Can I put sea shells that I picked up off the beach in my fresh water aquarium?
2007-01-19 06:05:43 · 13 answers · asked by med_school_n_09 2 in Pets ➔ Fish
I would not recommend it. The seashells contain a lot of salt with is not good for the freshwater tank. I would stay with decorations from the pet stores. Nothing from outside.
2007-01-19 06:13:06 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
You can. The salt from the shells won't do anything to the fish because there is a lot more fresh water than salt water. If you are still worried about it, you could wash the shells out really good and then put them in the tank.
2007-01-19 14:13:19 · answer #2 · answered by Hott Mama 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
You cant put saltwater shells in a fresh water tank. The salt leaches out of the shells and makes the water too salty for most freshwater fish. If they are fresh water shells you can just boil them to sterilize any organisms in the shells so your fish dont catch any diseases.
2007-01-19 14:22:33 · answer #3 · answered by Yo_horse 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
It depends what kind of fish you have. If you have a hard water fish like African cichlids then the shells will be very good for the tank. Livebearers will appreciate it too.
But if you have anything else in the tank, especially fish from South America, do not do it. Shell increase Ph and hardness, which can be harmful to fish like angelfish, rams, tetras, ect.
2007-01-19 15:09:31 · answer #4 · answered by fish guy 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well someone answered it right for you. You can use them but they will raise your PH in your tank, depending on how many you put in the tank and how big your tank is. I sell bags of crushed sea shells to salt water, brackish, african cichlid hobbyists. If you add enough to the tank, it will keep your PH at 8.2 Idea for salt fish, brackish and African cichlids. Basically making your water harder. If you have a constant battle with keeping your ph up, find out how many (or few) will keep it just high enough without going over 7.2 and you wont stress out your tank. Have fun.
2007-01-19 14:34:00 · answer #5 · answered by intense 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, just boil them for a few minutes to make sure you don't introduce anything unwanted into the aquarium. Shells shouldn't be used in excess in a FW tank, but used moderately they'll have no affect on the water's PH. Really.
2007-01-19 14:13:51 · answer #6 · answered by Ghapy 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
If you do, make sure you boil them really well because of the bacteria. Also be sure if your fish start acting strange, take the shells out immediately and clean the tank right away to get rid of what ever is hurting the fish.
2007-01-19 16:00:21 · answer #7 · answered by Krimzon Guard Girl 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sea shells are made of calcium carbonate and will raise the pH and water hardness of your tank. Unless you have cichlids (or other fish that need a higher pH), or your water is acidic and you need to raise the pH, it's best not to use them.
(the salt would rinse off, so that isn't a concern)
2007-01-19 14:22:26 · answer #8 · answered by copperhead 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
You can put them in your fw tank if you boil them to get rid of all the little organisms. However, over time the shells will decay and raise the pH of your tank.
2007-01-19 14:33:14 · answer #9 · answered by Randy A 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes! Just make sure that you thoroughly wash them off with hot water and remove any debris from them!
2007-01-19 14:12:00 · answer #10 · answered by Shannon 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋