Yogie Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 Hi All, I was at the beach on the weekend enjoying the sun and was wondering if the little shells in the sand could be used in my tank to buffer the water? The shells i'm talking about are the little flat ones about the size of a 5 cent piece. Do they buffer the water in any way? Is it worth putting them in the tank raise the PH and hardness? Do they need cleaning at all or would a good rinse be enough? Thanks, Johann Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcloughlin2 Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 Yes they will raise the pH and hardness. They will only buffer the water when the pH is below ~7.5. Once it has reached 7.5 the shells will stop breaking down because the calcium carbonate stops reacting. A quick rinse would be adequet providing the shells have been dried out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fry_2_buy Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 I agree that the shells will indeed buffer and raise the ph of the water. Shells are made of calcium which is the 'key element' of a buffer's ingredients. I'd let the shells soak in any clean water for abit, then leave them in the sun and finally rinse them out briefly before putting them in the tank to make sure they are relatively clean and free from bacteria. Yes they will raise the pH and hardness. They will only buffer the water when the pH is below ~7.5. Once it has reached 7.5 the shells will stop breaking down because the calcium carbonate stops reacting. A quick rinse would be adequet providing the shells have been dried out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yogie Posted September 14, 2009 Author Share Posted September 14, 2009 So how much would you need in a 4 footer? Would a handful be enough or do you need a fair amount? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CThompson Posted September 15, 2009 Share Posted September 15, 2009 fair amount Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ziad Posted September 15, 2009 Share Posted September 15, 2009 fair amount Fair enough Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yogie Posted September 15, 2009 Author Share Posted September 15, 2009 fair amount Fair enough haha you beat me to it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.