Need help finding a friend for Gus :)

[DragonFyre14]

Driftwood can be good for lowering the pH but it doesn't lower it by very much.

[ChoclateBetta]

But it does not increase PH like seashells it looks nice and you can grow plants on it.

[DragonFyre14]

well yes.. It can provide little nooks and crannies for the shrimp to hide in, but i'm not sure if there is driftwood small enough to fit in the OP's tank

[ChoclateBetta]

I know there is very small bits but I agree finding them might be hard.

[Bluewind]

The pH was above my kit's top reading, so no telling how high the pH truely was! All I know is that after removing and 3 litters, it was still beyond my kit! I took out the Marimo Ball and squeezed it out as I found out it probably has soaked up a lot of the calcium salts. I then soaked it in some clean water for a bit before putting it back in the tank. I did an extensive gravel cleaning (especially around the area where the shell was) replacing 1 litter. It did the trick and I FINALLY got a readable pH of 7.2! Needless to say, I called PetSmart and gave them a piece of my mind! The "aquarium specilist" sold me the largest hermit crab shell they carried for my 1.8gal freshwater tank! And she knew all the stats as I told her and she did the water test! She should have known better

Slime coat huh? Is that the name of it? What brand? I believe little Boo had his feelers nipped off by something before I brought him home as his are far shorter than Toast's. Would that stuff help him heal?

[ChoclateBetta]

Are hermit crab shells even fish safe?

[DragonFyre14]

It's called Stress coat by API. It uses aloe vera to replace/fortify the slime coat on a fish. I'm not sure if it will help his antennae heal, but it can't hurt. Just keep the water clean and if his antennae were damaged, they should begin growing back.

Hermit crab shells are typically fish safe. As long as they are cleaned and they aren't the painted ones. (The paint tends to chip off so I can only imagine what it would do in water...)

[Bluewind]

Unpainted smaller ones are safe for larger tanks with below ideal pH as they release calcium salt into the water which causes a pH spike. Larger shells are safe for salt water aquariums and huge aquariums. The largest shell the sell at PetSmart (xx large which is about the size of my fist) is downright dangerous for small tanks, especially for mine which has only a 1.4 water volume and practually no buffers. I can't tell you how high it went as my tester only goes so high, but I can tell you this. It was high enough to make my fingers tingle/burn when I had to stick my hand in there! AND I had to take out 4 litters (3 scooped out and 1 gravel) and squeeze out/soak my Marimo Ball before I got a pH that was wnl!

Got a new "cave" thanks to Walmart clearance. A clear orange pumpkin shaped tealite holder. Soaked it in vinigar water twice (it originally had black paint on it I had to remove), then boiling water, then reg water overnight and testeded its pH before I put it in the tank. They love it!

[ChoclateBetta]

Oh okay and you keep guppies too.

[bettasareawesome]

Why does driftwood lower P.H.?