Cuttlebone
- Thread starter jessivore
- Start date
The cuttlebone does add some calcium to the water and will help the shell to not deteriorate. I recently bought some liquid calcium, but before dosing it, I tested my water to see how much calcium my cuttlebone had actually added to it. In my 29g, a piece of cuttlebone about 1.5" x 2" had my calcium up to 80ppm. For reference, 100-200 ppm is a good goal to aim for.
If you're concerned about snail shell health, it is a good idea to test your water hardness with a kH test. Shells deteriorate faster in acidic, soft water. 1tsp of baking soda will raise the kH of 13 gallons of water by approximately 3. I added 2 teaspoons baking soda to my 29g... my kH was at 3, and the baking soda raised it to 6. (I did this in preperation for CO2 injection, but my snails will benefit from it in addition.) Higher kH = more pH buffer, which means your pH will be less effected by other things. My pH went up by 1 with the baking soda. If your water is soft (low kH) and you do add baking soda, make sure to test your pH before and after to make sure it's staying in a safe range.
If you're concerned about snail shell health, it is a good idea to test your water hardness with a kH test. Shells deteriorate faster in acidic, soft water. 1tsp of baking soda will raise the kH of 13 gallons of water by approximately 3. I added 2 teaspoons baking soda to my 29g... my kH was at 3, and the baking soda raised it to 6. (I did this in preperation for CO2 injection, but my snails will benefit from it in addition.) Higher kH = more pH buffer, which means your pH will be less effected by other things. My pH went up by 1 with the baking soda. If your water is soft (low kH) and you do add baking soda, make sure to test your pH before and after to make sure it's staying in a safe range.