Are real sea-shells OK?

[wystearya]

I just got a new Betta yesterday at the pet store. He is a lovely blue Crowntail male, I've named him Sapphire. :) Though I have had Bettas before, I have already learned he should have a heater. I'll be going to the pet store after work to get one.

Anyway, I have some very nice cleaned & disinfected sea-shells I was thinking about using as decorations. Are they safe to use in a tank? I don't know why not, but then again I am not an expert. I don't want to harm my new fish.

Thanks so much!
~Wystearya

[Chicklet]

I use them all the time in my tanks, So long as it came from "salt water"
Sand/Gravel, Logs, Rocks, Shells, Just scrub them really good under hot water, Let em dry then I plop them in my tanks,
I ain't yet had the first lick of troubles, And I know ALOT of others that do the same thing round here. But as always it's your choice.

[wystearya]

Thank you so much! I was hoping they would be OK, especially since it is only a couple of shells I plan to use.

In case it matters, it is a 2.5 gallon tank.

[BlueHaven]

People have said it is bad for bettas because it raises the ph level. But if you test it out first, and it raises the ph but it's still in the rainge good for bettas then it should be fine. Like the person said before, people do use them, so it must be the ph problem that can get too high depending on the water you use. Or it might have some other things besides calcium that could bother them...I am not sure.

[wystearya]

I'll make sure to keep a close eye on the pH then.

Thank you!

[zelilaa]

im glad you asked this question because ive been wondering the same thing... but no one posts on my questions so i didnt bother asking. thanks!

[SemioticSleep]

I am also going to use sea shells too. I think that it would be okay since sea shells are in Cultured gravel. Anyways you the calcium from the shells bother them?

[Duncan13]

Thats fine, but some shells have sharp edges and stuff that could rip your betta's fins. So don't use those.

[TaylorW]

I've had a sea shell in my 2.5 gallon that I found on the beach. I honestly didn't think about it causing any harm, so I just put it in the tank without washing it or anything! It's been in there awhile, so I guess it's not doing anything XD

So I hope that makes you feel better about putting shells in your tank! :)

[metalbetta]

I use small shells in some of my tanks... Doesn't seem to harm them. Just don't use large ones, or a lot of them in one tank, and definitely keep up on water changes!