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Are all seashells safe for a tank?

Does anyone know a good site to order them from?

Ive looked at lots of sites but none of them safe the shells are aquarium safe.

Seashells can be safe for the aquarium but even then they will
affect water in ways that most aquarists do not desire.

Being composed of calcium seashell will raise your pH and Kh
as calcium slowly leeches from the seashell. This of course
is not good if you want a softwater acidic aquarium. Also ,
thought no usually a problem, fish can enter and get stuck in
seashells, which is never a good thing. There are the
sheeldwellers which live in shells and their tanks do a lot
better when you provide them with shells.

HTH,
Megil.

I knew that about calcium but I had forgotten that seashells contained calcium. Now that you said that I can remember learning about that back when I first starting keeping fish. I have hard water with a high ph now so I guess Id have to be really careful before adding any.

I need something to put in my tank with the kribs I plan to get. Its a sunken ship theme. I thought a few shells that were no bigger than a few inches would look nice and give adaquate cover. Guess Ill have to find something else.

Wait a sec....On this site below, they sell shells for cichlids and they say they are aquarium safe. How do shell dweeller tanks not mess up the ph/kh and so forth?

http://www.cichlidbreeding.com/products.php?cat=10

Last edited by ladiejl at 28-Nov-2005 08:11

with high Kh and high pH it probably won't make that big of a difference in your water. shelldwellers like the hard alkaline waters

Why not just buy some artificial seashells. Artificial aquarium ornaments ave really come a long way. I am sure you can find some artificial sea shells to go in your tank an they will not mess up your tanks chemistry at all.


Christina

Hi,
Along with all the above, they should be boiled out to
rid them of any parts or remains of previous inhabitants
that would wind up poluting your tank.

Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

Along with the above....
Depending on how big your tank is and how often and large your water changes are

few shells ... no bigger than a few inches

may not cause that much of a difference in your water chemistry.

Additionally, shells can be coated with a small ammount of aquarium safe silicone, it'll make them a little glossy out of water but wont be very discernable once they're submerged.

^_^[/font]

If you boil them well, i don't see any problems, as you're going to have Kribensis &amp; they like some higher ph.


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Its a pity you are so far away I could post you as many as you want. I live on the coast.

Certainly boil them for safety, I also would keep well away from those fake shells.

Have a look in [link=My Profile]http://
www.fishprofiles.com/interactive/forums/profile.asp?userid=6741" style="COLOR: #00FF00[/link] for my tank info

[link=Betta 11Gal Desktop &amp; Placidity 5ft Community Tanks]http://photobucket.com/albums/b209/keithgh/Betta%20desktop%20tank/" style="COLOR: #00FF00[/link]

Keith

Near enough is not good enough, therefore good enough is not near enough, and only your best will do.
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Why should you stay away from the plastic fake shells? There is nothing wrong with them. I haven't heard anything bad about them and I thought that they were better than putting real shells in there since they mess with your pH and all.


Christina

ladiejl - cichlidbreeding.com is a great site, I've ordered from them a number of times for my shellie tanks. I needed the higher pH, but I really believe that came as a result of the crushed coral in the tanks, not the shells.

~~~~~~~~~~~~
There is water at the bottom of the ocean

cichlidbreeding.com is the only site I can find that really sells shells for tanks. Its the only one I have found anyway.

If you are using sea shells for fish that naturally use them for protection/home it would not matter as the water would be set up for them.

I am just saying that the natural look best so why bother with the artifical ones.

Have a look in [link=My Profile]http://
www.fishprofiles.com/interactive/forums/profile.asp?userid=6741" style="COLOR: #00FF00[/link] for my tank info

[link=Betta 11Gal Desktop &amp; Placidity 5ft Community Tanks]http://photobucket.com/albums/b209/keithgh/Betta%20desktop%20tank/" style="COLOR: #00FF00[/link]

Keith

Near enough is not good enough, therefore good enough is not near enough, and only your best will do.
I VOTE DO YOU if not WHY NOT?
VOTE NOW VOTE NOW