Burning Oyster/Clam/Conch shells before I break em up, depletes Calcium content?

[Randy Yeh Mon]

Been meaning to do this long time ...my chicken raising buddy says
thats how he does it.

I just wanna know if I would loose any of the minerals I need for the
water.....my chicken raising buddy says they shells r much easier to
breakup when heated.

So am off to da shore to collect mainly Chonch and other shells....a
large snail [we call em Wilks].

Of course this is to stabalise my ph in a plastic swimming pool type

pond.

[Busy B]

That's a good question Randy..what happens when you boil an egg? The calcium would leach into the water?

You wouldn't think you would lose it all by heating them...should still be some left to use for buffering.

[Randy Yeh Mon]

:) :) :) :)

Rain fallin at u'r place now??
Fires gone ??
what time it get dark/sunrise ??

[Jackie Ramo]

I use egg shell as a calucium source for my dogs when I cook for them. Directions for making the powder say heat in oven to dry ... so my guess is the calcium will stay. OTOH I also hear that shells are very long time making a difference in the pH of a pond as they take a long time to dissolve. Graham Hawkins did a big study on his own pond and had to use over 200 lbs of shells to make even the smallest impact... baking soda seems so much easier.

[Terri]

What is your chicken raising buddies purpose for the burnt shells?

Not sure it's a good idea Randy.... got a sledge hammer? May be a getter alternative, burning anything changes it's compision.

Depending on your "constant" pH it may not be worth while, anything higher than neutral(7.0) then why bother trying to buffer with shells? It would take way to long, you need to have acidic water to break down the shells in a timely fashion.

[Randy Yeh Mon]

or keep good calcium levels..
I use BS, Cal Carb., Ep Salts..now and it's too much $$$$
I wtr. change mainly with Rain wtr. !!!!!! :-) :-) :-)

[Randy Yeh Mon]

or keep good calcium levels..
I use BS, Cal Carb., Ep Salts..now and it's too much $$$$
I wtr. change mainly with Rain wtr. !!!!!! :-) :-) :-)

mebby I'll just heat a little...for easy breaking of shells---my chicken raising buddies purpose for the burnt shells is to make em . :wink:

[Jackie Ramo]

Well I'd not think they would be that hard to break in the first place but try and see. I don't think G broke his but he was using oyster shells, smaller to start with.