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This is the recipe I use to feed all my Snails, especially my Mystery Snails and Ramshorn Snails! So far, this seems to be a huge hit with my Snails, including my shrimp and fish! They seriously go nuts for this stuff.
Ingredients:
- 1 Large Sweet Potato or 2 Large Carrots (about 1 to 1½ cups worth)
- 1 Can of Green Beans (unsalted, standard 14.5oz can size)
- 1 Cup of Fresh or Frozen Spinach (I prefer using frozen)
- 1-2 Cloves of Garlic or 2-4 capfuls of Seachem Garlic Guard
- 3 TBSP of Frozen Bloodworms or Freeze Dried Bloodworms or another protein source (e.g. Frozen Brine Shrimp, Freeze Dried Daphnia, Earthworms, Egg Yolk)
- 3 TBSP of Fish Food Flakes (I use TetraMin Flakes)
- 8 Tum Tablets or 3-4 TBSP of Calcium Carbonate Powder (make sure it doesn't contain Vitamin D)
- 2 TSP of Spirulina Powder or Kelp Powder
- 4 TBSP Unflavored Gelatin Powder
- ½ Cup of Water
Directions (with pictures):
1) Boil or steam the Sweet Potato or Carrots until soft and tender (about 20-30 mins)
2) While the Carrots or Sweet Potato is being cooked, use a mortar and pestle, or bowl and spoon, to crush the Fish Flakes, Tums (or Calcium Carbonate Powder), Spirulina Powder (or Kelp Powder) until it is thoroughly mixed and made into a fine powder.
3) Add the Green Beans (water strained), Spinach, the Steamed/Boiled Sweet Potato/Carrots, Garlic, Frozen Bloodworms or Freeze Dried Bloodworms (or whatever protein source you chose), the Fish Flake mixture made in Step 2, and blend until smooth. Once blended, the mixture should be the consistency of pudding and not watery. Add the ½ Cup of Water if needed.
4) Transfer the blended mixture into a small pot and heat on medium heat while slowly mixing and adding in the unflavored gelatin. Stir the mixture until it starts to bubble.
5) Once the mixture is bubbling, remove it from the heat and pour it onto a baking tray (or cookie sheet) lined with parchment paper and spread the mixture out until it is flat and is covering the whole baking tray.
6) Place the baking tray in the freezer until the mixture has set (roughly 20 mins or more). To test if its set, poke the top of the mixture with your fingers. If it is set, the mixture will not stick to your finger.
7) After the mixture has set, cut it into cubes (about 1.5 x 1.5 inch) and place half of the cubes on a new layer of parchment paper, ensuring that the cubes are not touching. You can place the second layer of parchment paper on top of the first layer.
8) Place the baking tray in the freezer for another few hours to ensure the Snello is frozen before storing it into a container/Tupperware or Ziploc bag.
And you're done! This recipe is pretty simple, but it does take a while to make it. It makes a decent amount of Snello which should last you a while depending on how many snails you have and how big they are.
Make sure you DO NOT leave out these ingredients when making the recipe:
- Spirulina/Kelp Powder - these are a good source of iodine, which snails and other invertebrates like shrimp need to help utilize calcium to build their shells or exoskeletons.
- Bloodworms or other protein sources - protein is vital for snails and shrimp to promote breeding and egg-laying.
- Tums or Calcium Carbonate Powder - especially if the KH (carbonate hardness) in your aquarium water is low. Snails and shrimp need calcium to be able to grow their shells or exoskeletons. A lack of Calcium in their diet will either cause calcium deficiencies in snails' shells or molting issues with shrimp.
- Garlic or Seachem Garlic Guard - Garlic enhances the flavor of the Snello and also helps to boost the immune systems of your invertebrates, and may also enhance their appetites, which is very useful for picky eaters.
Other Tips:
If you can't find either sweet potato, carrots, spinach, or green beans, there are many other vegetable alternatives you can use in this recipe, or just for feeding in general, such as:
- Peas
- Squash
- Pumpkin
- Broccoli
- Zucchini
- Asparagus
- Brussel Sprouts
- Cauliflower
While choosing fresh vegetables, always try to get Organic if you can, or to thoroughly wash the vegetables if they are not Organic. For canned vegetables or frozen vegetables, always check and make sure there is no added sodium or salt. It is not recommended that you use any fruit as they are high in sugar and can be acidic. Vegetables like cucumber and lettuce have very little nutritional value, so it is not recommended to use these often. Make sure you cook Spinach or Kale well before feeding them to your snails or shrimp as they are high in oxalates and can interfere with the intake of Calcium.
(Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read our full Affiliate Disclosure Policy here)
