Oyster Shells In Tank

[stanleo]

Hey all, I had oysters for dinner tonight that came in these really pretty shells. I want to put them in my tanks. Should I do something to them like boil them before I put them in there?

 

[Chad]

Yes as they may have bacteria on them.
 
Overtime they will give off their calcium into the tank which can alter water parameters. How fast depends on the type of tank you have. It takes a while in most tanks but it is something to be aware of.

 

[stanleo]

I want to put one in my 29gl community tank that has some shrimp in it and one in my 10gl shrimp tank. I add a calcium block to each tank every month. Do you think its safe to put them in there or should I just not bother?

 

[Chad]

I do think it's safe. Especially if you are already dealing with calcium.

 

[Skies]

Yeah, if you're already dealing with a calcium issue, then it's probably not a good idea to add. I'd love seashells in my tank as well, but I deal with a similar issue.

 

[TwoTankAmin]

Inverts need calcium for their shells. I add crushed coral to tanks for mine. As long as you sterilize the shell first it should just fine.

 

[Chad]

Of course since I keep a reef tank I dump calcium in on a regular basis but what is contained in a since shell isn't going to be much and if you are adding calcium then that means you should also be testing for it so you can monitor and see if there is a change due to the shell.