Snail shell and cuttlebone question...

[Fishstix3000]

When you put the cuttlebone in the tank for the snails, do they benefit from it by ingesting it, or is it because it increases the Ca in the water? If it is for the water I would like to put it in my hob, if it is for them to injest, obviously I need to leave it in the tank.

I have guppies, platys, a pleco, cories, a frog, a crab, a rainbow shark, and my mystery snails. Can too much Ca be harmful to them?

I originally just believed that snails clean up after everybody else, eat extra fish food, etc. I tried veggies a couple of time, but no one was intersted. Recently I started trying to take better care of them, because I was worried that their shells were not growing as good as they could be. So I put cuttlebone in the tank, and then I got jinx's snail jello recipe and have been feeding them some of that every other day.

I was recently told the best thing to do is to add a Ca supplement pill to the water once a week. My concern is that, with the cuttlebone and the snail jello with repti-cal in it, I may be making the Ca level in the tank a little TOO high, which I think is good for the snails, but I am worried that it might cause problems for others.

Does anyone know?

Thanks!!

[msjinkzd]

It shouldn't cause any problems for the other inhabitants. Placing cuttelbone in your filter is just fine as well.

[stezatois]

ive got cuttle bone in my tank too, some of my snails munch away on the soft side thats under the water and some of the youngsters like to use it like a surf board lol.

[southerndesert]

Inverts gain Calcium through their diet... While acidic water will erode shells, hard water does not actually build shell mass, but does preserve it.

[Lupin]

I have plecos in my tank with snails yet they never even in the slightest acted oddly despite feeding the snails calcium pills and plenty others.

[Fishstix3000]

Good to hear. I will keep loading them up then. (Do they EAT the calcium pills?

[Lupin]

Do they EAT the calcium pills?
Of course.

[Fishstix3000]

Cool. Some people say to put it in the hob filter, so I thought it might be just to increase ambient Ca levels in the water--to prevent shell loss. Thanks!

[Fishstix3000]

So, I got a calcium supplement pill, and dropped it in. It started dissolving right away, making a white cloud. Then my pleco swooped in, and sucked on it till it was gone! He looked like he was smoking-blowing white smoke out of his gills. Now he is swimming around like crazy.

Is this as bad a thing as I feel it might be?

Also, my water is all cloudy now. Gonna do a water change just in case it is a problem.

Has anyone ever heard of this happening? I sort of pictured the Ca pill just sinking down and dissolving slowly over a couple of days.

Thanks!