aquatic snails?

Question

i bought one like 2 months ago and 2 questions. do i need to feed him or will he eat algae and particles in the tank. aand will he die with out me getting him a bigger shell?

Answer 1

In reverse order:

You don't need another shell. Snails will produce their own, that they add to as they grow. They don't change from one to another - it's hermit crabs that do this.

Snails eat a lot of different thing - and some eat things that others don't. So what it will eat will depend a lot on what type it is. Some will eat algae, others will eat debris from the bottom of the tank, and all should have some calcium added to the water, especially if the water has a pH below 7. The calcium is needed to keep the shell from getting holes in it, and to allow the snails to produce more shell material to increase the shell's size. If you want to add some variety to the diet of your snails, weigh down a slice of zucchini or cucumber or a piece of a lettuce leaf with a little gravel.

You can find out more about what you might need to do for yours (and what type you have) in these links:
http://www.fishpondinfo.com/snail2.htm
http://www.applesnail.net/
http://www.yamatogreen.com/MalaysianTrumpetSnails.htm
http://www.thesnailstore.com/index.php?act=viewCat&catId=2
http://www.geocities.com/ken87us/Topics/all_about_snails.htm

Answer 2

He;ll eat algae and also any leftover food if you are feeding fish to. if not it might be a good idea to once in a while sprinkle a little food it or carrots or cabbage or lettuce. Second of all depending on what type of snail he is will depend on the shell needs. just to be safe put a bigger shell in and see if he takes to it.