Introduction
The Achatina, often affectionately referred to as the “snail” by ARK: Survival Evolved players, is a unique and incredibly valuable creature. Its primary function isn’t combat or transportation, but rather the passive production of Achatina Paste, a vital resource for crafting Cementing Paste. Cementing Paste, in turn, is an essential ingredient in countless structures, tools, and weapons. Therefore, maintaining a healthy and productive Achatina is crucial for any serious survivor looking to advance in the game. One of the most important aspects of Achatina care is understanding its dietary needs. Ignoring these needs will severely hamper its production and potentially lead to its demise. Understanding Achatina food requirements is crucial for maximizing their utility and ensuring their survival in ARK.
What Do Achatina Eat?
While Achatina will consume a variety of plant-based materials, their dietary preferences are quite specific. Optimizing their diet significantly impacts their Achatina Paste production, making it well worth the effort to understand their preferred food sources.
The Primary Food Source: Sweet Vegetable Cake
Without a doubt, the most efficient and effective food for an Achatina is Sweet Vegetable Cake. This special dish provides the highest food value replenishment and keeps your snail happy and producing paste at an optimal rate. Neglecting to provide Sweet Vegetable Cake can lead to drastically reduced paste output and even starvation.
Sweet Vegetable Cake isn’t the easiest recipe to craft, requiring a variety of ingredients that must be carefully gathered and combined. The ingredients are:
- Sap: Extracted from trees with taps or gathered from specific trees in swamp areas.
- Rockarrot: Grown from Rockarrot seeds obtained by harvesting wild plants.
- Longrass: Grown from Longrass seeds obtained by harvesting wild plants.
- Savoroot: Grown from Savoroot seeds obtained by harvesting wild plants.
- Citron: Grown from Citron seeds obtained by harvesting wild plants.
- Fiber: Gathered from bushes and plants.
- Water: Obtained from a waterskin, water jar, or water source.
The recipe for Sweet Vegetable Cake requires one each of Sap, Rockarrot, Longrass, Savoroot, and Citron, along with two Fiber and a container filled with Water. These ingredients must be combined in a Cooking Pot or Industrial Cooker. Be sure to remove any other items that can be cooked such as raw meat, or you may accidentally create something else.
The reason Sweet Vegetable Cake is superior is its high food replenishment value. It provides significantly more sustenance to the Achatina than any other readily available food source. This translates to less frequent feeding and more consistent paste production.
Alternative Food Sources (Less Efficient)
While Sweet Vegetable Cake is the preferred choice, there are alternative food sources that Achatina will consume, although they are significantly less efficient. These should primarily be considered emergency options or for situations where obtaining Sweet Vegetable Cake is temporarily impossible.
Plant Y
Plant Y traps can provide a food source to Achatina, but the effectiveness is limited by the rate the plant is harvested and the proximity of the Achatina to the Plant Y traps. Plant Y also requires diligent up-keep and replanting.
Berries
Achatina will eat berries, particularly Mejoberries. Mejoberries provide the highest food value among the various berry types, making them the most suitable option. However, berries are far less efficient than Sweet Vegetable Cake. They replenish a significantly smaller amount of food, meaning you’ll need to provide them much more frequently to keep your Achatina from starving. This translates to more work for you and potentially lower paste production as the Achatina prioritizes consuming berries over generating paste.
Furthermore, berries spoil relatively quickly, requiring you to constantly replenish the Achatina’s inventory. Overall, while berries can sustain an Achatina, they are not a practical long-term solution.
Feeding Mechanics and Tips
Understanding the mechanics of how Achatina consume food is essential for effectively managing their diet and maximizing their productivity.
Passive Feeding
Achatina consume food passively over time, meaning they will automatically eat from their inventory as their food levels decrease. There is no need to manually force-feed them. This makes Achatina relatively low-maintenance compared to some other creatures in ARK.
Food Value and Consumption Rate
Each food item has a different food value, which determines how much it replenishes the Achatina’s food meter. Sweet Vegetable Cake replenishes a substantial amount, while berries replenish a much smaller amount. The Achatina’s consumption rate is relatively slow, but it’s still crucial to provide enough food to offset the depletion.
The exact consumption rate can be affected by factors like the Achatina’s level and any buffs or debuffs it may be experiencing. However, the general principle remains the same: provide enough food to outweigh the rate at which it’s being consumed.
Managing Achatina Food Levels
Maintaining adequate food levels requires a proactive approach. Regularly checking the Achatina’s inventory and replenishing their food supply is critical. Several strategies can make this process easier:
- Using Troughs: Placing a Feeding Trough nearby allows you to fill it with Sweet Vegetable Cake (or berries) and the Achatina will automatically draw food from the trough, extending the time between manual refills. This is especially helpful for larger groups of Achatina.
- Regular Inventory Checks: Periodically check each Achatina’s inventory to ensure they have sufficient food and haven’t consumed their entire supply.
- Remote Monitoring: Utilize mods or server settings that provide remote monitoring of creature stats, allowing you to check food levels from a distance.
Important Considerations
Several additional factors can impact Achatina feeding and should be taken into account:
Food consumption for Achatina does not depend on whether they are tamed or not and do not need to consume food to produce Achatina paste.
- Food Decay: Sweet Vegetable Cake decays over time, especially in warmer environments. This means that the cakes will eventually spoil and become unusable. To mitigate this, store Sweet Vegetable Cake in Preserving Bins or Refrigerators to significantly extend its lifespan.
- Weight: Achatina have a limited weight capacity. Filling their inventory with excessive amounts of food can encumber them, hindering their movement. Keep their inventory relatively light to ensure they can move freely.
Troubleshooting Common Feeding Problems
Despite your best efforts, you may occasionally encounter issues with Achatina feeding. Understanding the potential causes and solutions can prevent unnecessary frustration.
Achatina Not Eating
If your Achatina isn’t eating, even when their food levels are low, there are several possible reasons:
- Inventory Full: If the Achatina’s inventory is completely full, it won’t be able to consume any more food. Remove any unnecessary items to free up space.
- Glitches: Occasionally, glitches can prevent an Achatina from eating. Try picking the Achatina up with a Cryopod and releasing them, or restarting the game.
Achatina Starving Quickly
If your Achatina are depleting their food supply rapidly, consider these factors:
- Low Food Value Food Sources: If you’re relying on berries, switch to Sweet Vegetable Cake to provide a much higher food value.
- Insufficient Food Storage: Ensure you’re providing enough food to meet the Achatina’s needs. Increase the quantity of Sweet Vegetable Cake in their inventory or the feeding trough.
Getting Sweet Vegetable Cake
Securing a reliable supply of Sweet Vegetable Cake is the key to consistent Achatina Paste production. This requires establishing a sustainable farming system for the necessary ingredients. Focus on cultivating plots for Rockarrot, Longrass, Savoroot, and Citron. Greenhouses can significantly enhance crop growth rates. Sap can be a bit trickier but can be gathered using tree taps or collected in swamp biomes.
Maximizing Achatina Paste Production Through Proper Feeding
Proper feeding directly influences the quantity of Achatina Paste produced. The Achatina doesn’t need to consume food to produce Achatina paste but feeding it the maximum amount allows the most amount of Achatina Paste to be produced.
The Link Between Food Level and Paste Output
While not directly correlated, an adequately fed Achatina is a healthy Achatina and will produce paste.
Optimal Feeding Schedules for Maximum Output
Strive to maintain a consistent food supply. Regularly replenishing their inventory with Sweet Vegetable Cake will ensure they are always well-fed, and producing paste optimally. Using feeding troughs is the most convenient way to do this.
Conclusion
Understanding Achatina food requirements is fundamental to maximizing their utility in ARK: Survival Evolved. Sweet Vegetable Cake is unequivocally the best food source, providing the highest food value and supporting optimal paste production. By implementing the feeding strategies outlined in this guide, you can ensure your Achatina are healthy, productive, and a valuable asset to your base. Now that you know everything about feeding your Achatina, what strategies have you used to keep them happy and healthy? Share your own Achatina feeding tips in the comments below!
