So my daughter brought me back a few cool looking shells from Tybee that I thought might look good encrusted with coral. I have never put beach shells in any of my tanks. Is this a good idea, bad idea? What do you do to treat the shell before putting in a tank? Thanks in advance for any info.
Seashells from the beach
- Thread starter sharis100
- Start date
I would recommend boiling the snot out of them before getting them near your tank if you choose to do so
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Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
An overnight dip in bleach should be fine. Or kill it all with fire.
I've got a bunch of little shells and rocks that the kids collected from Florida, the Bahamas, and Puerto Rico in my tank. Soaked em all in freshwater and a couple drops of bleach for a day or so.
Also throw in shells from the grocery store in it (fresh clams, mussels). So far nothing horrible has happened, but ya know how that goes.
I've got a bunch of little shells and rocks that the kids collected from Florida, the Bahamas, and Puerto Rico in my tank. Soaked em all in freshwater and a couple drops of bleach for a day or so.
Also throw in shells from the grocery store in it (fresh clams, mussels). So far nothing horrible has happened, but ya know how that goes.
I think it's horrifying that there's a possibility of accidentally obtaining a cone snail. A newbie would never know what one was. Anyone ever seen these in the hobby?
I have no clue what that is.
Cone snail refers to a group of snails with really cool looking shells, but a few of the species in the genus Conus are EXTREMELY venomous. They have a sort of harpoon like appendage that they fire at prey that injects several different toxins. Their shells are quite ornate and sought after, but many folks don't realize how deadly they are.
After I saw your post I googled it. Lol
If they're absolutely dry with no organic matter left behind I would worry about it. If you're concerned, then soaking them in peroxide over night will do the trick. Oxyclean and thoroughly rinsing afterwards would be even better. That won't effect the coloring of the shell but destroy any organics left behind.
My mother collected shells as her passion. Something she taught and passed along to me. I now have that collection and there are several different cones among them, including the veil of gold.
Knowing how to recognize them, their potential hazards and how to avoid (or handle them, in our case) is key.
Knowing how to recognize them, their potential hazards and how to avoid (or handle them, in our case) is key.
Fwiw,
If you collect a shell which has an animal or you want to be sure any tissue has been removed, just place it on an ant bed for a few days. The ants will remove everything, with amazing efficiency!
If you collect a shell which has an animal or you want to be sure any tissue has been removed, just place it on an ant bed for a few days. The ants will remove everything, with amazing efficiency!
