JRunyon21

I have heard from people that seashells can have a negative effect on the quality of the water. This is in a freshwater tank. Anyone know of a way to cure/prepare them so they do not mess up the water?

Shawnie

I got some from the dollar store..I boiled them for about 20 min, then acclimated them to tank water to cool them down, then used them..just becareful of sharp edges with some fish

griffin

i think it also depends on what kind of water you're trying to maintain. if you want very soft acidic water, it might over the long term with few water changes, have some effect since the shells will dissolve over time in soft acidic water, but it's a very slow process.

if you're trying to maintain hard water, the shells will actually help a little. but either way, the effect isn't likely to be huge unless you're using a lot of shells

RiffDawg15

Seashells will make a negative effect on the water parameters in a fresh water tank. Freshwater makes the shells deteriorate and causes your water to get thrown out of wack.

Shawnie

my waters been great with seashells....had them a few months...hmmmm must take awile to deteriorate?

griffin

sorry - gotta disagree - clean seashells don't really have a significant effect on water unless you're going for a very soft, acidic tank and are doing regular water changes. they actually help you out if you're trying to go for hard water. i've kept some variety of shells in my tanks for longer than i can remember, and i have had no issues due to the shells.