Shells in the aquarium. Can you put seashells in an aquarium Can you put seashells in an aquarium

Every vacation comes to an end. Citizens who have collected kilograms of shells in the southern seas are tormented by the question of where to put them and where to put them.

And for those who have aquariums at home, a sound idea arises, why not put shells brought from the sea in the aquarium?

Some people put shells in an aquarium without any doubts about it. Others study articles like this one with a general message, but is it possible to do this?

If you think about it and ask the question, what is a shell? Obviously, the shell is the calcareous remains of some marine mollusk. In other words, the shell is calcium and / or calcium carbonate, which, slowly dissolving in water, increases the hardness of the water.

When considering placing seashells in an aquarium, you need to know whether a gradual increase in water hardness is acceptable to your fish.

Fish easily tolerate a gradual increase in the hardness of aquarium water. It must be borne in mind that hard water does not prevent many species of fish from living, but it prevents them from multiplying.

Here we come to the conclusion that shells from the sea can be put into an aquarium if your fish are not demanding on water hardness parameters, and are able to live and breed in a wide range of aquarium water hardness.

These fish include:

Guppy
swordsmen
Mollies
tetras
Goldfish
Many types of cichlids

How to process shells from the sea

Before placing seashells in an aquarium, they must be processed and prepared. Like any aquarium decoration, shells need to be cleaned and disinfected. The shell is thoroughly cleaned of the remains of the mollusk and dirt, after which it is placed in a solution of chlorine bleach "Whiteness" (100 ml per 5 l) for 40 minutes for disinfection and final cleaning. Treatment in chlorine bleach can lighten the color of the shell.

Rinse the shell thoroughly after removing it from the solution. The best treatment would be boiling.

How to boil seashells

Boiling reliably disinfects the shell and facilitates the removal of the remains of the mollusk. The shell is thrown into water and boiled for 20 minutes. After boiling, the shell is cooled to room temperature and placed in an aquarium.

Before diving into the aquarium, the internal cavity of the shells is filled with foam rubber so that the fish do not get stuck inside. For the same purpose, the shell can be laid with the shell down.

If your shells turn green, then I advise you to read the articles: Plaque in the aquarium and Why does the water in the aquarium turn green.

Every vacation comes to an end. Citizens who have collected kilograms of shells in the southern seas are tormented by the question of where to put them and where to put them.

And for those who have aquariums at home, a sound idea arises, why not put shells brought from the sea in the aquarium?

Some people put shells in an aquarium without any doubts about it. Others study articles like this one with a general message, but is it possible to do this?

When considering placing seashells in an aquarium, you need to know whether a gradual increase in water hardness is acceptable to your fish.

These fish include:

Guppy
swordsmen
Mollies
tetras
Goldfish
Many types of cichlids

How to process shells from the sea

Rinse the shell thoroughly after removing it from the solution. The best treatment would be boiling.

How to boil seashells

thiolomelania

Aquarium snails are the eternal companions of fish, they live in all types of aquariums, sometimes even where it seems impossible. We have described the most common snails in some detail in our articles.

But, let's try to collect brief information on all the described species, and then readers will already choose what they are interested in.

If you have ever had an aquarium, then you have probably come across aquarium snails. All types of aquarium snails are often viewed as something that appears overnight, covers the plants, muddies the water and kills the fish.

Sometimes, they do some of this, but the benefits of snails in an aquarium are much greater. Many types of aquarium snails eat leftover food and other debris, some clean glass and decorations, and some are simply very beautiful.

To avoid problems with snails in an aquarium, you just need to understand what causes their rapid growth, and which species are not suitable for you. In this article, we will review the most popular types of aquarium snails in an overview, but if you want to learn more about any of them, then we have already written about almost every species, and you will find a description by clicking on the links in the article.

The role of snails in the aquarium

What do aquarium snails eat? Although the type of food depends on the specific type of snail, most of them are omnivores, eating everything they can find. Usually snails eat rotting plants, dead fish, and leftover food. In this way they serve the aquarist by cleaning the aquarium of excess food residue, thereby maintaining cleanliness and lowering the level of toxins in the water.

Of course, different types of snails have disadvantages. The most common problem is that some species can spoil and even eat plants to the ground. In addition, all snails will eat fish eggs if they can get to it and should not be kept in a spawning area.
The most common problem is that there are too many of them.

We have already discussed this issue in detail in the article -. It lists both the ways and the causes of violent reproduction.

So, most often contain:

Fiza is also a very common snail. Small, easy to breed, lives in very harsh conditions. Among the disadvantages - it can gnaw holes in the sheets of rather tough plants, such as echinodorus. What spoils their appearance, so if you are a plant lover, then it is better to get rid of physical.

Snails to Avoid

None of the ones listed above. And in general, the main types of snails are completely harmless. But, very often they sell in the markets under the guise of aquarium snails, species that live in natural reservoirs of our latitudes.

And it's simple - to become a victim of deception is very unpleasant. How to understand that these are local snails? Look on the Internet for the main types of snails and do not buy those that do not belong to them.

Conclusion

Almost all types of aquarium snails are good inhabitants, only some require their own conditions that are not suitable for a general aquarium. They become a problem only if something goes wrong in the aquarium, and even then this is not a problem, it is a signal.

We have listed the main types of snails that are kept in the aquarium, and in other articles we talked about them in more detail. Read, think, choose.

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Although it all depends mainly on the initial parameters of tap water, and on what kind of water the inhabitants of your aquarium prefer. The higher the initial hardness of the water, respectively, the less influence shells will have on its parameters.

If you have a slightly alkaline and medium hardness, then a small amount of shells in the aquarium will not be able to greatly affect the water parameters.

The fish species that prefer such water are listed here.

And here soft and slightly acidic capable of dissolving calcium more intensively, which will lead to a clear measurement of the composition of the water. And if there are fish and plants in the aquarium that are adapted to live only in soft water, then even a slight increase in water hardness can affect their health. For example, Kharatsins prefer soft water; they no longer spawn in hard water.

Supplying carbon dioxide to the aquarium and adding pH lowering agents will speed up the process of shell dissolution.

Plants are generally more sensitive to water hardening than fish.

Some types of fish seashells in the aquarium necessary as a shelter or a place for spawning.

Do not put shells in the aquarium that have sharp edges and protrusions that can hurt the fish.

Also, shells are dangerous because curious fish, climbing into them, simply get stuck inside and die, especially for catfish. For this reason, have seashells in the aquarium down entry only.

Never put PAINTED or VARNISHED shells in the aquarium.

Shells must be boiled before being placed in the aquarium and all accessible surfaces must be cleaned. It is better to give preference to shells that have been empty for a long time than to those in the depths of which the remains of dead mollusks can still be preserved.

And by the way, if any of the shells are especially valuable to you, DO NOT PUT THEM in the aquarium, they can change the texture and color. And some shells may dissolve completely over time.

Also pay attention to the fact whether it would be appropriate seashells in the aquarium you: as a rule, exotic seashells do not fit well into the design of a freshwater aquarium, and sometimes they are simply completely out of place.

We all know how underwater life can fascinate with its uniqueness and beauty. Therefore, everyone strives not only to populate their aquarium with fish, but also to give it an aesthetic appearance with the help of decoration.

You can design an aquarium in many ways, using for this. The most popular design for many aquarists is the shell design, which blends naturally into the underwater environment and blends easily with other aquarium decor materials.

An acute question arises before every aquarist: is it possible to place shells in an aquarium? After all, it is known that shells in the aquatic environment tend to dissolve, releasing calcium carbonate, of which they are almost 100%. And calcium carbonate, in turn, affects the hardness of water and its pH. And some species of fish (Characinidae do not spawn in it) and plants are very serious about water hardness.

However, we confidently state that shells can be placed in the aquarium! Why?

So, we hope that you are convinced that shells can be placed in an aquarium, and sometimes even necessary. However, we advise you to follow some rules:

The process of dissolving shells accelerates the addition of carbon dioxide. Therefore, try not to combine the first and second.
Do not place shells in the aquarium that can hurt fish (those with sharp protrusions and edges).
Try to place the shells in the aquarium with the entrance down so that curious fish do not get stuck in them, which leads to death. This tip applies especially to you if you keep catfish in your tank. Conversely, disregard this advice for those species of fish that use shells for their own purposes (housing, safety, spawning).
You can put shells in the aquarium that have not been varnished or painted!
We also do not recommend that you put in the aquarium those types of shells that are of high value and dear to you personally, because they can dissolve in water, change their color and texture.

In any case, if you really want to decorate an aquarium with shells, but have seen any contraindications for this, do not despair! After all, the decoration of the aquarium can be carried out both inside, by placing shells in the water, and outside, next to the aquarium. Sometimes it can make an aquarium design even more charming and stylish!