Stable PH Levels

Welsh

I'm not sure whether this is the right section so I apologise in advance

Last week I pinched some rocks from my mothers flower pots outside and boiled them before adding them to my shrimp/snail tank, I didn't know these rocks could raise PH so I was over the moon when my levels raised from 7.4 to 8.8 in a few hours. The next day I did my water change only to find that the levels were back down to 7.4, the tank is only 2.4 gallon -11 litres and I really want to get strong shells on my snails, I feed them Hikari Crab Cuisine and other calcium enriched foods but there shells are still getting really damaged. In the tank there are 2 baby snails which love to jump off the top walls, which of course is damaging there shells further. I've now replaced the rocks with sand and really need a stable source of calcium for them. I have tried cuttlebone, shells, egg shells but no such luck, I don't really want to add chemicals to the tank but if there is no other reliable method then I guess I could.

Thanks :)

bearwithfish

i am just trying to get a clear picture .. you have a 2.5 salt water tank and your looking to get better calcium for your inverts right?.... have you testes your Cal. yet? and what are the results .. we don't want to advise you to add anything to the tank with out first checking your water parameters...
post a full spectrum if you are able and we can move from there.....

onefish2fish

dont boil rocks if water is trapped inside they can explode.

Welsh

Sorry, I should have said its a freshwater tank.

When I say boil I just poured hot water from the kettle over and left them to soak lol

bearwithfish

ahh ok i will move this thread over to Fresh water for you so more people can help out....

Welsh

Ok, Sorry, I should probably read more carefully in the future lol

bearwithfish

no no not at all at first glance i would have probably done the same.... no worries....

so glad you did not actually boil the rocks (i have made that mistake once and ruined a new pan!!!)

also this being more about your inverts shells.. there are some great articles on her by a gentleman named Byron that are fantastic (not discounting any one else mind you) search some of his posts..
also i have heard of others putting Tums in the tank for them to nibble on and that appears to help as well...

Byron

I appreciate the vote of confidence, but I must dissappoint Welsh this time...I know next to nothing about inverts. I do know that snails and shrimp need calcium for their shells/exoskeleton respectively, and normally this comes from the water if it is basic and moderately hard (out of the tap). I'm wondering if the damage you mention might be something lese? I'll leave that for an invert expert, several members here have these fascinating critters.

Byron.

onefish2fish

i believe your looking for "Lupin"

bearwithfish

DOOOOOOHHHHHH .. please forgive my laps in memory