Snail Jello Food Recipe

People keep asking me what I mean when I refer to snail jello, and I was just discussing it in kb9plc's mystery snail thread. My snails love it and have to fight the fish for it. They lay fertile clutches like crazy. It's super easy. It takes a couple of minutes and it's really cheap.
ingredients
1 (1 tbsp) pckg unflavored gelatin
1 jar 2nd stages baby food with 4-6% calcium (mine like the sweeter flavors like sweet potato and squash, but you can use any flavor like green bean, peas, vegetable medley, etc)
8-10 crushed calcium pills/calcium powder (without D3 or phosphorus)- you can get a bottle for around $2 at most stores

optional- other stuff I use
1 tbsp honey- raw, not synthetic
1 tbsp fish flakes- I use New Life Spectrum w/ garlic
beefheart/brineshrimp/bloodworms/mysis shrimp
spirulina algae

Pour the baby food in to a microwave safe bowl. Heat it in the microwave for about a minute. Slowly stir in the gelatin. Add your other ingredients and stir it well. Pour the mixture in to an ice cube tray. Let it set in the refrigerator for a couple of hours. Remove the cubes- use a butter knife around the edges if you need to, but it should come out fairly easily. You can leave them at the size they are if you have a lot of people to feed, but I cut them in thirds and fourths. Store the cubes in the freezer. It'll last quite some time, but if it's still around after a couple of months I'd make a new batch.

It seems like a lot, but it's so-so easy. The snails REALLY benefit from the calcium and variety. Here's a good link for snail biscuits as well

 

Way cool! Thanks for posting this!

 

Way cool! Thanks for posting this!

Of course! It's a lot of fun to make.

 

Btw, I assume the stuff does not sink. You have the skewer it w something to get it to lay on the bottom of the tank?

 

Btw, I assume the stuff does not sink. You have the skewer it w something to get it to lay on the bottom of the tank?

Nope, sinks right to the bottom

 

I wonder if I could purée up zucchinI and incorporate that in place of the baby food. It would eliminate the problem w any left over zucchinI messing up the tank. (I skewer zucchinI for my snails)

 

Or just pick a baby food with high calcium like zuccini......I wonder if they offer a zuccinI paste....or just make it

Ive made babyfood for a couple of my friends, its incredibly simple and u can source much more nutritious base ingredients than I expect are bring used in manufacturing. I go to an organic farmers market, grab the best pieces of what's in season (makes a diff on nutritional content). Veggies get steamed to squish and the pureed (add small amount of water to get moving in blendernif nec). friut gets a water simmer(1 pt water 3pts friut) to soft then pureed, no sugar added. Both tools get put into ice cube trays and frozen. Depending on age and appitite, the cubes are great portions.

Bet we could make zuccinI paste to add to the jello recipie

 

Wouldn't I make zucchinI paste from purée-ing zucchini?

Only reason I brought it up was because some of us may already have the veggies on hand to try this with.

 

Does the gelatin melt in warmer water?

 

No, it does not melt. You may get a tiny bit of cloudiness from the calcium, but it clears up within a couple of minutes. I always use organic baby food, but you an make your own. I just use the jars because its convenient.

 

Just steam the zuccinI before trying to puree......it'll be a lot more even consistancy....
Hmmmmm....maybe steam zuccini, puree hot, add calcium, flake food and gelitan to hot mush, then place to cool? It will take very little water to blend if its hot, making a nicely concentreated calcium rich food jell.... if someone tries this before I have time please keep us updated

Any specific baby food flavors tried that were well recieved?

 

I wouldn't blend the gelatin in. It would make air bubbles. So maybe purée everything, heat it up, then stir in the gelatin.
Edit: that's basically what you said. I misread it. Sorry! That should work just fine.

 

You can leave them at the size they are if you have a lot of people to feed

In all seriousness, thanks for the recipe! Sounds fun, I'll have to try it

 

In all seriousness, thanks for the recipe! Sounds fun, I'll have to try it

Snails are people, too!
Try it, you'll love it

 

Do you think nerite snails will eat it too? they never eat any of the lettuce or cucumber I put in

 

It would be worth trying.....ive seen mine snackin on blanched zuccini

 

Snails do love this recipe. You can find this one as well as some other snail recipes at www.applesnail.net . You may have to search Snail jello to see that particular recipe and variations.

Click discussions on the left side then click snail care and they have a forum just for snail food. Really cool!
Carol

 

Cool, thanks Butterfly!

Do you think nerite snails will eat it too? they never eat any of the lettuce or cucumber I put in

My pond snails, malaysian trumpets, and rams horns all maul it too.

 

Cool, thanks Butterfly!



My pond snails, malaysian trumpets, and rams horns all maul it too.

Welcome! I have that site because there's so much information on snails and even a forum on snail care.
It's really hard to navigate but worth the trouble.
carol

 

I made some of this last night and everyone loves it! I did do it a little different. I bought the baby food that comes in plastic rectangle containers. I warmed up the baby food and added every thing to the container. I just spoon out the amount I need and put the lid back on. I have a small fridge so this saves me space. Just thought I'd share

 

I made some of this last night and everyone loves it! I did do it a little different. I bought the baby food that comes in plastic rectangle containers. I warmed up the baby food and added every thing to the container. I just spoon out the amount I need and put the lid back on. I have a small fridge so this saves me space. Just thought I'd share

XD I do that sometimes, too. I'm glad your little ones enjoyed it!

 

Thanks for posting the recipie and the link to he other recipes! I am getting into the point to where I want to feed everyone with foods I know are at the most healthy for them! Do you think these foods will take well with red claw crabs? I could add like a cube of frozen krill to this to make it more meat eater invert ready... I am sure they would like it.. maybe lol

 

Thanks for posting the recipie and the link to he other recipes! I am getting into the point to where I want to feed everyone with foods I know are at the most healthy for them! Do you think these foods will take well with red claw crabs? I could add like a cube of frozen krill to this to make it more meat eater invert ready... I am sure they would like it.. maybe lol

Actually, yes! I didn't use it when I had red claws, but I bring some in to work every now and then and they go for it, too. It's so cute watching them pick it apart with their little claws and stuff it in their little muffin mouths.

 

Hello! So I'm going to make a batch of snail jello and I had a few questions about calcium. I've read that you can use tums, but honestly I would prefer to just use the powder from a calcium supplement. I found some without magnesium, however, it did have vitamin d. So my question is would vitamin D be bad for my sakura shrimp? I'm trying to feed my mystery snails more calcium because they're shells aren't growing in the best but I don't want to put anything in the tank that could be potentially bad for the shrimp to eat. I've also read that I can use reptile calcium powder if it doesn't have phosphorus in it, but they all seem to have vitamin d in them. Does anyone know is the vitamin d will be an issue?? Thanks!

Perfect. I made they jello with cuttlebone I crushed into a powder for now, but the next batch I make I'll just use the reptile calcium powder. Thanks for your response beeker

 

Vitamin D is good for them. It's ok.

Glad to help.
I'd love to see some pics of your snails and shrimp if you have any.

 

Sure! Here's a photo of my two males trying to gang bang my poor lone female. I feel so bad for her :/ I plan on getting another female soon to ease the ambushes up on her but for now the poor thing can't catch a break which I think is contributing to her poor shell development.



Here's a photo of the whole tank. Don't mind the breeder net, I'm attempting to artifically hatch some eggs one of my shrimp dropped for some reason. I've been successful before, but I'm not getting my hopes up with this batch. My second generation just got to the breeding age so I think it's just the female dropping her first batch of eggs which I guess is typical. I'm doing my weekly gravel vacuuming tomorrow so please excuse me if the tank looks a little dirty >.<

 

Wow!
Beautiful snails!
I feel a bit awkward looking at that picture.
A bit too private for me.

 

Hahahaha how do you think I feel? I'm just trying to watch criminal minds with my husband and this is happening a few feet away. Maybe I should submit the scenario for a script haha



Here is a baby shrimp, a mystery snail (freddy mercury) and one of my otto cats enjoying the snail jello I made



One of my adults enjoying moss

 

That tank is beautiful!
Nice job!
No wonder there's so much "happiness" going on in there!
I hope you get another female or two for your boisterous males soon.

 

Thanks! It's been a lot of work, but I'm so pleased with how much the plants have grown. I've been searching for baby dwarf tears to make a carpet but I haven't found a lfs that carries it. So far we've got some dwarf hair grass growing slowly but I'm so impatient! I'm going go trim it this week in hopes that it sends runners out faster.

 

I have made 2 batches of snail jello using natural baby food, plain gelatin, algae wafers powdered, spirulina algae and powdered cuttlebone for calcium. My first batch did ok but fell apart quickly so made a new batch today and its working like a charm. Does anyone else here make it? I'm looking for more recipes to try as I am raising assassin snails, ramshorns, mystery snails, and cherry shrimp.

 

My recipe was very similar to Coradee - I used green bean baby food, two packages of unflavored gelatin, crushed berry Tums (no vitamin D,) and crushed algae flakes. My adult mystery snails love it and I'm using it to feed my clutch of babies.

 

Mine is basically the same as yours, but instead of the algae I usually add in some fish flakes and some of the sinking bottom feeders that are meat based. I have calcium on order to use in place of the cuttlebone for my next batch, so I'll let you know how that goes. Right now I do
1 baby food, 2 packs gelatin per 1 jar of baby food, bottom feeder discs, fish flakes, and ground cuttlebone.

 

I broke my virginity today, while going to LFS for water I seen my good friend who runs the place and I see a tank of MTS and ask I see you got caught. He laughed and I said how about I take 20 or so off your hands and he laughs knowing the way I use to feel about snails. I say really I'll take 20 if your looking to give some up. So I'm in now!!

Question what is cuttlebone? I know I can look it up but then I would asked the question what do I do with it. Keep in mind I have Hard water 16 drops (320ppm) so do I need it will it help or can I do without it. TIA

I want to make snail jello also. Going all in

 

Cuttlebone is bone of cuttlefish. It's usually sold in the bird section at pet stores for birds to use to sharpen their beaks. I'd still recommend it so your snails can get some extra calcium. You either put it in the filter or somewhere in the tank. It's only a few dollars.

 

Bithimala

Went to Petco for cuttlebone funny didn't know what to expect so I find this package that says Cuttlebone Birdie basics. I now have two small bones now can I take a whole bone and put it into one of my filters or put a rock on it and put in on the ground. The real question is how much do I use? I'm thinking about putting it in the filter but what is suggested. Will they enjoy it more on the ground?

 

Putting it on the ground, it won't break up as much on its own, but will give them the ability to go munch on it if they want straight calcium. Using it in snail jello, as mentioned in the recipes here, will get them to eat it, and putting it in the filter will make it break up and get into the water a little more quickly. Take your pick I recently had to pull mine out of my filter for other stuff, but still have one on the ground as well. How much depends on what you're doing with it, how much space you have, etc.

 

Putting it on the ground, it won't break up as much on its own, but will give them the ability to go munch on it if they want straight calcium. Using it in snail jello, as mentioned in the recipes here, will get them to eat it, and putting it in the filter will make it break up and get into the water a little more quickly. Take your pick I recently had to pull mine out of my filter for other stuff, but still have one on the ground as well. How much depends on what you're doing with it, how much space you have, etc.

Thanks, I have space in the second filter because I use filter floss and I'll sit in right on there and the Matrix on top of that. So I can put it in both if I wanted there's no chance to give to much to the water or do you suggest one or the other. Thanks for the help things are going so good just want to make sure I don't screw anything up.

 

I've not had any impacts to my tanks from filter and in tank.

 

I don't think you can over do cuttlebone. Lately I've had one in the filters and one attached to a rock with a rubber band on the bottom.