Fatcatmatt
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
- Joined
- Apr 11, 2020
- Messages
- 33
Hey guys,
Thought I do a quick sharing about my experience on adding egg shells in tank.
I read about this about adding egg shells for calcium in the tank to boost some hardness for the shells of nerite snails. Unfortunately it didn’t go too well.
I had a nerite and it’s shell has cracked a little here and there and online google search led me to it being lack of calcium of some sort and that adding egg shells would do the trick (also, safe for fishes and shrimps).
So I boiled the eggs, peeled off the membrane, grind it up, and scatter some of it in my tank and left the rest in a mesh bag in the filter..
The following happened..
1. As soon as the shells went in, all the fishes went berserk. Gourami started hiding, embers swam erratically. I thought it’s probably the introduction of new stuff and they are just overreacting.
2. Second day, noticed that the nerite snails do enjoy eating the egg shells, but the dwarf gourami was acting really weird. Hiding more than it should, popeye, flicking off plants, and darting around the tank. I suspected flukes and wanted to add Seachem paraguard. Nonetheless, I’m always very cautious about medicating tank - I know clean water does wonders. I quickly changed 25% of water.
3. Day 3, huge improvement for DG, but still a little popeye, and flicking about a little. Proceeded to change another 15% of water.
4. Day 4/5, everyone is back to normal swimming mode, though one ember tetra died. I took it out and examined its body, it has no visible signs of the usual ich or whatever black spots. Probably due to water stress.
So,, yeah it’s a costly experiment.. anyone else have a more positive experience with egg shells?
I’ll stay away for now.. =(
Thought I do a quick sharing about my experience on adding egg shells in tank.
I read about this about adding egg shells for calcium in the tank to boost some hardness for the shells of nerite snails. Unfortunately it didn’t go too well.
I had a nerite and it’s shell has cracked a little here and there and online google search led me to it being lack of calcium of some sort and that adding egg shells would do the trick (also, safe for fishes and shrimps).
So I boiled the eggs, peeled off the membrane, grind it up, and scatter some of it in my tank and left the rest in a mesh bag in the filter..
The following happened..
1. As soon as the shells went in, all the fishes went berserk. Gourami started hiding, embers swam erratically. I thought it’s probably the introduction of new stuff and they are just overreacting.
2. Second day, noticed that the nerite snails do enjoy eating the egg shells, but the dwarf gourami was acting really weird. Hiding more than it should, popeye, flicking off plants, and darting around the tank. I suspected flukes and wanted to add Seachem paraguard. Nonetheless, I’m always very cautious about medicating tank - I know clean water does wonders. I quickly changed 25% of water.
3. Day 3, huge improvement for DG, but still a little popeye, and flicking about a little. Proceeded to change another 15% of water.
4. Day 4/5, everyone is back to normal swimming mode, though one ember tetra died. I took it out and examined its body, it has no visible signs of the usual ich or whatever black spots. Probably due to water stress.
So,, yeah it’s a costly experiment.. anyone else have a more positive experience with egg shells?
I’ll stay away for now.. =(
