Yah.. its on my "list" to buy tomorrow. After reading more on this site today I want to go ahead and get one. I HATE going to Petsmart or Petco because they are generally a rip off and the fish I buy there nearly always come with ick or some other malady. Do you have a brand you recommend? I can just order one on Amazon tonight.
My tank is over a year old and well cycled, 75 gallons, canister filter (cleaned once a week), plants, 25% water change every other week.
Will the sudden hard water shock my fish? Do you know much about "Wonder Shells". I've done a lot of reading about them online and they say you really can't add too many or too much, but they do all sorts of stuff. Here is run down from site: (this HAS to be my culprit because nothing else has changed)
• Contains Calcium Carbonate/CaCO3+ cations (a VERY important element for proper
osmotic function in fish as well as Redox Balance!); ALL minor, and trace elements in the exact ratio (with the exception of calcium) as found in the ocean, including magnesium sulfate. A few other elements found include: Chloride, Sodium, Sulfate, Potassium, Bicarbonate, Bromide, Borate, Strontium, Fluoride.
Calcium and magnesium have been proven to help fish (and humans) during stress and to help prevent disease due to acid buildup in the body. These elements (along with Sodium Chloride/salt) are important for the prevention (& even treatment) of
Columnaris and Saprolegnia/Fish Fungus) (these positive mineral ions play a part in adhesion of Columnaris by reducing surface potential and repulsive forces)
•
Adds necessary minerals/electrolytes (VERY IMPORTANT!). Wonder Shells may also improve Redox Balance, which the latest research shows may be more important to fish health than parameters such as exact pH! Wonder Shells perform this by adding a constant supply of positive calcium and other positive mineral ions that are depleted during Redox Balancing, despite GH tests which cannot discern the ion charge and may show high GH when I reality, these cations are depleted. (see also this article
Aquarium Chemistry; GH, KH, pH, Calcium, & Minerals)
• Removes chlorine & helps keep aquarium clear (in part by aiding in the maintenance of a balanced Redox)
• Excellent for use with Goldfish, Livebearers, Cichlids, and more (even Discus and other soft water fish!)
• Each shell oxygenates, aerates and neutralizes harmful acids resulting from normal bio processes; this makes the small Wonder Shell an
excellent choice for Betta bowls (especially when combined with
Bio Lif).
Also useful in Amazon River environment aquariums such as
Discus and Ram Cichlids for this same reason, an excellent balance to peat, Bio Lif (Indian Almond Leaves), driftwood, etc.
Concerns of high GH with Discus, Angels, etc, is at times over-rated, as this does not take into consideration the fact that positive mineral ions can be depleted while the GH still might test “high”. For use with softwater fish, often a ½ dose of Wonder Shells solves this problem (a medium Wonder Shell for a 60 gallon tank or simply breaking one in half)
• Aids in the maintenance of a stable ph. For maintaining a higher pH or KH Wonder Shells should be combined with baking soda or better;
Sea Chem Buffer . Please note that Wonder Shells do NOT generally raise KH or pH, they more aid in maintenance of these parameters by neutralizing harmful acids that result from organic decomposition.
• Regular Wonder Shells can also aid in prevention and even treat HITH by virtue of the necessary minerals found within these products.
• Extremely useful in planted aquariums at maintaining hardness (and I mean general hardness, not KH as studies in photosynthesis prove) to counter act peak daytime photosynthesis. Wonder Shells are also useful for other minerals required by plants. Please see this article for more:
Aquarium Plants; Information and care
• Dissolves as trace elements are depleted in an aquarium; larger aquariums or those low in trace elements will dissolve Wonder Shells at a higher rate until stable. Calcium (which is the carrier for the other elements) will not exceed safe levels as aquariums will precipitate out excess. GH readings will reflect this however the GH will only show the overall hardness, not the balance of trace elements so higher readings (over 200 ppm) are only reflecting excess calcium. I have used Wonder Shells for just this purpose in 1000s of aquariums I have professionally maintained and never have seen a Wonder Shell add “too much” calcium or other elements. Keep in mind that if your aquarium is low in electrolytes that your fish may temporarily react to the increased trace and minor elements (electrolytes). This would compare to changing water in a tank with high nitrates and too low pH, the fish will need to be adjusted to the improved water quality.
• Can be used in marine aquariums, although better methods of adding essential minerals are available for reef aquariums in particular (such as with many
SeaChem products).
However Wonder Shells are
Excellent for use in RO water storage to aid in re-mineralization of RO water prior to top off for evaporation or mixing. As well for fish only marine tanks they still can be useful in mineral maintenance.
• Provides crabs, snails and turtles with an easily available source of calcium for healthy shell growth.
• NOT a cure all for poor water management, but a useful tool in proper aquarium maintenance. (This is an excellent product, but the name is misleading, as Wonder Shells do not perform “wonders”, it is just a useful product with years of aquarist use to back it up). It is also worthy of note, that Wonder Shells have been available for years in California where word of mouth as made them very popular despite lack of marketing, poor packaging, and a gimmicky name; WHY? because they work!
QUITE BLUNTLY THESE ARE A PRODUCT NO FRESHWATER AQUARIST SHOULD BE WITHOUT! (if in doubt, ask some members at
Everything Aquatic or see the article:
The importance of Calcium/Minerals in ALL Aquariums)
If you made it through all of that.. thanks again for any advice!
Heather
