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Post by snailgal on May 19, 2005 21:22:16 GMT
O.K. Well you can't buy peat here anymore so will a peat basedcompost be alright??
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Paul
Teenage Snail
Posts: 118
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Post by Paul on May 20, 2005 1:43:00 GMT
You don't need to buy peat, it is just that is tends to come unaltered with nothng added. Peat is actually acidic and can slightly wear the shell away, though they don't seem to mind. I have alkaline tap water which counters this and I have no doubt it is fairly neutral by the time it has been mixed with water or recycled.
Normal potting compost is fine, with or without peat. Just make sure it has no added pesticides. And try and get one that doesn't contain added fertiliser, we have no way of knowing if that will burn the snails or not. Best to avoid.
If you go for types that are for seedlings they tend not to have fertiliser in as seedlings are fragile. However, check because sometimes they do.
You want something that is crumb-like. Clay soil, sandy/gritty soil or soil from the garden is a bad idea.
paul
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Paul
Teenage Snail
Posts: 118
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Post by Paul on May 20, 2005 1:46:53 GMT
A lot of people use Coir, made from coconut husk. Emma uses vermiculite, some people use just moss. Some people use bark chips but there could be problems with that. It can go slimy and doesn't hold moisture like soil, a lot tends to drain off so the top dries out and bottom goes nasty. And some types of bark could be harmful. Reptile bark is probably much better than bark chippings.
So, one of either Peat, Soil or Coir for cheapness.
paul
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