beach shells

[Zerotwist]

If I go the the beach is it ok to get some shells in put them in my tank?
It's cycling now...

[Ed Vraney]

I have never done that but I would be very cautious about placing shells in
the tank that are just pick up at the beach. If the shells are freshwater
shells they may leach elements into the sal****er and cause problems. If
they are from the ocean I would wash thoughly, then bleach for a few days,
rinse in freshwater and allow them to air dry in the sun for a few days to
get the chlorine off and rinse again in freshwater. Hopefully the cleaning
will kill everything and not introduce disease into the tank which is what
you want to prevent.

Ed

"Zerotwist" <zero> wrote in message
...
> If I go the the beach is it ok to get some shells in put them in my tank?
> It's cycling now...
>
>
>

[Pszemol]

"Ed Vraney" > wrote in message ...
> I have never done that but I would be very cautious about placing shells in
> the tank that are just pick up at the beach. If the shells are freshwater
> shells they may leach elements into the sal****er and cause problems. If
> they are from the ocean I would wash thoughly, then bleach for a few days,
> rinse in freshwater and allow them to air dry in the sun for a few days to
> get the chlorine off and rinse again in freshwater. Hopefully the cleaning
> will kill everything and not introduce disease into the tank which is what
> you want to prevent.

I do not get it... What kind of disease could it be?
Do you sterilize "life rock" as well before putting it in the tank?

[Kelly]

There could be metals in there that would later leach out into to the water
like copper.
"Pszemol" > wrote in message
...
> "Ed Vraney" > wrote in message
...
> > I have never done that but I would be very cautious about placing shells
in
> > the tank that are just pick up at the beach. If the shells are
freshwater
> > shells they may leach elements into the sal****er and cause problems.
If
> > they are from the ocean I would wash thoughly, then bleach for a few
days,
> > rinse in freshwater and allow them to air dry in the sun for a few days
to
> > get the chlorine off and rinse again in freshwater. Hopefully the
cleaning
> > will kill everything and not introduce disease into the tank which is
what
> > you want to prevent.
>
> I do not get it... What kind of disease could it be?
> Do you sterilize "life rock" as well before putting it in the tank?

[Pszemol]

"Kelly" > wrote in message news:I9NWb.470468$JQ1.310271@pd7tw1no...
> There could be metals in there that would later leach
> out into to the water like copper.

How would copper get into the shell in the first place?
And how chlorinating is removing it?

[CapFusion]

"Pszemol" > wrote in message
...
> "Kelly" > wrote in message
news:I9NWb.470468$JQ1.310271@pd7tw1no...
> > There could be metals in there that would later leach
> > out into to the water like copper.
>
> How would copper get into the shell in the first place?
> And how chlorinating is removing it?

I think he meant to say.... may leech out like coppper does [as a
reference].
If this shell is referring to that is pick up from the beach, it can contain
anything or absorb anything.
Chlorinating will kill everyting or removing all. It will kill most organism
but diffinately will not kill metal.

Better buy the shell from a LFS or somewhere else that is safe. Unless you
know for sure that beach is clean and does not contaminate by near by
factory and such.

CapFusion,...