One common misconception about mystery snails is they don’t need to be target-fed. Some people get mystery snails with the idea that they will eat tank algae and be sustained by it, which basically starves the snail to death. You may be wondering how they’re able to survive in the wild without target feeding, but in fact, they don’t live so long outdoors because of this problem. For your pets to live their fullest lives, you must provide them with a varied diet of rich vegetables alongside protein sources to keep them healthy through and through.
Mystery snails can eat carrots and they tend to enjoy them. Carrots are even listed as nutritious vegetables served as one of the staples in their diet. Preferably blanched and shredded, you can feed them to your mystery snails frequently as long as they’re paired with other nutrient-dense veggies and protein.
The Best Way To Feed Carrots To Mystery Snails
Mystery snails are detrivores, meaning they enjoy feeding on decay or the likes of it such as soft foods. The reason why they don’t eat your live plants or the majority of your tank algae is simply because it’s too difficult to feed on.
Live plants have rigid walls that make it tedious for mystery snails to comfortably eat with their type of mouth. So, for your snails to eat well and live healthy, you must prepare their meals to be easy to feed on. I’ll show you how this applies to carrots!
Wash The Carrots Properly
Once you have your carrots, it’s important to wash them properly to remove any preservatives that may be on the surface. Mystery snails are sensitive and are easily affected by certain food chemicals such as coloring, preservatives, and spices. I recommend you peel the carrot especially if you suspect it may be carrying heavy preservatives. By doing this, you can be confident that your pet is eating safe.
Shred/Dice The Carrots
I find shredding to be easier for snails to consume if you enjoy hand-feeding them, but dicing or cutting makes it easier to remove the leftovers from the tank when they’re done eating. Using a grater, shred up the carrots into a bowl or cut them into four parts each.
Blanch The Carrots
Blanching is a technique of steaming vegetables without cooking them all through and you can either use a microwave or a pot to carry out this technique. Mystery snails can eat carrots even without blanching but it makes it easier for them to consume instead of waiting for the food to soften which could raise ammonia levels.
All you have to do is place the carrots in a m open bowl of medium-filled water and microwave or steam in a pot for 3 – 4 minutes. After this, sieve and dunk the softened carrots in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. This helps to prevent the nutrients in the carrot from cooking all through.
Feed Your Pet
It’s time to offer the blanched carrots to your little mystery snails by either hand-feeding or throwing chunks in the water for them to eat freely. If your carrots keep floating to the surface when you put them in the aquarium, stab forks through them, and they’ll sink to the bottom. This will also help you to easily remove leftovers once your pets are done feeding. On the other hand, if your mystery snails like to climb to the surface often, you may opt for feeding clips (view on Amazon). These clips enable you to fasten your veggies to the walls of the aquarium for your pets to find them easily.
How Often Should Mystery Snails Eat Carrots?
Mystery snails may eat carrots daily when paired with different nutritional veggies, or every other day. This is to prevent them from getting addicted to carrots alone which is not sustainable in the long run. Mystery snails use smells to navigate and can grow a strong familiarity with what they’re constantly fed, causing them to neglect their other sources of nutrition. This is why a diverse diet is necessary for your pet’s well-being.
How Many Carrots Should Mystery Snails Eat In A Sitting?
Thankfully, mystery snails don’t overfeed so it’s a lot easier to feed them without tedious rationing. Once they’ve had their fill, they’ll leave the food and move on to have a digestive nap. The most you’ll need out of a whole carrot is a quarter-thin strip per snail, of which they still might not gobble up completely. If you’re a beginner, you may freestyle to determine the exact amount your pet needs depending on the remnants they leave behind.
Ensure to remove leftovers from the tank within 24 hours to prevent an ammonia spike when the food decays. Ammonia is toxic to mystery snails dwelling in it, and you certainly wouldn’t want the nasty repercussions.
What Is The Ultimate Mystery Snail Diet?
A good mystery snail diet consists of healthy veggies and protein sources. There must be a balance of both flanks to completely satisfy their omnivorous needs. In the wild, mystery snails benefit from several sources combined as detritus from living organisms dwelling in their environment.
Detritus is the best source of vitamins and minerals and it’s enabled by a fully functioning ecosystem to help regulate the accumulation of ammonia. Since they can’t benefit from detritus in an aquarium, the best is to target-feed them the healthiest balanced meals.
Examples of healthy veggies you can feed your mystery snails are:
- Broccoli
- Kale
- Cauliflower
- Green beans (blanched)
- Green peas (blanched)
- Bell peppers
- Cucumbers
Examples of protein you can feed mystery snails are:
- Blood worms
- Shrimp
- Strips of blanched unseasoned chicken
- Strips of raw fish
- Protein pallets
You can also opt for a home-cooked nutritional meal called snello for your mystery snails. Snello is a prepared mix of all the healthy ingredients such as plant and animal-based foods infused in a gelatinous base to provide a well-balanced diet. If you struggle with prepping and rationing, snello is the best option for you.
This way, your pets are assured of a complete diet of the best nutrient sources all through. I’ll leave the steps to making your perfect snail snello below.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup of blanched vegetables (such as spinach, carrots, or zucchini).
- 1/4 cup of gelatin powder.
- 1/4 cup of baby food (optional, for added nutrition).
- 1/4 cup of calcium supplement (crushed cuttlebone or calcium powder).
Procedure:
- Puree the blanched vegetables in a blender or food processor until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, mix the gelatin powder with water according to the package instructions.
- Combine the pureed vegetables, gelatin mixture, baby food, and calcium supplement in a saucepan.
- Heat the mixture over low heat, stirring continuously until the gelatin is fully dissolved.
- Remove from heat and let it cool slightly.
- Pour the mixture into ice cube trays or molds and refrigerate until set.
- Once set, you can cut the Snello into small portions or leave it as individual cubes.
Servings:
Your mystery snail should eat one cube of snello a day. Always remember to take out the leftovers to avoid funking up the tank with ammonia from the decay.
Why Is My Mystery Snail Refusing To Eat Carrots?
Mystery snails may be simple in size and design, but they are still individualistic in nature. They can develop preferences and dislikes that shape how they feed. So, if your pet is refusing to eat its carrots, perhaps it simply isn’t a fan of it. As long as it’s not losing appetite from a more sinister reason such as wrong water parameters or an illness, it possibly prefers other veggies aside from carrots.
One way you can differentiate whether your mystery snail is losing appetite from being picky about its food is by looking at its interaction. If your snail is stressed and lacks appetite, it will simply refuse to interact with any kind of food. On the other hand, if your pet is being picky, it will interact with its food but then choose not to eat it. For these possibilities, it’s crucial to ensure your pet’s home has the right water chemistry at all times. So that you can easily rule out the dangers of improper water parameters and a declining appetite.
Are Carrots Good For Mystery Snails?
Carrots are great for mystery snails and they enjoy munching on them. They’re rich in fiber and vitamins that are essential for your pet’s species. However, while carrots are healthy, they’re not to be fed consistently, or else your mystery snails will miss out on gaining more nutrients from other vegetables such as calcium from calcium-rich foods. It’s crucial to implement a well-rounded diet for your pets for them to grow sufficiently.
