I don't have answers to your questions. All I can say is if you mean nerite snails, they don't reproduce in freshwater so you'll constantly be buying new ones. They'll lay a ton of white eggs, but they won't hatch. Nerite snail larva need brackish water to hatch and survive.

Ramshorn snails reproduce like crazy and would make a much easier, renewable food supply. I have two aquariums and I'm always trying to give them away.

Good luck.

Yes nerite snails. Sorry I'm dyslexic and always call them nitrate by accident (how I read it the first time so it stays in my head)

I'll start looking into ramshorn snails then, appreciate the help!

 

[MNGuy]

Yes nerite snails. Sorry I'm dyslexic and always call them nitrate by accident (how I read it the first time so it stays in my head)

I'll start looking into ramshorn snails then, appreciate the help!

No need to apologize. I bet you could find free or very cheap ramshorn snails if you posted a want ad in your area and on any local aquarium Facebook groups.

Again, I've never fed snails to any animal, but it might be worth researching whether you can freeze them for a certain period of time to kill (several days to weeks in some cases) parasites before thawing them and feeding them to a tortoise. (I have no idea how well snails holdup after being frozen and thawed.)