Can I put shells in my aquarium???

[jordonsmum]

I've heard that you shouldn't put shells in your aquarium but i know people that have them in healthy aquariums. Is it bad????

[madattiver]

I have shells in two of my tanks.. but then again they are shell dwelling cichlid tanks. the water is very hard, and the fish love it!!!

[AquaScaper]

I've never heard of this, am curious about it now though as I've always had a misc array of shells from all over the place in my tanks and never noticed any problems.....

[fishykisses]

shells up the ph in the tank - test the ph in your tank to make sure it's not too high. But livebearers and cichlids like a higher ph.

[CACAdmin]

I gather my shells from the beach but scrub them and then boil the heck out of them to kill any bacteria, parasites, etc. before putting them in my tank. But they're a great addition... I have them in my tanks (with livebearers, snails, gouramis and plecos).

[jordonsmum]

That's awsome, thanks folks. My ph is 7.4 . I'd like to put a few larger shells in with my swords and give the fry places to hide.

[CACAdmin]

Sounds great. I just tested my pH out of curiosity and it's 7.5. A couple of large shells shouldn't up it too much but test it and if it does you can always buffer it with a small piece of driftwood. (more hiding places). Don't do the driftwood unless you have to, as it will have a much greater impact than the shells in my experience.

[jordonsmum]

I already have a piece of wood in there from the aquarium store... is that ok? It's been in there for about two years.

[CACAdmin]

No problem. If after adding your shells the pH gets too high you could just add another small piece.

[Mrs.JP]

I have shells in my tanks also. I made little caves out of scolup shells in all of my tanks.
I boil everything that goes in my tanks, depending on the shap of your shells you might have to twirl them under the water to get the air bubble out.
Has anyone put sanddollers in their tanks? I was given some but they seem kind of fragel.

Jordonsmum you will have to show us pictures when you get your shells in.

Jackie

[jordonsmum]

I'd love to show you some photos. I'm going to get my 20 gal set up first since i'm moving everything to that tank anyway and then I'll take some. I can't wait!!! My husband collects them for me from all over the world. (Navy). I love them. They're in a basket on the back of my toilet on a shelf. They've already been boiled but will do again just to make sure.. ;)

[Melody]

All of the above....lol...some great advice here, if I'm anyone to judge.

Shells can up your pH but they disolve so slowly that it would take a lot, along with lots of water movement, to have a huge impact. Its the same as using coral or any of the other Ca increasers. Much better than chemicals for increasing pH, in my opinion. Chemicals I have found to make the environment unstable at best, and they make the change very quickly. I'm a fan of the slow and natural methods.

The more acidic your water is, the faster the shells will disolve, so you will have two forces working against each other with the driftwood in there. However, the outcome won't be a negative one. It would be a concern if you were trying to keep a low pH tank and that's about it. It will also only raise it to a certain level. Coral, for example, will max out at around 7.6.

As mentioned, most common Livebearers prefer a higher pH so they'll probably appreciate the boost, especially with the driftwood in there. The tannins in driftwood make your water more acidic. Personally I don't think its the high pH exactly, but the overall mineral content, specifically calcium, that Livebearers respond to. You could ask 10 'experts' and get a different reasoning though, so take that at face value.:smile:

Good question!

[Melody]

I'd love to show you some photos. I'm going to get my 20 gal set up first since i'm moving everything to that tank anyway and then I'll take some. I can't wait!!! My husband collects them for me from all over the world. (Navy). I love them. They're in a basket on the back of my toilet on a shelf. They've already been boiled but will do again just to make sure.. ;)

Remember that they'll disolve though - so if there's extra special ones in there, don't add them to your tank. I decorate around the tank with the larger shells that I don't want ruined. Adds to the decor theme without hurting the shells.:smile:

[jordonsmum]

That's awsome, all great info.. thanks so much. I got my 20 gal tonight and am soooo looking foward to decorating it tomorrow. :yes:

[jordonsmum]

Here it is.. as promised. So far I only have the male Lyretail sword, female blue mickey mouse platy and one of my newer preg Lyretail sword females in the tank. I left the two females who are about to drop in the "fry" tank (15 gal) until they drop. I didn't want to stress them. I'm about to do a water change and then I'm hoping that will cause them to drop. I'll be adding more plants to the tank tomorrow. I'd also like to put my albino cory in the 25 gal but am not sure how long to wait until there will be enough on the bottom to feed him... any ideas???
http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t174/jordonsmum/100_4551.jpg

[Melody]

Looks great! I was thinking about you yesterday actually - gets quiet around here without your sunny chatting. :smile:

You don't have to wait to put the Cory in there - he'll clean up whatever drops that the others don't get, which is usually far more than we think. Its only algae eaters that you have to establish the tank for, and/or supplement their diet. You never want anything left on the bottom.

Now that you have some room, try to find him a friend or two if you can. They really thrive on company and are very entertaining to watch as they play. They certainly earn their keep - tireless 'scavengers'.

[jordonsmum]

Heyyyy there,
I missed you guy/gals too. Yesterday was my birthday (30 yuck) so my family kept me busy. We spent the whole day scuba diving and then out for dinner. It was nice.

I'm thinking now maybe I will leave the current cory in the 15 gal to clean up and get two more for the 25. Your right though, he's very entertaining!!! He actually fools around and interacts with my swords. They don't seem to mind each other at all. It's only in the last month or so I've noticed that he's started playing on top instead of staying at the bottom all of the time.

Is there any risk of him eating any of my fry in the gravel. ??

[Mrs.JP]

Your tank looks beautiful:yes:

Jackie

[jordonsmum]

Hi Jackie,
Thank you , that's very sweet. I've only begun playing with it... you know me and my new toys..:laugh: ;)

[CACAdmin]

:offtopic: Happy Birthday! :cheers: (a day late... but better late than never I guess). As for being 30... ahhh.... I remember 30 ... I think :twitcy: ... my youngest is your age!:swoon: Sounds like you had a good time. Where did you go scuba diving... and what sort of fish/creatures did you get to see?

[Melody]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Your Cory's won't bother your fry :smile: .

[jordonsmum]

:laugh: :notworthy: you are too sweet. Thanks so much... have a great night!!!!

[jordonsmum]

Where did you go scuba diving... and what sort of fish/creatures did you get to see?
__________________

CACAdmin,
Thank you for the birthday wishes, very sweet!! I went to the Ogden point and the "Lord Jim" in Mill Bay on the island to a 35 ft boat wreck. No one seems to know where it comes from or the history on it but it's fun to dive!!! Also went to "Tanner Rock" on the island in Mill Bay which gets its name from the "Tanner Crabs" it's inhabited by. I've never seen those crabs anywhere else.

At the wreck I saw tons of rock fish, a baby cabazon, 2 Ocotopy, painted greenlings, perch and sunfish.

At tanner rock we dove with about 12 of the most social and friendly seals i've ever met!!! We were able to touch one of them and it followed us playing EVERYWHERE!!!! It was a blast. I have tons of photos from our dives but wouldn't be sure where to post them on this site. Anyone interested in seeing the photos can send me an email to jordonsmum@hotmail.com and I can send you a bunch. I also went for a dive today at Mackenzie Byte. I got attacked by 4 different male Ling cods guarding egg masses and found a grunt sculpin. Also saw some BEAUTIFUL jelly fish that light up from electric current... amazing to see!!!!! The most amazing things I've seen were dog fish (4-5 ft sharks) they look like i.d. sharks in aquariums.

[CACAdmin]

Wow... I have never gone scuba diving but that has to be an awesome experience. Why don't you post your photos in the The Waterfront Cafe (http://www.canadianaquariumconnection.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=23)? We'd love to see them.:yes:
Also, if you belong to a Scuba Diving Club, post info about the club in The Clubhouse (http://www.canadianaquariumconnection.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=45).

[jordonsmum]

will check those sites out tomorrow and post for sure.. thanks so much for the info! Goodnight!!!:D

[Melody]

Seals can be deceiving so be careful trying to pat them - they look cute but they can pack a viscious bite.

That aside, sounds like a good time!

[Soggybottom]

Re: scuba diving

*so jealous it hurts*

[Melody]

:hugs: Your turn is next! So says ME.

[jordonsmum]

Re: scuba diving

*so jealous it hurts*

Why don't you try it???;) Most people can do it. The seals nip at our fins but have never hurt anyone that we know. That's about 150+ ppl. We're part of two different dive clubs. My husband's an instructor, that's how I learned. :yes:

[Melody]

Seals will usually only bite if they feel cornered or threatened. Unfortunately, a human hand trying to touch them is often viewed as a threat. Their bites usually require stitches and antibiotics, according to Government warnings, and that's bites from pups. :wideeyed:

Diving in waters where they are shouldn't pose much of a threat, but I would encourage your club to research the dangers of approaching them.

It must be quite an experience to dive. I'm aquaphobic so I'll never know. Imagine that, an aquaphobic fish lover...lol.

[jordonsmum]

No, that's totally understandable. Shawn and I were diving with about 15 seals on Sat that were VERY social. They nipped at our fins as usual but we keep our hands to ourselves. We never try to touch. They're very curious but if we steer clear from their mating grounds they've never been aggressive.

Ling cod on the other hand have been cranky around here lately. It's near the end of spawning season and i'll be happy when it's gone. The males can be cranky miserable son's of guns when they're guarding egg masses. I've been charged by them on an avg of 4 times per dive lately. I'm developing a phobia of my own!!!!

[Soggybottom]

It sounds like an expensive habit, I don't want to get hooked!
I guess I'm putting it off 'til I have more spare cash. I would also want to buy a harpoon so I could barbeque the tasty cod :)

[jordonsmum]

Believe me, I was temped with the last four...lol if they weren't sitting on egg masses and just charged us for the sake of being cranky, i'd be tempted..lol

We never touch anything while diving though. Leaving everything as we found it is the motto of our diving group. Too many beautiful things being taken by divers for no reason. I'm going to pan back and find those links to post some photos of the things we see while down there. Once I figure out how to do that.. I'll send you guys/gals the link.

[Melody]

You should put together a 'Responsible Diving' article for the article section. You can do it in your spare time. I'm sure you have five minutes between 3 & 4 AM. :Flowers3:

[jordonsmum]

Wow... I have never gone scuba diving but that has to be an awesome experience. Why don't you post your photos in the The Waterfront Cafe (http://www.canadianaquariumconnection.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=23)? We'd love to see them.:yes:
Also, if you belong to a Scuba Diving Club, post info about the club in The Clubhouse (http://www.canadianaquariumconnection.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=45).

I looked at the water front cafe. I have TONS of photos that I could post and think it would take a really long time. We have a family website with some of our photos on it. Anyone is welcome to take a look www.spaces.msn.com/members/mason-falconerplace (http://www.spaces.msn.com/members/mason-falconerplace) in the left hand column under photos, click on "Kristy's Interests". You'll see my photos taken while diving... enjoy!!