I put shells from the beach in my fish's bowl will it hurt him?

i just got a new fish and i put my shells in his tank will he be ok?

I put shells from the beach in my fish's bowl will it hurt him?
The bowl will definitely hurt your fish. Shells are ok to add if they have been properly cleaned to remove any possibly harmful parasites, remaining animal debris and/or parasites. Shells will also increase the pH of your water. However, since your fish is in a bowl, you'll need to change at least 50% of the water on a daily basis to prevent your fish from dying of ammonia toxicity. All fish require filtered tanks and this includes betta fish.
Reply:Well, it is not really recommended to add things like seashells to your aquarium.

Here's why; Sometimes, stuff like seashells bring in bad stuff from the places they were from: algae, worms... you get the picture. They can also bring in new bacteria, wwhich could spell trouble for your fish.

However, you can eliminate most of these problems by washing the seashells in warm water (No soap!). Look carefully for any green areas or something moving. Keep washing it for about five minutes. However, this can't guarantee that something will escape the washing after all. But, at least you will have eliminated many of the dangers that come with putting seashells in your tank.
Reply:It won't hurt them if you watch your Ph levels and everything. However you should med the tank because unless you boiled them they could carry diseases. It may be best to take them out until you can go to your local fish store and talk to them about it. They may suggest not using it at all due to the ph problems. It's extra work to keep them though.
Reply:I have three fresh water aquariums and all of them have shells that i collected on the beach in them. None of my fish have died, but I was sure to wash them very very well in hot water. I first let them dry out in the sun for three days, then I soaked them in the sink for a good half an hr, and then i took a hard bristled scrubber and scrubbed them clean. You shouldnt have a problem after you do all this.
Reply:If you want to be safe boil the shells, it should kill off bacteria. I dont know this as a fact, but thats what you do if you want to clean some thing.
Reply:Yup it will hurt him. It will change the ph and calcium and hardness in the water plus it might introduce foreign bacteria and pathogens
Reply:Yeah It will I don't know how but it kills them because Ive gotten cool *** shells and put them in my fish tank and all 6 fish died :(

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