Experience with Cuttlebone?

[Paulcm10]

hey guys,

back then someone told me that putting Cuttlebone in my tank helps with my shrimps color. is this true?
and is there a certain type of cuttlebone i need to get that is specially made for fish tanks?
I did look at one today at my local fish store and it had a calcium and a small amount of salt in it. which i dont think would be good for a freshwater tank.
so any help on this?

 

[mudraker]

I don't know if cuttlebone is good for shrimp or not, but I do know it won't hurt them. I've used cuttlebone for hardshell snails in fish aquariums with zero issues.

Never did it with my shrimp though.

 

[jetajockey]

Its just for calcium, cuttlebone is cuttlebone, just don't get one with additives.

Not sure how its supposed to help with color other than keeping the shrimp happy.

 

[Paulcm10]

Yah the one I looked at contains salt. So I guess that's no good?

 

[smomus]

I've put chunks of cuttlebone in all of my tanks, snails or no snails. The one I use I found at Petsmart in the bird section. Small amounts of salt will not hurt your freshwater tanks. Depending on the amount, it might actually be beneficial.

 

[Paulcm10]

I've put chunks of cuttlebone in all of my tanks, snails or no snails. The one I use I found at Petsmart in the bird section. Small amounts of salt will not hurt your freshwater tanks. Depending on the amount, it might actually be beneficial.

will it hurt shrimps?
cause the reason im going to get this is to help my shrimps.

 

[smomus]

I do not think so, however I have had no experience with shrimp. hopefully someone with experience will chime in..

 

[jetajockey]

No, it doesn't hurt shrimp. How much salt does it have in it? Is it just natural since the cuttlefish comes from SW? Or is it added? I've never heard of that before. It's probably a negligible amount but still I'd check.

 

[Autumnsky]

Even if it had salt you could soak it in some treated water for a day and the salt would probably come off. Mine came from Petco, no additives, no flavors, from the bird section.

I just added chunks to my tanks I have seen some of my snails up next to it.

I broke it in pieces and cut off the shell part and made chunks of a dime to half dollar size depending on size of tanks. My shrimp seem okay. Bamboo and Amano. Cuttlebone is still floating since three days of putting it in.

Have read other shrimp keepers use this also but I decided to try mine for my snails.

 

[Paulcm10]

Oh ok well this is the one I was looking at my LFS. I wanted to get it cause its just one cuttlebone instead of 2 packs at petco.
but petco also has cuttlebone for turtles. I might try that.

 

[Autumnsky]

I bought the 4 pack, I have 6 tanks and figured in the long run I would ditch the older ones when they looked bad so lots of replacements for a better value.