adding shells to my tank

[butterflylove]

i just got back from cancun mexico and while i was scubing :dive2: , i found lots of cool shells. i also bought 2 bigger ones that appear to be clean, but i dont know how they were cleaned. can i put these in my tank? right now i have 1 angel, 1 pleco, some apple snails, 2 clown loaches, and lots of mollies and guppies. my water is a little on the hard side and my ph is rather high.
1) can i put these shells in my tank?
2) how can i clean them?

thanks for all your help every1!!!!!!!!!!!
amber

 

[Dangerdoll]

I believe the shells may raise the pH and being that your pH is on the high side, I would vote against it. I'm guessing your mollies may be able to take it but I don't think anything else would.... "long term"

btw: Welcome Home

 

[Mykayel]

Asuming you already have hard water, you probably have plenty of buffer that the extra hardness that might be added to the water won't really mater. but you could always put it in a bucket and see how it effects your water after a couple of days.

 

[shadrac]

i recomend that you do not put the shells in your tank. im asuming there from the ocean and SW shells have a lot more calcium in them than FW shells, and thats bad. Over time they will put so much calcium in the water it will make your fish sick or start to kill them.
FW fish dont need as much calcium in there water like SW fish do.

 

[WinterWind]

To be safe, I wouldn't put them in there. There are a lot of minerals in the shells that even in small concentrations can harm freshwater fish.