Alex

i was wondering because of the calcium or something that can build up. i boiled it and all that good stuff.

Chief_waterchanger

You mean an antler rack? If so:

It is the same material as your fingernails, and therefore is organic and will breakdown slowly. As long as it is sterilized and you do the waterchanges to compensate for organic breakdown. It is not something Dino or I would do in a tank in our fishhouse, but it -shouldn't- crash your tank.

It may get tricky with your pH. Unsure how screwy it would make it, but if you are up to the risk that is your decision.

(sorry if I assumed incorrectly with deer horn thing being antler)

Butterfly

I'm not sure what it would do to the tank either but I do know they have alot of calcium and salt in them. When left in the woods squirrels will gnaw on them for the calcium and salt.
I think they would be basically like adding bone to the tank.
You could always set up a tank and put the antlers in it and check all the water parameters for at least a month.
Carol

COBettaCouple

i don't think i'd add that to a tank. It doesn't seem worth the amount of extra work if would create.

Tom

But you want to make sure it doesn't mess up with all of your hard work that you have done to get the tank where it is.
Tom

VertigoXLR8R222

do they not make some sort of spray on clear coat epoxy? some kinda of a marine epoxy that will not leech chemicals into the water? check that way and see if the antlers will absorb the coat and make it unusable. or paint them with the paints for a hermit crab shell, that stuff is supposed to be non-toxic. anybody else think this a good way to go? Lee

Tom

But the only thing is, if you have a fish that gnows(?) on something like a pleco does, then the epoxy will eventually disappear.
Tom

froggypat

I know deer drown in rivers and stuff and the fish probably eat it but if it starts to break down in your tank it could be a problem with your filter bits getting caught in it.

Butterfly

Rivers and streams refresh them selves with water running through or with rain. We have to remember our tanks are closed systems and the water is only refreshed when we do water changes, so anything that can be a pollutant can build up really quickly.
Carol