FEEDING G.A.L.S.
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G.A.L.S are omnivores and require a varied diet that includes vegetables, a calcium source, protein and a bit of fruits. There are miss conceptions that G.A.L.S. only eat vegetables, or that they only eat lettuce and cucumber, this is wrong. Below you will find a long and detailed list of food you can feed your snails.
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Some snail keepers feed their snails daily, others feed once a week, & others anything in between. Any of these ways of feeding is acceptable, but it is advised to keep a set routine. Your snails will quickly become accustomed to your routine.
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Remember the more varied and balanced their diet is, the healthier your snails will be.
G.A.L.S diet should be made up of :
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Don’t worry about food is a little bit past it’s best before date, snails like to eat slightly rotting vegetables & fruit, so don’t worry about leaving food over night or more , but never leave moldy food in the enclosure. Don’t worry if your snails don’t eat for a few days, snails will not eat for various reasons such as during a growth spurt or after a big protein meal or if their surroundings have changed & they are settling. But if you notice that your snails are acting unusual & have not eaten for no apparent reason, it could be a sign of bad health. For more about snail health please got to : HEALTH ISSUES
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Foods should be washed thoroughly & chopped/cut before being fed. Food should be given raw. Plane frozen foods are OK to be fed once toughed (as long as nothing has been added to them). Do not feed the first few leaves from a head of lettuce, cabbage & similar vegetables as these leaves will have been most heavily exposed to pesticides. This should not be an issue with organic products.
VEGETABLES &
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FROM THE KITCHEN:
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FROM THE GARDEN
Some G.A.L.S. keepers grow edible produce directly in the snails' enclosure, as a constant supply of food for their snail & as decoration and enrichment.
Click below to know more. |
CALCIUM
15-30% of a snail's diet should be Calcium. Snails need a constant supply of calcium in their enclosure. It is extremely important, as they need it to grow their shell. If snails are not given a constant supply of calcium it can lead to deformed shells, thin shells or stunt growth.
Calcium can be provided in various forms:
Calcium can be provided in various forms:
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CUTTLEFISH BONE
Also known as Cuttlebone is a hard, brittle white shell. It is an internal shell found in all members of the Sepiidae spices, commonly known as Cuttlefish which is a creature similar to a Squid or an Octopus. Therefore despite it’s name a Cuttlefish bone is not really a bone nor does it come from a fish! Cuttlefish bone is the most commonly provided calcium source, by snail keepers. It can be bought from most local and online pet shops or aviaries. Please use only real Cuttlefish bones without any additives. To give it to your snails simply lay it facing upwards in the enclosure. For hatchlings and small snails we advice to split the cuttlebone in various smaller pieces and spread them around the tank. If the cuttlebone gets dirty simply rinse it under water and place back. Always make sure to lay the cuttlefish bone the right way up.
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LIMESTONE FLOWER / CALCIUM POWDER
Limestone Flour and Calcium powder both come in white powder form and are used as a supplementary source of calcium for many animals from horses to lizards. When feeding calcium powder to most exotic animals, one typically sprinkles some of the powder over the animals food. This is NOT how you feed it to snails. Snails need to have a constant source of calcium to eat when they choose. If calcium is force fed over their food, it can cause deformed shells. Limestone Flour / Calcium powder should be served as a paste or a cake. Limestone / Calcium Paste is created by adding some water to the flower and mixing it till it forms a thick paste. It is then placed on plastic saucer and put in the snail’s enclosure. Most snail keepers do this as a treat for their snails together with a regular calcium source. Limestone / Calcium Cakes are created by adding water to the flower till a paste is formed and then it is placed in mold shape, ice tray or cupcake liners and left to dry and harden (this could take up to 72 hours). The ‘cakes’ are then removed from their molds or holdings, and placed in snails enclosure, on a plastic saucer. |
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OYSTER GRIT
Oyster grit is made up of crushed oyster shells. It is very commonly used as a calcium supplement for chickens. Not all snails enjoy Oyster grit, but the ones that do usually prefer the finer crushed one, as there are a few different types. Please make sure you buy pure Oyster grit without any additives. When offering it to your snails it should be placed on a plastic saucer and put in the snail’s enclosure. |
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CRUSHED EGGSHELLS
Normal hen cooking eggshells can be used a calcium source though it is the least advised from the ones mentioned. Eggshells should be washed very well, dried and then crushed. It is up to you how fine you want to crush the shells, though not necessary, the finer they are crushed the more snails seem to like them. The crushed shells should then be placed on plastic saucer and put in the snail’s enclosure. Most Snail keepers do not use egg shells as the only source of calcium for their G.A.L.S. Some G.A.L.S keepers will mix the crushed egg shells to Oyster grit or calcium cakes. |
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Regardless on which calcium source you choose to provide to your snail, always top up immediately when finished. Always make sure they have a good and constant supply of calcium, available at all times in their enclosure.
PROTEIN
20% of a snail's diet should be made of food high in protein.
Too much or too little protein can cause all sorts of diseases and deformities.
For the advantage of the ones offering food daily & who’s G.A.L.S. are eating every day, we have split the protein food list in sections, depending on how much percentage of protein present in the food item. Some foods can be fed; Twice a Week, Once a Week or Once a Month.
Too much or too little protein can cause all sorts of diseases and deformities.
For the advantage of the ones offering food daily & who’s G.A.L.S. are eating every day, we have split the protein food list in sections, depending on how much percentage of protein present in the food item. Some foods can be fed; Twice a Week, Once a Week or Once a Month.
TWICE A WEEK
These foods contain around 15% protein & are low in fats.
One of these can be fed twice every week regularly.
These foods contain around 15% protein & are low in fats.
One of these can be fed twice every week regularly.
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Beans: All kinds of beans can be fed to snails. Make sure the beans are fully soaked & have no additives added to them. Many G.A.L.S. keepers mush the beans before feeding to their snails.
Dog Biscuits: Dog biscuit that don’t contained any added salts or other bad additives can be fed to snails. Please be careful and always check all ingredients and nutritional values. The Purina brand, Bonio original Dog biscuits are the most commonly fed to snails. The biscuit should be soaked in water and left for a few minutes till it is fully moist and mushy. It can then be placed on plastic saucer and put in the snail’s enclosure.
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Dried bugs: These are Generally crickets, very commonly feed to various animals as a protein source. They are easily bought at any pet shops. Make sure they have no additives added to them.
Dried Mealworms: Mealworms are the larval form of the mealworm beetle. Dried Mealworms are very commonly feed to various animals as a protein source. They are easily bought at any pet shop or garden centre. Make sure they have no additives added to them.
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Fish food/ Algae Flakes with under 40% protein
- (fish food with higher protein content is discussed a few points down) There are many brands and different types of fish flakes available in the market. Please choose the ones without any extra additives such as color enhancement. Fish flakes food that contain roughly 15% protein should be fed twice a week. The flakes should be soaked in water and left for a few minutes till they are fully moist and mushy. It can then be placed on plastic saucer and put in the snail’s enclosure. Snails tent to love fish food and will eat it quickly. |
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Peas : Fresh or frozen peas can be fed to snails. If frozen make sure the peas are left to thaw before serving. G.A.L.S. tend to prefer peas cut in half or mashed. Avoid canned peas.
Seeds: (Hemp seeds, Lentils, Pumpkin Seeds, sunflower seeds and most bird seed) Dry seeds should be crushed and grated as much as possible. The seeds should be then mixed with water till they form a thick paste. It is then placed on plastic saucer and put in the snail’s enclosure.
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Snail Mix: Snail mix can be made or bought. It is created by finely crushing and mixing many ingredients together to form a powder mix. Snail mix can contain any of the following:
Snail mix should be mixed with water and left for a few minutes till it is fully moist and mushy. It can then be placed on plastic saucer and put in the snail’s enclosure.
There are a few online sellers of Snail mix. Please always look at ingredients listed and reviews before buying. We highly advice the snail mix found at : SN@ILPETS |
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ONCE A WEEK
These foods contain around 20% protein and low in fats. One of these can be fed once every week regularly.
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THESE CAN BE FED ONCE A MONTH:
These foods contain around 20+% protein and high in fats & Nutrients. Because of this these foods should not be fed every week but on a monthly bases, the other weeks of the month you can feed protein from the ‘twice’ or ‘once’ a week lists.
These foods contain around 20+% protein and high in fats & Nutrients. Because of this these foods should not be fed every week but on a monthly bases, the other weeks of the month you can feed protein from the ‘twice’ or ‘once’ a week lists.
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Eggs: Bird eggs can be fed raw or hard boiled. If fed raw they should be places on a plastic saucer for easy eating and cleaning. If hard boiled it is best to chop up the egg before serving. We advice serving the egg hard boiled as it is a lot less messy and seemly preferred by the snails.
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Raw Meat: G.A.L.S. can eat a variety of meats including: Chicken, Beef, Lamb, Goat, Duck, and Pork. Please only feed raw meat and avoid fatty bits. Do not feed any cured or salty meats such as: Bacon, Ham and Fish. Always make sure there are no additives to the meats. Mince meat is a Snail favorite, others really like chicken on the bone and chicken legs, snails will eat the bones too.
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Spirulina: Spirulina is a type of algae. It can be bought as a tablet or a powder. We advice buying the powder as it is easier to soak. Spirulina I extreemly high in protein,(around 65%) we advice mixing it with other foods when feeding and only feeding very small quantities. Spirulina should be soaked in water and left till fully moist and mushy. It can then be placed on plastic saucer and put in the snail’s enclosure.
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Whole animal: Pinkies, Mice and Chicks are commonly fed too many exotic animals; including G.A.L.S. Adult snails can eat all parts of these meals; skin, bone, hair and feathers. Mice are bread to be feeders for reptiles such as snakes. Pinkies are new born mice predominantly used to feed small reptiles, and are a big favourite for G.A.L.S. Chicks are chicken hatchlings. These are usually fed to birds of prey and snakes. They are a bi-product of the farming industry. Any of these can be obtained from exotic pet shops.
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We understand that the sight of these animals being eaten might be disturbing for some, so we have chosen to place the images on a different page:
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FRUITS
ONLY 10% of a Snails diet needs to be fruit. Snails who are fed too much sugar can suffer from several diseases and deformities. So please limit yourself to feeding fruit as a treat and never more than a small portion once a week. Some snails tend to like sweet and soft food and will over eat fruits such as banana and ripe pears, so remember to portion size for them.
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Please note this list is only about the fruit & not about any other part of the plant.
In some cases the fruit is fine to feed but the leaves are not safe.
Please always inform yourself before feeding any leaves or other part of plants.
In some cases the fruit is fine to feed but the leaves are not safe.
Please always inform yourself before feeding any leaves or other part of plants.
CAUTION FOODS
Foods listed in this list should not be fed as they are toxic, or best avoided.
- Amaranth- Interferes with the intake of calcium - can be fed only occasionally
- Avocado – Toxic for many animals - Best avoided.
- Bacon – High in salt – Do not feed.
- Bean Sprouts - Interferes with calcium intake - Can be fed only occasionally
- Bread – Can be deadly – Do not feed.
- Celery – Can be deadly – Do not feed.
- Chard - Interferes with calcium intake - can be fed only occasionally
- Chilli Peppers– Can harm snails – Do not feed.
- Chive– Can be deadly – Do not feed.
- Garlic – Can be deadly – Do not feed.
- Ham – High in salt – Do not feed.
- Leek – Can be deadly – Do not feed.
- Lemon – High in citrus/acid that can harm snails- Do not feed.
- Lime – High in citrus/acid that can harm snails- Do not feed.
- Parsley - Interferes with calcium intake - Can be fed only occasionally
- Pasta – Can be deadly – Do not feed.
- Pineapple – High in citrus/acid that can harm snails- Best avoided
- Rice – Can be deadly – Do not feed.
- Rhubarb – Can be deadly – Do not feed.
- Spinach - Interferes with calcium intake - Can be fed only occasionally
- Onion– Can be deadly – Do not feed.
- Orange – High in citrus/acid that can harm snails- Best avoided
