Feeding and Nutrition :: Can a RES eat a snail whole?

[tjurhs]

my RES that is 2.5 inches long and can probably swallow whole a Ramshorn snails small enough (pencil eraser size) to go in it's mouth in one bite? I don't want my RES to get plugged up.

Is there a good way to break up the snail first, I also don't want the broken snail dispersing throughout the tank

[tjurhs]

well I never tried a "feeding bowl" before but that was the easiest way to chop the snail in half and not have the parts lost in his tank. it took him 1/2hour to calm down enough from getting put in the feed bowl, but finally he ate it

so I guess this thread has turned into a "here's how you can feed your RES a snail"

good night, Todd

[steve]

As far as I know, the shells are not that hard. He can probably handle a small one. Where are you getting the snails from?

[tjurhs]

the LFS has many different types of snails, most they sell, one type is called a "Pond Snail" and the other is a "Ramshorn", neither of these two types are sellable, they are both considered pest snails, so he gives them away.

btw, Thor ate it just fine, I won't give a snail to him on a regular basis, but as an occasional treat.

[steve]

Those shells have a decent amount of calcium in them.

[TravisL]

If he swallows the snail whole he will be fine. My I bought a few ram horns the shape of their shell makes it hard for the turtle to crush but he'd be fine if swallowed whole.

TIP: if you want to feed your turtle snails. Go to a pet store and ask if they will sell all those tiny snails that generally in axe their plant aquariums. More often then not they will give you a bunch for free or make some random price like 10c a pop. And these snails are insanely easy to breed. Just put in a 2 gallon jug with your aquarium water crush some turtle food and in no time those snails will start laying eggs. I have a mini tank I breed snails in to feed my turtle.
I don't use the unicorn shaped snail shells they are tough to break but the more round generic snails in most pet store tanks crush in a turtles mouth very easy. Don't fed your turf too many though lots of protein.

[tjurhs]

yea, my local fish place won't sell them to me. they are considered "pests" by the state od Alabama, and as such the fish store owner can't sell them, only destroy them.

so I bought some Ramshorns if an on-line feed store for $1 a piece and I will "grow" them in a seperate tank.

side note, I think I will continue to crush them before feeding for that peace of mind that nothing could go wrong