2007-07-27 05:46:10 · 8 answers · asked by cedaratz 1 in Pets ➔ Fish
Perfectly safe. No salt is emitted by the coral. If you don't believe me, simply put your tongue on the coral. It won't be salty. I've been an avid aquarist for 20 years now & worked in aquarium shops as well. I wouldn't put a beautiful dried coral into a fish tank (salt or fresh) because it will ruin the coral with algae that will never come off. No matter what you do algae will grow, especially on white or light colored surfaces. It destroys the coral specimen's beauty. But as far as the fish go, the only thing coral adds is calcium in minute amounts. Most tap water has more calcium in it than the coral's erosion will prodcuce. Plus, once algae is covering a coral specimen in your tank it will stop eroding altogether so no calcium could possibly leach into the water. So, it's perfectly safe, but you'll not like the result on your pretty coral decorations. Actually I have two big hunks of coral in my goldfish tank that have been there for years & are now covered with ugly algae & ruined. I just leave them in the back for support to the other decorations. I could kick myself for ruining such pretty pieces of brain coral. I tried cleaning them and everything under the sun to get them back to white & it's useless. As far as the fish go, I had those corals in my African Cichlid tank & bred hundreds & hundreds of healthy baby cichlids. So, coral is perfectly safe for the fish.
2007-07-27 06:07:10 · answer #1 · answered by Lisa Smith 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
It's not salt, which easily rinses off, but the calcium carbonate it leeches into the water, which raises the parameters over time.
For decorative purposes this effect will be so slow that your normal water changes will keep it in check and it's nothing to worry about - to avoid a piece of coral for this reason is really just being overly paranoid, but then - the motto 'better safe then sorry' is never a bad one.
But be careful, coral can be very sharp and injure fish.
2007-07-27 12:49:47 · answer #2 · answered by Ghapy 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Yes - leave the coral out of there. Not only will it leach salt into your tank, it will also change the pH of the water!
2007-07-27 12:49:45 · answer #3 · answered by Misa M 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋
im with lisa on this one, it wont make huge impact on pH, if you mean fake coral thats fine, if you mean dead bleached coral that is fine but in my opinion slateish looking rocke look better in a frehwater tank, and be warned bleached coral is next to impossibel to clean and will be green in no time
2007-07-27 15:20:35 · answer #4 · answered by michael_j_p_42503 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
No, they don't put any salt in there
But watch your pH levels, that's what they are able to raise depending on how much you put in your tank
I just added some into my tank but didn't have any problems
Hope that helps
Good luck
EB
2007-07-27 13:43:21 · answer #5 · answered by Kribensis lover 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
No don't put coral in freshwater tanks!!
2007-07-27 14:14:54 · answer #6 · answered by ER 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
No. its fine. I have some in mine and they have lived longer than they are supposed to actually five yars over. So you can if you want.
2007-07-27 12:50:13 · answer #7 · answered by funnybunny 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
it's not really a problem. just don't ever put any fish in there
2007-07-27 12:50:42 · answer #8 · answered by pinhed_1976 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋