Crushed Shells, Uses?

Aquaholic · #1 02-01-2006, 03:41 PM

I would like to know if I should crush some oyster shells I have (extras from sorting out good shells) and put them in my filtration system, and would this add some calcium or be a giant waste of time?

Thank you

TheReefGeek · #2 02-01-2006, 05:24 PM

Do you have a calcium reactor to put them in? Otherwise I would say it is not worth it.

Delphinus · #3 02-01-2006, 06:19 PM

Actually I'd even be a bit leery about using them in a calcium reactor. We have no idea how much phosphate is bound in those shells. It might be fine but there's no "control" so to speak.

I went through a phase of using oyster shells as mountings for frags. It kind of worked but I just couldn't get past the "it looks like a frag glued to an oyster shell" thing -- it just didn't look natural and I gave up on it. Not that frag plugs look much more natural. I guess my mistake was just using the shells as-is, not breaking them into smaller chunks (actually I think I did try that, it's just that when you break the shell they tend to disintegrate .. also an oyster shell that's 1"x1" square may not be heavy enough to hold in place in the current).

TheReefGeek · #4 02-01-2006, 06:25 PM

I wouldn't fill a calc reactor with them, but there can't be much harm supplimenting your regular media a bit to use the shells up.

Willow · #5 02-01-2006, 06:33 PM

glue some googly eyes to them and sell them at the craft fair, thats seemed to be the most productive use of shells i have seen to date.

Delphinus · #6 02-01-2006, 06:33 PM

Hmmm, I'm still not sure. The more I think about it, the more I'm reminded how powdery they get when crushed up. I think it would be a good way to speed up your reactor media clogging.

Quote:

glue some googly eyes to them and sell them at the craft fair

TheReefGeek · #7 02-01-2006, 06:40 PM

I have various shells in mine with no problems, nothing that went powdery though, so maybe not oyster shells.