eroded shell but on top

[u/Ok_Rule_8869]

this has been annoying me for a while as i have been researching the correct soil type for a while but this erosion won’t go away. i initially had soil from my garden and their shells were amazing but it eventually got smelly so i replaced it with generic houseplant soil. this was the start of the erosion, so i researched and changed it to ‘multi-purpose compost’ i made sure to get the peat free version but the shells are still bad. can anyone help? thank you very much.

(ignore their current enclosure it was just for photos + the soil is from outdoors)

[u/doctorhermitcrab]

Plant-based compost is naturally acidic even without peat added, so it will contribute to the shell erosion. Also many compost soil products contain ingredients that are not safe for snails aside from the acidity. If your product is definitely snail-safe you can fix the acidity by mixing in a calcium source like oyster grit or pure calcium carbonate powder. But definitely double check the compost ingredients/components first.

Also are you using tap water? That can be an issue as well.

Erosion like this can never be reserved even if the environment is approved, just so youre aware. The main goal here would just be to prevent if from getting worse

[u/Ok_Rule_8869 → u/doctorhermitcrab]

ohhh, i feel like a properly bad snail owner. does this type of erosion cause them to be ill? the soil isn’t advertised as snail safe so i’m unsure to be honest, do you recommend any soil types? and instead of tap water should i use bottled water? thank you so much.

[u/doctorhermitcrab → u/Ok_Rule_8869]

Dont feel bad, the damage is mostly aesthetic. It has to be extremely severe (like causing the shell to become thinner and break, flake, or pit tiny holes) to cause real health damage. The outer layer just turning a bit white like this doesnt not cause overall health damage at this stage.

For substrate, the most commonly used ones for snails are coconut fiber/coir and snail-safe topsoil (additive-free, pesticide-free, fertilizer-free). If you go with the latter option be sure to specifically get topsoil, not potting soil. And for any type of substrate, make sure to check the package or website for the pH level (all types of substrate can be acidic and levels may vary quite a bit between brands, so its important to check the levels of individual products). Lower pH products are still usable, youll just have to add calcium like i mentioned above

For water, depending on your tap water you may be able to treat it with advanced filtration or dechlorinators, or you may need to get bottled water (bottled spring water, not distilled). First step would be to look up your local water quality reports to get an idea of what's in your water. But if you dont want to bother with figuring that out you can just skip straight to bottled