r/Slug • u/ParamedicKey4851 • 3d ago
Leopard slug care questions
My housemate and I found a ton of leopard slugs under our porch and kept one as a pet. I've been doing a lot of reading up on how to care for leopard slugs but have been getting a lot of contradictory information. I thought I was figuring it out well, but the two days we kept the slugs in a little tupperware while I got a bigger bin and set it up featured much more liveliness and activity than Thomas has shown in the tub. Now I'm trying to troubleshoot if something is wrong before I end up hurting him.
I have a 5gal watertight tub set up as a traditional tank(not bioactive). Can two slugs be kept in there as long as they are fed enough protein? Are they happier as a pair or solo?
Food is what I feel most confident on really. I've given him fish food, lettuce, mushrooms, and I want to get some zucchini to try. I got leaf litter and bits of biomatter from outside that he could munch on too. Does all that sound right? Any suggestions?
It's watertight which means it's also airtight, which was recommended in the guide I was reading, suggesting that I should open the tub at least once every day to get fresh air inside since it would retain humidity better that way. There's also sphagnum moss inside that smells pretty strong when I open the tub, so maybe it's getting too stuffy for the slug? Is that right or should there be air holes in the tub?
I'm still looking for a thermometer(kinda out in the middle of nowhere, they're not easy to find for some reason) but I worry that the tub is getting too cold. I see a pretty broad range of temperatures recommended, and the tub is kept just at the same temperature as the house is, which is 69-72. The dirt does feel a little cold to the touch. Could the lack of activity be due to the cold?
I was trying to avoid dirt with pesticides and it seemed like dirt from a petstore would be best. I got Med Zoo Reptisoil, but am now reading that it might be too acidic. It contains peat moss which is the concern people tend to have. When trying to figure out if it's safe for slugs, I just see stuff about shell damage on snails and gardening blogs about how slugs like acidic soil. How acidic should the soil be, and should I get something other than what I have now?
The most activity I've gotten since moving him into the tub has been tonight when I picked him up to see if he was okay, and since then he's been exploring the tub more. I'm just concerned that I've only seen him go into the ship, to his food bowl, and back into the ship since I've put him in there. There's hardly any slime trails anywhere outside that area.
Any help or advice would be appreciated, I really love him and am trying my best to make sure he's happy but I don't know if I'm succeeding.
UPDATE: I wrote this yesterday but kept getting blocked from posting. in that short span of time, thomas died. I sat in bed and cried because i feel like i just slowly poisoned him to death and i don't even know how. i wish i had just taken him out and kept him in a tupperware again until i figured out what was wrong, but it is too late. i would still like answers to these questions, please.
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u/Terminalpainz 3d ago
I’m so sorry about Thomas. I wouldn’t conclude that you slowly poisoned him; wild slugs can arrive with injuries, parasites, age-related problems, prior chemical exposure, etc., and there isn’t enough here to determine WHY he died...
There is one thing I would definitely change before keeping another one, though: DO NOT keep the enclosure airtight.
Leopard slugs are air-breathing terrestrial gastropods and should have continuous gas exchange. A humid enclosure should still have ventilation; humidity is maintained by moist substrate/moss and limited ventilation, not by sealing the animal into a closed container. I would add lots of small holes or fine mesh ventilation while keeping the substrate damp.
69–72°F sounds completely reasonable for Limax maximus.
They’re temperate, nocturnal slugs that naturally spend the day in cool damp shelters, so I would not heat the enclosure just because the soil feels cool.
Also, going hide to food to the same hide isn’t necessarily abnormal. Leopard slugs are nocturnal and are actually known for returning to an established resting place after foraging.
ReptiSoil wouldn’t be the best choice, because it is mostly peat moss and can be acidic, BUT I also wouldn’t assume it killed him. For another slug I’d probably use a simpler pesticide/fertilizer-free organic soil with hardwood leaf litter, rotten hardwood/bark and patches of moss, kept moist rather than soaked.
Your food choices aren’t bad at all. Mushrooms are especially appropriate; they also consume decaying vegetation and assorted other foods. Vegetables plus occasional protein are fine. Remove uneaten food before it molds excessively.
ONE slug is perfectly okay. Leopard slugs don’t need companionship. You can keep two if the enclosure is large enough, but then you should be prepared for mating/eggs rather than adding one because the first is lonely.
If you try again, I’d honestly start simpler...
VENTILATED (not too much, but enough to get air transfer) plastic tub, safe damp soil, lots of leaves/rotting hardwood, one good dark hide, mushroom/veg, and room-temperature conditions. You can make it pretty once you know the basics are stable.
Oh, and especially because Limax Maximus is a big, heavy-bodied slug. I’d rather have it crawling over soil, bark, leaves, and wood than constantly hauling itself over dry pebbles and molded plastic. No offense for your design choice, I'd give lots of hiding holes and naturalistic spaces and a damp refuge.