Advice on prepping hermit shells?

[DirkCourage]

I have a Halloween hermit who seems badly in need of a new shell. LFS just never has their cone shells, so I ordered a bunch from some Florida shell store online. It’s hard to tell if they’ve been polished or treated. Anyone have suggestions on trying to make sure these are clean for the reef? Thinking a long vinegar bath?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Soak them in bleach and water mix and cold water rinse until you cant smell bleach and plop in the tank

 

[bReefedBaker]

I have a Halloween hermit who seems badly in need of a new shell. LFS just never has their cone shells, so I ordered a bunch from some Florida shell store online. It’s hard to tell if they’ve been polished or treated. Anyone have suggestions on trying to make sure these are clean for the reef? Thinking a long vinegar bath?

I ordered most likely the identical shells you did. I received 30+ from North Florida Shells. Did you do the bleach method or what did you do and how does everything look for you, the hermit and your tank? I’m trying to see where to go from here. (I just rinsed in tank water outside of aquarium, I didn’t realize I’d have to use bleach on them)
My shells are currently in a container waiting to be placed in tank, just waiting for confirmation.

 

[MichaelReefer]

I have a Halloween hermit who seems badly in need of a new shell. LFS just never has their cone shells, so I ordered a bunch from some Florida shell store online. It’s hard to tell if they’ve been polished or treated. Anyone have suggestions on trying to make sure these are clean for the reef? Thinking a long vinegar bath?

I was always told to boil them for 15 minutes.

I'm guessing bleach would work too.

 

[DirkCourage]

I ordered most likely the identical shells you did. I received 30+ from North Florida Shells. Did you do the bleach method or what did you do and how does everything look for you, the hermit and your tank? I’m trying to see where to go from here. (I just rinsed in tank water outside of aquarium, I didn’t realize I’d have to use bleach on them)
My shells are currently in a container waiting to be placed in tank, just waiting for confirmation.

Yeah, I forget where I got them exactly “John’s Shells” or something. Tough deal, not cheap and impossible to know if you’re getting the right sizes. Looks like you got a nice selection though!

I thought bleach sounded kind of intense, so I soaked them in vinegar for almost two days. To the point that the shell seemed to be breaking down a bit. A lot of gunk came off them. Unfortunately, the cone shells I got were either too large or too heavy. The crab never took to them.

In other news... the Halloween is dead. He looked like he was getting ready to molt, and in the definition of bad timing I just added an Orchid Dottyback. Somewhere in there the hermit got taken out. I am not happy with myself.

 

[bReefedBaker]

I was always told to boil them for 15 minutes.

I'm guessing bleach would work too.

I went with a capful of bleach to about 3g of cold water and hand stirred for a couple of minutes. I then dumped the bucket of bleach water and started running warm water until the bucket began to overflow, I let it overflow continuously as I stirred the shells up. I then dumped that bucket and remaining water (stirred shells for inside water droplets) and then filled up the bucket again with water about 2” above shells and added a dechlorinate to the bucket and I’ve allowed it to sit for about 20mins. now, so I’m going to do a last rinse in a strainer. Then dose in tank water my favorites of various sizes (no need for four of the same color, same size) and add them now.
(total overkill and maybe overthinking it, but I’m still a fry in this and want to do my best here)
#ILoveR2R - Thank You so much to everyone that puts in the work behind the scenes. Admins./Moderators and the die hard reefers who help us along the way. You all LiveRock!

 

[bReefedBaker]

Yeah, I forget where I got them exactly “John’s Shells” or something. Tough deal, not cheap and impossible to know if you’re getting the right sizes. Looks like you got a nice selection though!

I thought bleach sounded kind of intense, so I soaked them in vinegar for almost two days. To the point that the shell seemed to be breaking down a bit. A lot of gunk came off them. Unfortunately, the cone shells I got were either too large or too heavy. The crab never took to them.

In other news... the Halloween is dead. He looked like he was getting ready to molt, and in the definition of bad timing I just added an Orchid Dottyback. Somewhere in there the hermit got taken out. I am not happy with myself.

Extremely sorry to hear about all that. The bleach method does scare me, but I saw it in a thread somewhere and it was a veteran reefer who suggested it to the member, so I needed the instructions and followed through with it.
*I replied to OP what I did.

 

[DirkCourage]

I went with a capful of bleach to about 3g of cold water and hand stirred for a couple of minutes. I then dumped the bucket of bleach water and started running warm water until the bucket began to overflow, I let it overflow continuously as I stirred the shells up. I then dumped that bucket and remaining water (stirred shells for inside water droplets) and then filled up the bucket again with water about 2” above shells and added a dechlorinate to the bucket and I’ve allowed it to sit for about 20mins. now, so I’m going to do a last rinse in a strainer. Then dose in tank water my favorites of various sizes (no need for four of the same color, same size) and add them now.
(total overkill and maybe overthinking it, but I’m still a fry in this and want to do my best here)
#ILoveR2R - Thank You so much to everyone that puts in the work behind the scenes. Admins./Moderators and the die hard reefers who help us along the way. You all LiveRock!

I think you’re good. Certainly sounds like bleach is used by lots of people, and I think you washed them well. Cool shells, hope your guys take to them!

 

[Cjeippert]

I have a Halloween hermit who seems badly in need of a new shell. LFS just never has their cone shells, so I ordered a bunch from some Florida shell store online. It’s hard to tell if they’ve been polished or treated. Anyone have suggestions on trying to make sure these are clean for the reef? Thinking a long vinegar bath?

My local fish store advised me to go to Michael’s or hobby lobby for a good selection of bigger shells