Sea Shells

[Yogie]

Hi All,

I was at the beach on the weekend enjoying the sun and was wondering if the little shells in the sand could be used in my tank to buffer the water?

The shells i'm talking about are the little flat ones about the size of a 5 cent piece. Do they buffer the water in any way? Is it worth putting them in the tank raise the PH and hardness?

Do they need cleaning at all or would a good rinse be enough?

Thanks,

Johann

[mcloughlin2]

Yes they will raise the pH and hardness.

They will only buffer the water when the pH is below ~7.5. Once it has reached 7.5 the shells will stop breaking down because the calcium carbonate stops reacting.

A quick rinse would be adequet providing the shells have been dried out.

[fry_2_buy]

I agree that the shells will indeed buffer and raise the ph of the water. Shells are made of calcium which is the 'key element' of a buffer's ingredients. I'd let the shells soak in any clean water for abit, then leave them in the sun and finally rinse them out briefly before putting them in the tank to make sure they are relatively clean and free from bacteria.

Yes they will raise the pH and hardness.

They will only buffer the water when the pH is below ~7.5. Once it has reached 7.5 the shells will stop breaking down because the calcium carbonate stops reacting.

A quick rinse would be adequet providing the shells have been dried out.

[Yogie]

So how much would you need in a 4 footer? Would a handful be enough or do you need a fair amount?

[CThompson]

fair amount

[ziad]

fair amount

Fair enough

[Yogie]

fair amount

Fair enough

haha you beat me to it