johnloveday

Hi...
i found some dead coral on the beach..this is fairly commonplace where i live...and i wanted to put it in as decoration in my fishtank...i wanted to know if this would be harmful to the fish or it disturbs the water quality in some way..
at the moment the tank is cycling and has no fish...should i add it now?

aquarist48

Hello John. I don't see why you couldn't add it to your fresh water aquarium. People do add sea shells to their tanks for decoration. It could raise your pH a bit depending on how large a piece it is. We recommend adding crushed coral for the purpose of raising pH levels. I would think you would be fine to add it. I would suggest that you boil it first though to remove any critters/bacteria that may be on it that you don't want inside your tank.
I'm sure you'll get some more responses as well.
Ken

johnloveday

Thanks, youre very helpful!

peacemaker92

I agree with Ken. It wouldn't do any harm or changes to your water levels unless it's a lot of them or if it's crushed.

johnloveday

Thanks..i did boil it and it is now in my fish tank...i have 2 angels and a spotted raphael catfish who seems to like the coral quite a bit since he stays there most of the time!

aquarist48

Hello John. I'm glad your fish are enjoying their new decor! I hope you can share some photos sometime.
Ken

Beth1965

How does one know how much coral is too much or too little?
Beth

johnloveday

I will try and post some pics as soon as i can