Store bought sea shells in marine tank?

[Stacyvamp]

hello, I bought a basket of different shells, with a starfish, from a gift shop while on vacation. Even though I rinsed everything, I’m not quite sure everything is fine. I didn’t think about it before, and I just put the shells and the star fish in the tank. I’m not even sure if they are real or fake, the lady at the shop didn’t know. My question is, If I already put everything in the tank, is there a point of taking it out to boil it etc.? Or should I remove it completely

 

[PADogman]

I remember purchasing a sea fan at a gift shop, then placing it in a saltwater tank when I got home. It was rinsed off. And boy did my water get cloudy. I removed it after a day.
I'd keep my eye on that dried out starfish if it was real at one time.

 

[Stacyvamp]

I think I will take the starfish out, do you think everything else is fine?

 

[PADogman]

I don't know. Like you said, you're not even sure if it's real or artificial.
Although from a gift shop you'd think it was real. Otherwise it's of no value as a souvenir unless it was found locally.

 

[Colin_T]

The shells look real and should be fine if they have not been painted with a clear lacquer.

The starfish will rot and cause water quality problems if it was alive before it got dried out and sold. I would remove that.

 

[Stacyvamp]

The shells look real and should be fine if they have not been painted with a clear lacquer.

The starfish will rot and cause water quality problems if it was alive before it got dried out and sold. I would remove that.

OK, so I took the starfish out. The shells that are flat are matte, so I am assuming they’re not covered in anything, I just rinsed them with water. However the swirly shells are shiny. Does that mean they’re covered in Lacquer ? Should I boil them, would that help? I really want to include them in my tank

 

[Colin_T]

A lot of shells have a glossy finish so they aren't necessarily painted with anything.

You only boil them to kill the animal inside the shell so its easier to pull it out. If the shells don't stink of rotting flesh, there is no need to boil them. Just rinse under tap water and put in tank.

 

[Stacyvamp]

How do i pull them out after boiling?

 

[Jadzir]

How do i pull them out after boiling?

With something like a needle.

 

[Slaphppy7]

How do i pull them out after boiling?

?
Let the water cool down, reach in and grab them...

 

[Stacyvamp]

?
Let the water cool down, reach in and grab them...

....
some of them are tiny so obviously i can't just reach in and pull them out?
I was asking if there is anything to use such as a needle. The shells swirl around and im not sure how i can reach the very inside of them.

 

[PADogman]

Sometimes you have to get creative, like eating escargot

 

[Colin_T]

If you can't see an animal inside the shell, and it doesn't stink, then there is nothing in the shell.

When you boil the shell, the animal inside it dies and swells up a bit and you can use a fine fork, needle, skewer to stab the cooked meat and pull it out of the shell.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

I second what @Colin_T said. The shells look OK to me, but just keep an eye on them.

I usually don’t recommend people buy shells to put in their tanks unless they are 100% certain that they are natural, and not man made. Some shells are natural, but painted to look cool.

 

[Stacyvamp]

If you can't see an animal inside the shell, and it doesn't stink, then there is nothing in the shell.

When you boil the shell, the animal inside it dies and swells up a bit and you can use a fine fork, needle, skewer to stab the cooked meat and pull it out of the shell.

Actually, after I put them in the tank, I took them out in the morning and they did stink...i kept them in a bucket and they definitely have a foul smell.