golden snails

Question
Hello, I have 2 golden snails and have had them for a year and a half and now there shells are starting to get holes in them and go a bit black. I was just wondering if it is because of lack of calcium or if its some disease or even if they are getting old? By the way do you know how long they can live for and what best to feed them atm I'm just feeding them algae wafers and very good fish food. Thank you very much Tegan :)

Answer
Hi Tegan,
The holes could be the result of not enough calcium.Also check your ph to see if it is too low. Are you doing regular water changes? At least once a week. If you do regular water changes it will help to keep the water cleaner and also help to maintain his shell. You could add crushed coral or marble to the tank to try to help with the calcium problem. I know as they get older they seem to get some holes in the older parts of their shell. It doesn't hurt them unless it is revealing some of their softer body areas. They also get algae growth. That could be what you are seeing  that appears to be black.
Snails can live anywhere from 3yrs.to 10yrs. It really depends on water conditions, food, and temperature plays a big role in lifespan. The higher the temperature the higher the metabolism and this causes a shorter lifespan.
As for food, the algae wafers are good and so is the fish food. You could also give them lettuce, zuchinni sliced, cucumbers sliced and other vegetables such as carrots or green beans. You can attach them with a rubberband to a rock if you don't have any other way to keep them from floating.
I am sending you a website that explains the different types of wholes that snails sometimes get and also explains if you need to try to repair them. I hope the website works for you.
http://www.applesnail.net/
This website has alot of information on snails that you might be interested in.
I hope this has helped,
Karen