Tropical Fish Forums

[myhamster]

Hi,
I had a nice lobster claw for dinner, and it's a nice red color. Do you think it'll be OK to put in the aquarium? It's a little oily, but I bleached it. Unfortunately, I used a little too much bleach, so it's less red than it used to be.

Do you think amano shrimp can benefit from the calcium in the shell? Will the shell leach too much calcium into the water?

Thanks!
Eric

[lenoirj]

I would be more worried about the bleach!

[Jose]

The sodium hypochlorite in the bleach would be easily removed by washing the shell.
The shrimp would benifit from the shell, just remember it is going to react with the acids in freshwater and 'dissolve' which will make your water harder. Soft shells do dissolve pretty quickly in water, slower in hard water. if your water is hard it shoudnt pose too much of a problem.

[myhamster]

Thanks.

I didn't know lobster shell would disolve in water. What about a sea shell that you might get at a pet store? Would that disolve or affect the water chem?

I'm looking for some sources to help my shrimp and snail get their nutrients.

Thanks!
Eric

[Jose]

All shells are mainly made up of Calcium carbonate, which is insoluable but does react with the acids (carbonic) that are in freshwater forming a equilibrium. This eqilibrium (where the rection stops) results in hard water. If your not trying to maintain softwater conditions or keep softwater fish species it should be alright.

[myhamster]

I see. I'm just going to keep some small shrimps, white clouds, guppies, and maybe a gourami or 2 in my 55 gallon. I think I'll go buy another claw of lobster and this time not bleach is so much.

Thanks!

[fishlover888]

Do check your tank water. If it is anything less than 7, the shells will increase it for you. No matter what kind of shells they are. It will keep doing that till all shells are gone.

Putting anything not inert in the tank is going to change the pH if your water is on the acid side. If you want to have a higher pH, you need to add some crushed shells in the tank. Just like they do in salt water tanks.
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125 g discus tank 13 discus, 5 Sterbai cory, 3 clown loaches, 1 Albino BN pH 6.3 50% WC x2/wk
2 g nano tank 3 Danio, pH 7.6 80% WC/ 2 days

[eelman]

the shrimp will probably eat it. most crustaceans eat their shells after molting, so I don't think they would mind eating someone else's.

[Jose]