# Can I Use Sea Shells In An Aquarium?



## Smells Fishy (May 7, 2015)

I live in a sea side town so being near a beach its really easy for me to collect rocks and shells. I've got some really cool ones I want to put them to use in a tank. It doesn't really fit considering these shells came from the sea and I'm wanting to put them in a freshwater tank, but let me know what you think.


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## AquaAurora (Jul 10, 2013)

Crushed coral and cuttle bones .. and I think sea shells are used to raise hardness in a tank, depending on what fish/inverts you are keeping and your current hardness redaings this may be good or bad to add. Personally I'd advise against it but I don't like using anything hat effect water parameters.


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## bpb (Mar 8, 2011)

Unless you're trying to have hard water or keep hard water fish, I would avoid sea-anything. Everything like that in the ocean builds skeletons of calcium carbonate which will readily dissolve at ph values of under 7. This will just give you very alkaline hard water 


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## Daisy Mae (Jun 21, 2015)

*Depends*

Depends on what you're keeping in the tank. Like the others have said it will increase the hardness. 

What some forum members have advocated with rocks is to test it out in a bucket. Can probably do the same with sea shells, etc. add water to bucket, leave out overnight, test pH, GH, KH. Add shells, wait a few days and re-test. Wait a few more days, and test again. If you are able, use similar amount of water in bucket as in tank you want to put your shells in (or go for a similar proportion of shell to water).


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## Diana (Jan 14, 2010)

Or get results faster by adding lots of shells to a small amount of water. 

Acidic water in the tank will dissolve the shells.


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## essabee (Oct 7, 2006)

I you are not especially interested in keeping your tank water soft, it would not hurt to display a few seashells in it. Just don't overdo it, and keep up your scheduled water changes.


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## mattinmd (Aug 16, 2014)

+1, I tend to keep a shell in the bottom of my tank to give my snails a source of calcium to slurp on...

That said:

1) be aware that any seashell you put in your tank will slowly dissolve.. Don't put your favorite showpiece shells in there. I use arc clam or regular clam shells because they're easy to come by.

2) I'd suggest boiling them before putting them in.. just to make sure they're disease free.


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