Coral in freshwater?

[Melita]

I was given some coral with the 55gal I purchased. Is this safe to have with my freshwater fish?

I am upgrading my 20gal so I have
6 neon tetra
2 marigold wag swordtail (both female)
1 albino bristlenose pleco

Thinking of adding mollies and swordtail slowly as the tank gets situated

 

[Scottyhorse]

Nope. The corals eat micro organisms that only live in freshwater. The corals would not survive.

 

[Melita]

It isn't live anymore, just the shell of the beauty it used to be. Does that change the answer?

 

[Sharpchick]

It's got rough edges, so I don't know that I'd use it.

Are you talking about selected pieces of branching coral? Or crushed coral substrate? The latter will raise your pH.

 

[Melita]

Pieces of coral. There is the one in the center and the 2 on the right

 

[Sharpchick]

The one in the center's pretty large. It's also very pretty.

Have you tested your pH in your tap and compared it to the pH in the tank? Crushed coral will raise pH - I haven't ever had a piece of coral in a FW tank, so I don't know if it has the same effect.

 

[SicMalawi]

Fish are pretty strong. The slight difference it might make your water will not harm the fish. You should be fine.. They told me not to use beaches from the woods and I did.... naturally.... And nothing happened lol fish are stronger than people make them out to be. They have been adapting for decades

 

[Melita]

Thanks everyone. I will keep an eye on the ph and keep watching for signs of stress. So far the swordtails look great. The neons didn't make it. I don't know if the filter was too strong for them or what, but they were all attached to the filter this morning. The pleco is hiding, but that is normal for her. She stays in the castle unless its really late at night.

 

[Koopamaster]

You were not able to cycle this new fifty gallon correct? The neons probably died due to exposure to the toxic nitrogenous compounds.

 

[Sharpchick]

You were not able to cycle this new fifty gallon correct? The neons probably died due to exposure to the toxic nitrogenous compounds.

True. Neons would not be my choice for fish in cycling.

 

[Melita]

I honestly thought I had done everything right for the cycle. I stuck the new filter media in the old filter for a few days, and transferred the old filter media and all the decorations to the new tank. I also used nutrafin cycle. The levels are testing safe, but still higher than I would like so I am doing water changes. I only have test strips so I can't get really good numbers

Don't Pleco usually have issues with ammonia first? My pleco is acting a little skittish but fine other than that.

I have decided to remove the coral. My mom and I were talking and she made a good point that no matter how much you try and was it there'll be salt left in it still somewhere. While swordtails and mollies can handle brackish waters, I want to look at some other fish yet and I don't know if all of them would feel the same way about a little salt with their water.