Cuttleshell Found On The Beach

[lucc]

Hi I have found 3 cuttleshell on the beach - can I put it in my aquarium (water too soft I have I apple snail - new)? Also found some shells and these clusteres (some white - some beige) as hard as a stone - is it faceas of shells(similar thing as a coral)? Can I put it in the aquarium - is it safe? And again - how long shall I boil these things? It will not raise the ph too much will it? And the last question - is it ok for the fish in the tank.... I have harlequins, botias macr., silver dollar, punteus titt. Thanks again to everybody for help.... Lucc

 

[Essjay]

I wouldn't use anyhting that you don't know for certain what it is. Shells are fine, as are the cuttleshells - they come from cuttlefish, a type of squid. The shells etc need to be washed very well to get rid of the salt form the sea, then boiled to kill any germs. I'm not sure how long though.

Just put them in the tank when they are clean. The fish won't mind at all. They may raise the pH a little bit, but not much. The shells will have to start to dissolve before they have any effect so it will be a slow change if the pH does rise.

I have heard people say that the snails will eat some of the cuttleshell to get the calcium for their own shells, but I have no experience of my own about this.

 

[raptorrex]

Hi I have found 3 cuttleshell on the beach - can I put it in my aquarium (water too soft I have I apple snail - new)? Also found some shells and these clusteres (some white - some beige) as hard as a stone - is it faceas of shells(similar thing as a coral)? Can I put it in the aquarium - is it safe? And again - how long shall I boil these things? It will not raise the ph too much will it? And the last question - is it ok for the fish in the tank.... I have harlequins, botias macr., silver dollar, punteus titt. Thanks again to everybody for help.... Lucc

as for preparing it? i would wash and boil it, I'm honestly not sure how long for. perhaps a couple of minutes?. its unlikely to make much difference to the PH, well initially. but if critters rasp and eat it. it will get into the water system. even so, more often than not, any change will be temporary. water has a way of finding it own level. this is called water buffering.

it will not permanently raise your PH. indeed not much can. so perhaps adding it ground up? it will not help the PH, but it may make it more accessible to the snail/s.

 

[lucc]

Hi I have found 3 cuttleshell on the beach - can I put it in my aquarium (water too soft I have I apple snail - new)? Also found some shells and these clusteres (some white - some beige) as hard as a stone - is it faceas of shells(similar thing as a coral)? Can I put it in the aquarium - is it safe? And again - how long shall I boil these things? It will not raise the ph too much will it? And the last question - is it ok for the fish in the tank.... I have harlequins, botias macr., silver dollar, punteus titt. Thanks again to everybody for help.... Lucc

as for preparing it? i would wash and boil it, I'm honestly not sure how long for. perhaps a couple of minutes?. its unlikely to make much difference to the PH, well initially. but if critters rasp and eat it. it will get into the water system. even so, more often than not, any change will be temporary. water has a way of finding it own level. this is called water buffering.

it will not permanently raise your PH. indeed not much can. so perhaps adding it ground up? it will not help the PH, but it may make it more accessible to the snail/s.

Thanks a lot for your answer, feel much better about it now!!! Lucc

I wouldn't use anyhting that you don't know for certain what it is. Shells are fine, as are the cuttleshells - they come from cuttlefish, a type of squid. The shells etc need to be washed very well to get rid of the salt form the sea, then boiled to kill any germs. I'm not sure how long though.

Just put them in the tank when they are clean. The fish won't mind at all. They may raise the pH a little bit, but not much. The shells will have to start to dissolve before they have any effect so it will be a slow change if the pH does rise.

I have heard people say that the snails will eat some of the cuttleshell to get the calcium for their own shells, but I have no experience of my own about this.

Thanks for your advice!!! Can't wait to see if mine will eat it or not ... Lucc