Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 3: Provide a habitat
• Method 2 of 3: Feed your slug
• Method 3 of 3: Avoid common mistakes
• Tips
• Warnings
• Necessities

If you're looking for an unusual pet, a slug is a good choice. Slugs are easy to care for and they are good for both older and younger children. This helps your kids take more responsibility. Slugs can be kept in an aquarium. They eat plant foods, such as fruits and vegetables. Keep in mind that slugs are very sensitive to chemicals, so keep them away from things like hairspray and tap water. Snails generally live to be between one and five years old.

To step

Method 1 of 3: Provide a habitat

1. Find the right housing. Snails generally do well in aquariums. The aquarium must be at least 20 by 20 cm. You can buy an aquarium online or at a pet store.
   • Provide adequate ventilation. The lid should have holes for ventilation. For example, a mesh lid would work well.
   • Slugs are very small, especially compared to other reptiles commonly kept in aquariums. Examine the vents carefully and make sure the slug cannot crawl out of these openings.
2. Provide a surface. It is best to use soil, grass and leaves from outside as a substrate. If you got the slug from outside, make the substrate from soil, leaves, and grass from the area where you found it. Make sure to sift the soil before putting it in the tank to get rid of any insects.
   • Take your slug out once a week and put it in a safe container with vent holes. Remove the substrate and put in new one.
3. Buy stuff for the aquarium. Slugs can benefit from certain aquarium items such as fake plants and leaves. You can also bring in items from outside, such as twigs, for the slug to climb on.
   • If you're bringing something in from the outside, make sure to inspect it carefully before putting it in your slug's tank.
4. Clean the aquarium regularly. Clean the snail's housing once every three months when removing and replacing the substrate. Rinse things like twigs and aquarium supplies in distilled water and then let them air dry outside. If the twigs become too wet or soft from the water, replace them with new ones.
   • Slugs are very sensitive to chemicals. Only use distilled water to wash the snail's tank. You shouldn't wash anything with soap.
   • Snails are sensitive to tap water, so you should choose distilled water.
5. Keep the room cool and moist. Slugs prefer temperatures between 16 and 21 ° C. Place a humidifier next to the tank to keep them hydrated. Slugs burrow themselves when the tank is too hot or too cold, producing more mucus than usual. And if it is not moist enough, the slugs will dry out.

Method 2 of 3: Feed your slug

1. Provide rinsed fruits and vegetables. Slugs are herbivores. You can give them leftover fruits and vegetables from your kitchen. They can also eat fresh fruits and vegetables, as long as you rinse them in distilled water first. It's important to remove pesticides before feeding plants to your slugs.
   • If possible, opt for organic fruits that are not treated with pesticides.
   • In general, feed your slugs more vegetables than fruits. Slugs can die from consuming too much sugar, even natural sugar from fruits.
2. Add plants and leaves for food. Slugs also eat plants they find outside. Add things like old leaves, grass, and other plants that you find outside. They eat rotting plant matter, so if you have a plant that is dying, feel free to feed your slug with it.
3. Every day, remove any food they haven't eaten. Slugs may not eat everything you give them. Uneaten food, especially fruit, can attract fruit flies. Fruit flies can threaten a slug's health, so remove uneaten food at the end of each day. This will minimize insect exposure and keep your snails safe.
4. Use a spray bottle, not a water bowl. Snails do not need a separate water bowl, just a moist environment. That's why you should spray the case with a water bottle every day. Do this with distilled water, as tap water can be harmful to slugs. It's important to keep a snail's environment moist so they can absorb the water they need.

Method 3 of 3: Avoid common mistakes

1. Do not use certain sprays around your snail. Slugs are very sensitive to chemicals and absorb sprays through their skin. Do not use hairspray or aerosols in the same area where you have your snails. They could die from this.
2. Only grab your snail when necessary. Snails should not be touched too often. Only handle them if you have to take them out of the tank to clean it. If you do have to pick them up, lift them with wet hands. Slugs don't like to be picked up, and any chemicals on your hands from things like lotions and soaps can be harmful.
3. Regularly spray the aquarium with distilled water. Snails need a moist environment to grow. Every day, spray the inside of the case with a water bottle filled with distilled water. Slugs can die if their environment is not moist enough.
   • It is very important to use distilled water. Slugs can die from the chemicals found in tap water.

Tips

• Slugs like shade, so don't put the enclosure in the sun. Provide hiding places, such as pieces of bark.
• You can give them leftovers of vegetables and / or fruits, provided they don't have pesticides.
• Give your slug a rock and some leaves the first day and add some extra later.

Warnings

• Always wash your hands before picking up the slug. You could have things like salt or something else on your hands that could be harmful to your snail.
• It's not legal to keep snails as pets everywhere. In some countries, you must be licensed to buy or sell snails, or it could even be illegal to get them from the wild. In addition, some exotic slugs, such as the giant African land snails, may be banned.
• Snails can climb up walls. Therefore, use a lid and make sure that the air holes in the aquarium are not large enough for a slug to crawl through.

Necessities

• Aquarium
• Fruits and vegetables
• Spray bottle
• Spring water or dechlorinated tap water
• Soil