Oyster shell

[teflon]

Hey guys im just wondering who has used Oyster shell in a filter to raise the pH and hardness?

I have a couple of questions

1)Which is the best way to use it

2)If you had enough could it be used as substrate

3)What are the Cons of using it

4)How long till it should be replaced

Sorry to be a pain in the behind but i really don't have a clue about it

Thanks in advance for any replies

Cheers

Adam

[nannat]

it does raise ph and hardness.it becomes ineffective for this over a long period of time just as any calcium types will dissolve.id say its the same as coral sand :wink:perhaps not as effective. :dntknw:its large size makes for a less effective clean after a gravel vacuum.

it has surface area for a trickle reef filter.maybe break it up smaller and grade the small bits out.id say this is its drawback beside coral sand.small bits could more easily break off

if you liked it as a substrate use the small bits in your tank and the larger bits in your minireef.

[teflon]

As always Nannat answering my questions cheers mate i appreciate it heaps

I want to give coral sand a wack but i can't find it around here

I was also thinking shell grit

[TropheusQueen]

Hey hey,

We use oyster shells at times and make sure that we leave them out in the sun and fresh air for the ants to pick clean before we place them in the tanks.

Cheers

Aline

[r.d.m]

teflon ,i might be wrong but i think shellgrit is crushed oyster shell, in the fine grade it makes an excellent subsrate,light in colour and easy to clean-all my africans enjoy burrowing through it.

[Ant]

I have shell grit in a media bag that is placed in my cannister and it does the job quite well. I also have it mixed in with my substrate.

Anthony

[BaZ]

I have a bag of oyster shells in each of my sumps. I break them into smaller pieces with an old hammer to increase the surface area.

[FREAQ]

Yes you can use oyster shell just make sure you clean and scrub them really well, then crush them up in a bag with a hammer or something. (this makes them more efficient)

The best shells to use are lids from Pacific oysters which are a lot cleaner compared to Sydney rock therefore less work involved.

Just go to your local seafood shop and ask if they can save some for you or if they dont have them find out where they get theyre oysters from, there is plenty of places that open them and they should be able to help.

And yes they do work I have used them in my tanks, if you worried about looks place them inside a filter so water flows past them. :-)

[ViS]

Adam, I think Anamais (formerly east coast) aquarium in Newcastle has big bags of coral sand.

As for oyster shell, and as has been suggested already, it should only be used in a sump or cannister filter or similar. The fish will end up cutting themselves on the shell if you dump it in a tank for decoration.

[Willy Wombat]

i use oyster shells and sometimes shell grit (bird stuff) in pantyhoes in my filters.

[teflon]

Cheers everybody for the replies

I really appreciate it, Im going to throw some in a stocking and put it in my filter and see how we go

Cheers

Adam