Make sure to cover your aquarium, otherwise the snails may escape. They can survive outside of water for a few days, but the fall can seriously damage their shell and kill them. Believe me, the risk is not worth it, I lost one of my blue girls this way when she found a way out through a small gap beside the filter pipe. It was tragic and heartbreaking. Females are especially prone to wandering because of their instinct to look for a nice, dry place to lay their eggs, so be sure to leave at least 2 inches of airspace at the top of your tank.
Brigs need hard, alkaline water at about ph7.4-7.8. Please do not attempt to keep them in soft, acidic water; their shells will calcify, weaken and become damaged.
They are sentitive to amonia and nitrites, so please ensure that your aquarium is properly cycled before adding them . Don't forget to treat your water with chlorine, chloramine and heavy metal removers, if they are present in your water source. Care must also be taken when fertilizing or medicating--the snails must be moved to another tank prior to treatment if you are using salt, products like melachite green or those with heavy metals like copper and iron which are deadly to your snails. In the same vein, check to ensure that your fertilizer's ingredients are safe.
Regular partial water changes is a must. Be careful not to overcrowd the tank, since water quality will deteriorate quickly. Brigs need about 2.5 gallons per mid-sized snail
18 to degrees Celcius, with about 21-26 being the more ideal range. Note that the warmer the temperature is, the more active the snails are. This means faster growth, more reproduction, and the like. But all these will be at the cost of a shorter lifespan and thinner shell for your snails.
Brigs will eat some algae, but they cannot survive on it alone. A good, calcium-rich diet is necessary for their healthy shell growth. They eat vegetables like romaine lettuce, Chinese cabbage, cucumber, carrots, beans and peas (try cooking them a little or nuke them in the microwave for a bit to soften them). Don't forget to check if they are free of pesticides. Other parts of their diet can include regular fish food, pellets, algae tablets, weekend blocks, turtle food and frozen foods. Some people make them calcium disks, biscuits and "snail-o" (check the web for recipes). I give calcium carbonate supplements for their shells. Brigs can be picky, so it pays off to try different things and keep as much variety as possible.
