Heating
Your pet snail will need to be kept in damp warm conditions, the temperature will need to be maintained between 18-30c but most of mine are happy around the 22-26c mark, during the summer months this is easily achievable in most homes without the need for additional heating, remember that you should not place your snails tank in direct sunlight, this can cause incredible heat rises within the tank and could kill your snails, winter time is a little different, with central heating, most homes are around 21-22c, however at night temperatures can plummet in the average home, so much so that it can cause your snails to become very inactive and or force them into hibernation.
To overcome this you may wish to consider purchasing a heat mat, these are relatively inexpensive, and provide a gentle heat into the tank, they work best pressed to the outside of the tank (normally the rear of the tank) and covered with a polystyrene tile or two, this helps insulate the heat pad and directs the heat back into the tank, these heat mats work by raising the temperature slowly (over a period of about 12 hours) by only a couple of degrees or so, which is perfectly adequate for your snails, you should avoid placing them under the tank, as the substrate within the tank acts as an insulation layer for to the heat mat and little heat is passed into the tank, this can cause the soil to dry out very quickly, preventing your snails from burrowing, there has been cases of snails actually being 'cooked' this way.
The size of the heat mat required depends on the size of your tank, you should be aiming for up to half of your tank being covered, this will create a warmer humid end of the tank, and a cooler dryer end of the tank, this will allow those snails that need to feel a little cooler to move into the cool part of the tank and vice versa.
When choosing your tank you should consider heat mats, Glass allows heat to pass through it much more effectively than plastic, which acts nearly as good as polystyrene for insulating the heat, this can be overcome by drilling a series of small holes in the tank wall where the heat mat is going to be placed, also the shape of tanks should be taken into consideration, many of the plastic tanks on the market and storage boxes are curved or shaped in one way or another, this will prevent you from attaching a heat mat effectively to the side, to operate correctly the heat mat must be pressed firmly against the glass (I tape mine into position to ensure full contact of the heat mat with the glass) .
Overall again with a little thought and planning in the early stages of keeping a pet snail, you should be able to provide it with an suitable environment, which both you and your snail will benefit from, your snail will be happier, therefore more active, if he is more active you will enjoy your snail more.
To gauge the temperature within my tank I use one of those colour change thermometers designed for tropic fish tanks, I find these to give a reasonably accurate gauge of the temperature and are relatively inexpensive.
Ventilation and Humidity
Heat is not the only important part to the habitat of your snails, the substrate and tank generally need to be moist or damp but not sodden, as a rule of thumb, the soil should, when patted with the palm of your hand leave small debris particles on your hand, no soak it with a muddy mess, too wet will mean that your substrate will spoil rapidly and need to be replaced, it is also detrimental to the health of your snails.
To help maintain the right humidity conditions in your tank, one you have put your substrate in and it is moist enough, spraying your tank one or twice a day with a water mister spray should keep the tank at the right level of humidity, if however you find condensation building up it indicates that the tank does not have enough ventilation for the humidity within the tank, make sure that there are plenty of ventilation holes in the lid of your tank to allow air flow around the tank as the tank warms up.
I find that I get a little condensation when my central heating has gone off and my heat mats are on, this though is to be expected as the temperature outside the tank cools, and if this happens to your tank you should not worry about it, it¡¯s only when there is condensation all the time.
Tank Decoration
Bark
Bark is an excellent addition to your snail tank, it helps create a more natural environment and provides your snails with a textured item to climb upon or hide under, obviously though over time this will begin to rot, the most common type of bark used is Cork Bark, however this is not cheap and can cost around 5-10 pounds for a reasonable sized piece in pet stores, an alternative I prefer is Ash Bark (see eBay shop), it has a fantastic textured surface like cork bark, is quite thick, and if removed not sprayed when spraying your tank will last for many months before starting to rot.
Artificial Plants.
Although you can use live plants, I have found that Artificial Plants suit my tanks better, for two main reasons, one they last longer (the snails don’t eat them!!!) and two they are easy to clean and rinse off, they provide a more natural looking tank, and somewhere for snails to hide, my baby fulica love to hind in the branches and under the leaves. Costs for these items is relatively cheap, costing around 8 – 10 pounds for a large one that can be split up between tanks, in particular I like the exo-terra range that most pet shops stock.
Tree Branches
A thick tree branch is excellent for your tank, it can add a new dimension to your tank, allowing your snail to have more room to explore instead of just the thank floor and walls, ensure it is thick enough though to support the weight of your largest snail, these can be found everywhere, but like always ensure they are cleaned and free from any form of fungus or mould, they can be sterilised in the oven at a medium temperature for 20 minuets or so.
A simple thing to remember is to avoid hard objects on the floor of your tank like rocks, bricks, china/porcelain water dishes, if a snail was to fall from the tank roof (which often happens with juveniles) landing on something like this can cause damage to the snails shell.