Turtle shell in aquarium

[R.A.W.]

How will the top half of a turtle shell effect the chemical balance of my tank?

Should I cover it in silicone just in case? Will the silicone change its appearance? If I should cover it, what silicone do I use?

Thanks for any help.

 

[Jannika]

The kind of silicone to use is 100% silicone with no mold/mildew inhibitors. It's GE 1, for windows & doors, sold at most hardware stores. You can buy 'aquarium sealant' for 3 X the cost, but it's the same thing.

I don't even wanna think about what's on the shell, but you could also use a little Super Glue, which wouldn't change the look as much.

Please post pics, this has me intrigued...:grinyes:

 

[tanker]

I would soak it in a very mild bleach and water for few hours and then boil and sun dry it.

 

[jm1212]

As long as it is super clean it won't do much to change the water chemistry

 

[R.A.W.]

I'll boil the shell before I put it in the fish tank I just wanted to know, since shells are made out of calcium ...

Figured it'd make a good hideout for my corys and adf's.

 

[thebrandon]

GE silicone 1 is generally the excepted silicone, but I have never heard any horror stories of people using silicoen 2 yet. I know several people have used it without anything bad happening. From what I have read though, if used in large amounts it will leech its anti mildew agent into the water and "poison" the tank. Also something about it containing amonia?

Has anyone on here had experience with both?

 

[kevinb120]

good luck covering a shell with silicone without it coming out looking like a shell covered with silicone.

 

[Juice]

If you can pull it off, I think that will looked REALLY cool

 

[XanAvaloni]

kevinb beat me to it. Skip the silicone idea entirely. The "clear" stuff doesn't dry, or at least doesnt spend time in water after drying, and still look "clear." It looks whitish-gray and would make the turtle shell just...ugly. I was going to say it would make it look like it was covered in snot but decided that would be tasteless. True, mind you, but tasteless.

Fish live in nature in water with all sorts of stuff in it including no doubt the remains of deceased turtles from time to time. MsJinx makes hidey-caves out of halved coconut shells and certainly doesn't coat them with anything and they're fine. Other people (i.e. me) use seashells in freshwater tanks to get changes in water chemistry like a mild increase in pH and such.

As suggested above do give it a boil to clean out any contaminants it might have picked up since the former occupant's demise, then plunk it in the tank. Your regular water tests will pick up any change but I am willing to bet there will not be much of any, and what there is will be beneficial.