Article: One of the biggest needs your snail will have is adequate food. If your snail doesn't have enough food it will go hungry, but with too much food the water quality will quickly deteriorate.  Most snails enjoy having plants in the tank to graze on. They also eat algae, whether it is found naturally on the tank's walls or provided in the form of store-bought algae wafers.  Some snails require other food sources, such as fish food or bottom feeder tablets. Depending on the species of snail you choose, you may need to feed it every day or just a couple times each week.  Some experts recommend feeding aquatic snails as much food as those snails can consume in under three minutes, twice daily. This will require some trial and error, so make adjustments accordingly. As a general rule, if you provide supplemental food to your snail and it hasn't touched that food in two days, you may be feeding it too much/often. It could also indicate that your snail does not care for that food source, so try different options and gauge your snail's response.  Talk to a qualified aquarium expert at your local pet store or at a local college/university to ensure that your snail gets the care it needs. Many municipal water supplies use chemicals like chlorine to treat tap water, which can be deadly to snails (though it's safe for humans to drink). Bottled water will help ensure a safe, neutral water source for your snails, but it can get very costly. Some snail owners with access to an outdoor freshwater source also opt for fresh pond water.  Snails need a stable, neutral pH. You can buy pH testing kits at your local pet store, or order them through an online retailer. If you cannot use bottled water or pond water, you can simply let the tap water you'll be pouring into the tank sit out in an open container for 24 hours. This should allow the residual chemicals to evaporate, leaving behind a safe source of water for your aquarium. . If you plan on caring for saltwater snails, you will need to prepare a suitable environment for those snails. Preparing saltwater for marine snails is no different than preparing saltwater for a tank of any other marine creatures, such as saltwater fish or corals. The biggest thing you'll need is a special salt mixture, as household salt cannot be added to water to create a marine environment.  Test your tap water for nitrates. You can purchase a water testing kit from your local pet store or through an online retailer. Use purified water if your tap water is high in nitrates, as this water may not be safe for aquatic invertebrates. Common methods of purifying tap water are reverse osmosis, deionization, and ion exchange. Purchase an aquarium salt mix from your local pet store or online. Mix approximately 35 grams of salt mix per liter of water to closely replicate natural sea water. Consider purchasing a salinity measurement kit to ensure that your salt to water ratios are stable. Most aquarium owners who measure salinity use either a hydrometer (typically the least expensive option), a refractometer, or an electronic salinity meter. Some common snail behaviors often result in owners wondering whether the snail is still alive. The best way to care for your snail is to check up on it periodically, especially if you notice it acting strangely.  Snails often float to the surface of an aquarium, leading some owners to think that the snail is dead. It's simply got a gas bubble temporarily stuck under its shell, and the problem will resolve itself over time. Some snails withdraw into their shells, which owners frequently mistake as a sign of death. This is an incorrect assumption. A dead snail will hang limply outside the shell, while a living snail may retract into the shell. You can check on your snail by gently pushing against the flap where the shell closes. If the shell remains closed and the snail resists your efforts, it is still alive.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Provide your snail with food. Treat tap water before using it. Prepare the water for saltwater snails Make sure your snail is still alive.

To successfully treat your cocker spaniel's ear infection, you must administer the medications exactly as prescribed. For example, treat the ears for the full treatment course—do not stop treating the ears when they start looking better! If you stop the medication early, you may not completely kill the microorganism causing the infection, making a reinfection more likely.  If you are giving ear drops, use only the prescribed number of drops. Do not forget or skip any treatment doses. A missed or skipped dose could increase the likelihood of a reinfection. your cocker spaniel's ears properly. Cleaning your cocker spaniel's ears is essential to treating—and preventing—ear infections. To clean his ears, you will need a high-quality ear cleaning solution (available at your local pet store), and cotton balls or cotton gauze (available at your local pharmacy). Do not use a cotton swab—it will push debris down further in the ear and possibly damage the ear drum.  Lift the flap of one ear and squirt some ear cleaning solution in the ear, according to the label instructions. Gently massage the base of the ear for about 20 to 30 seconds, then wipe the ear dry with some cotton balls or gauze. Repeat with the other ear. Your cocker spaniel will probably want to shake his head after you put the solution in his ear. Let him do so.  Make sure the tip of the bottle does not touch your cocker spaniel's ears. Whatever is in his ears could contaminate the solution. Clean the ears 30 minutes before giving the medicated ear drops.  Do not clean his ears too frequently (once or twice week may be adequate). Overly frequent ear cleanings can cause ear infections. You may have heard about home remedies for cleaning a dog's ears, particularly homemade products containing vinegar. Do not use them! Home remedies and vinegar-based ear cleaning products can irritate the skin in your cocker spaniel's ears, causing swelling and an increase in secretions than can lead to infection.
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One-sentence summary --
Follow treatment instructions exactly. Clean Do not use irritating or homemade ear cleaning products.