Adding coral/shells from beach?

D

dewilde2

Illinifish
Aug 8, 2006
253
0
0
43
St Louis
Hello-
A friend of mine recently vacationed in the OuterBanks and brought a few small pieces of coral and a shell or two as a gift to put in my tank. I don't want to disappoint her, but am hesistant to add them to my SW tank (I have a 24g FOWLR nano, corals to come soon).

Can they be added safely? Or treated appropriately and then added? Thanks!
 
I agree, boil them and let them cool off, you will be good to add them. I dont wait and place them outside. After you boil them for 5 minutes all the bacteris etc is killed and they are ready for the tank. Always do the smell test after they can be handled. If they still stick scrub them and boil again.
 
Why would you need to boil a coral skeleton when people collect live sand and coral from the ocean?

<- Confused.
 
Because live sand and corals from the ocean are usually quarantined. Any time you put anything of that sort in your tank you run the risk of introducing pests and disease.

Kristina
 
Even if something has been sitting on the beach, having the sun beat down on it for however many days, weeks, months or years?
 
Better safe than sorry? Do you know if a dog came along and took a dump on the coral skeleton at one point then left to bake into it in the sun.. then rinsed off by the ocean so it didn't appear bad. I wouldn't want to throw that nasty bacteria into my tank. Boil it to be safe. As we know, even dead "base rock" can come back alive on its own and have critters, feather dusters, sponges, etc come back to life after quite some time out of water.

People put coral skeletons in tanks for decoration. What about barnacles? See those all the time, especially when people want a barnacle blenny.
 
LOL I never thought of a dog pooping on coral skeletons, but hey...you've got a point.
 
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