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algae, plants, vegetables, fish food, frozen foods, and live foods.


www.responsiblethrashers.com

different species have different diets. you should check out [link=applesnail.net]http://applesnail.net" style="COLOR: #ff0044[/link] for more info

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"That's the trouble with political jokes in this country... they get elected!" -- Dave Lippman

There are vegetarian applesnails and meat eating applesnails. Generally the vegetarian ones are larger and will eat all plants, vegetables, and sinking fish foods. They thrive best being fed vegetables such as lettuce, cucumber, zuchini... The others are smaller, won't eat plants, prefer fish food, and will starve to death on only algae and vegetables. They eat the same things you feed your fish and will enjoy the occasional vegetable. No applesnail will live on algae alone. They will starve and most will only nibble at it in passing. If an applesnail is cleaning up algae well then chances are it's starving to death.

My Apple Snails eat fish food & Algae.


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http://www.flickr.com/photos/corydoras/
Member of the Malta Aquarist Society - 1970.
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If you do feed your snails fresh veggies, make sure you blanch them first (dunk them into boiling water for a few seconds to a minute, then put them in cold or ice water to stop the cooking). The softens them and breaks down the cell walls making them easier to digest. Many snails will not even touch fresh veggies because in nature they go after decomposing plant matter. Dark green veggies also have a lot of calcium which helps build strong shells. I supplement my snails' diet with shrimp pellets and other sinking foods.

Hoping that there must be a word for everything I mean...

I just hook on a paper clip and drop in a raw fresh whole lettuce leaf. It's gone in 2days. same with the cucumber and zuchini. The only one that's a problem is using foods with tougher leaves like kale. I suppose some leaf lettuces could be tough but I usually just let them sit in the tank anyway. When they reach the point they are soft enough to break down and ruin the water quality the snails start munching them away in a few hours. I never cook any food I give the fish or other pets since that often ruins some of the vitamins and nutrients found in the food.