Thread: Oysters

Visited the Stranraer Oyster Festival last weekend. Oysters were being shucked all over the place and the shells were being thrown away so having a lightbulb moment (maybe) I procured around 25 Kg of the shells and brought them home. Thoughts of "that'll be handy for my Bakki Shower if I ever get one" ran through my head. At the moment they are busy "maturing" in my garden until the bit of muscle left in them decomposes and they become usable. The birds are interested!!

However that raises a question in my head - Japanese koi growers use oyster shells widely in the likes of their showers but what are the benefits? Is it because -

1. The shells are irregularly shaped so cause more agitation in the water.
2. The shells impart some micro nutrients into the water. Like calcium.
3. The nooks and crannies in oyster shells becomes the homes of beneficial bacteria.
4. They are cheap.

Maybe somebody knows?

Kenny

I think all of the above but chiefly for calcium (just my opinion, I have no science to back that up).

i have about 5kg in my shower. They were complete shells when I got them so I put them in a net bag, smashed them up and then left them on the top shelf of my shower. Can’t say they are really doing anything to be honest, my water still needs bicarbonate to raise the KH

Toffee,

I was thinking of putting them in a small 35 litre blue barrel which contains my submersible heating coil and the pump back to the pond so all the water is pulled through there. The barrel already contains Serra Siporax ceramic media but that is only a few inches on the bottom so I was thinking of filling up around half the barrell with oyster shells. I kind of think the added natural calcium may help. Don't think it will do any harm so may be worth a try.

Kenny

I’m not sure of the science however I can tell you oyster shell is used widely throughout Asia in all kinds of filters.