Calcium - What have I done???

[Aquater]

What have I done?!?  I need advice.  I was going to increase the amount of coral in my tanks.  I have lots of snails, I am breeding.  I thought I was being smart and saving money. I bought the oyster shell/coral mix intended to feed chickens.  The table says it is 100% either oyster shell or coral.  It also says it was heated.  Anyone have experience with this thrifty way to add buffer and calcium.  I put some in a tank of snails and a couple snails died off.  I did not rinse it.  It is the only change and I pretty much never have deaths.  I did a water change.  I don't know if the new stuff is the problem or not.  I am looking for advice!

 

[KaitieG]

I haven't really heard of this, but it makes sense that it would work to me.  We use it for our chickens, but I have such hard water that I'd never need to put it in my aquariums 🙂  Anyway, a quick google does not make me a pro, but my quick google says that some people do indeed use it in aquariums, especially for breeding snails.  It sounds like you have to be careful how much you add at one time so that you don't cause huge Ph swings and thereby kill your snails/fish.  So maybe it was not the product itself that was the issue but a Ph swing?  Did you test the Ph before and after adding the coral/oyster shells?

Edited April 11, 2021 by KaitieG