# Mystery Snails won't grow



## garfieldnfish (Sep 25, 2010)

My guess would be lack of food. Also is there enough calcium in the tank for shell growth?


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## thinBear (Dec 16, 2011)

http://applesnail.net/content/care.php

this is a good reference i think


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## Jaseduck (Sep 14, 2014)

Also follow up question: What do I do with the empty shells? Keep them?


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## Bugaboo5 (Jan 18, 2010)

Yes, it is probably a lack of food and the environment. How big is the tank? And what kind of foods are you offering? How old are the babies?

And what color are your babies? I love mystery snails!


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## Jaseduck (Sep 14, 2014)

Bugaboo5 said:


> Yes, it is probably a lack of food and the environment. How big is the tank? And what kind of foods are you offering? How old are the babies?
> 
> And what color are your babies? I love mystery snails!



Tank is a 20 gallon. I feed my fish flakes and blood worms. There is also algae on the wall for the snails to eat but they don't. I also get babies seems like every couple weeks or every month. The snails are like a brownish color.


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## zerodameaon (Dec 2, 2014)

Calcium is a big one I noticed. I had 4 of 5 snails die and the 5th one would not grow. I found out their shells were eroding and started adding calcium(via equilibrium) to the tank. This was about a month to 6 weeks ago and since then the one has doubled in size. My GH was around 2 but I slowly raised it to 7-10 and so far have not lost any of the 3 new snails I got. This is not scientific and there could be many other factors at play including feeding shrimp pellets which contain calcium. They seem to love them and come flying over any time they are dropped in.


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## Jaseduck (Sep 14, 2014)

How do i add calcium to their diet?


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## kman (Dec 11, 2013)

Cuttlebone is one suggestion I hear a lot. Not sure where you get them. Also, apparently shrimp food.


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## garfieldnfish (Sep 25, 2010)

You get cuttlebone in the pet bird section of places like Petsmart. They sell cuttlebone for birds to sharpen their beaks.
There is liquid calcium you can get in the salt water section of your LFS. Seachem is one brand that makes it. Other options are egg shells, oyster shells (pill type) sold on AB and via food high in calcium.


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## zerodameaon (Dec 2, 2014)

Also I have read kale is high in calcium. Not sure if my snails will eat it, as I forget I bought it and it goes bad before I use if.


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## nyxkitten (Jul 24, 2012)

Oyster Shell Calcium 500mg from the pharmacy works too. 1/2 a tablet for 20 gallon once a week will work. Just toss the pill in the tank and watch it dissolve. Sometimes you will see the snails eating it. Cuttlebone or even the weekly feeder blocks also works.

Heat and food is a good way to make them grow.


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## bmo (Jun 11, 2014)

when i had mystery snails, i bought some Veggies Sticks w/calcium from kensfish.com. Cuttle bone also works, any big chain pet store should carry them in their bird section.


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