Question about decor

[shuhu]

I have many shells and stuff like that, that I've collected every summer I spend on the beach for several years, but I used the vinegar test to see if they fizzed (is that the right word?) and some of them did, which means I shouldn't use them at my tanks, but some are so cool and I really want to use them.

So my question is, is there some sort of transparent material, liquid, to cover these so that they become aquarium-safe

 

[zig]

Dont really know if you can use yacht varnish, probably not, but you could coat them in a thin coat of aquarium silicon, which would make them waterproof.

 

[shuhu]

thanks... but sylicon is really thick and not that easy to handle so it will probably wont look too good, I was thinking about something that will look like a coating of transparent varnish or something like that

 

[Dragonscales]

A few lfs near me have different coloured hermit crab shells for sale, perhaps you could find the lacquer used on these for sale somewhere. I am unsure if these would be safe when submerged in water for prolonged periods (I'd assume they are due to being safe with the hermits, but who knows?) or not and don't know if there is a clear lacquer available but an lfs near you might be able to tell you.

 

[shuhu]

the problem with LPS is that they wont tell me something like that because they want me to buy the expensive decor from them

 

[OrkyBetta]

Try the silicone, get a pair of rubber gloves and carefully put a tiny dollop on your fingertip, and work it all over the shells. I would also try completely covering the opening to the insides of the shells with silicone, so nothing is exposed.

 

[Dragonscales]

Perhaps stray a tad from the truth then shuhu.

Say you were wondering if it was tank safe and where to buy some as you were thinking about painting the inside of the back wall of a tank with it or something similar. Or perhaps tell them you want to paint a pet dog's water and food bowls.

As much as I dislike not being honest, in some cases it is waranted, especially when it comes to alot of lfs, money hungry buggers that they are. If this doesn't help any then perhaps ask someone at a decent hardware store for info on things you could use. They should be able to tell you or find out through the manufacturer if you're lucky.

 

[shuhu]

I'll try the sylicone but I will also follow "Dragonscales" advise, there's gotta be something else I can use, if the people selling decor do it than why can't we find a way too???