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The mangrove root biotope is replete with a variety of organisms, forming one of the richest environmental niches on the planet. One of the many creatures which call the mangrove thickets home is the Mangrove Oyster, Crassostrea gasar.. This oyster is ecologically adapted to grow on the roots of mangrove trees, which are exposed to the air during low tides and covered by water during high tides, and displays a wide salinity tolerance range, being found in conditions ranging from 6-25 ppt (s.g. 1.006-1.018). It's found in wide variety of tropical locations, ranging from The Caribbean to South America and even West African. In addition to being an important part of the mangrove habitat, they are highly regarded as a food source in the regions in which they are found.
We love the idea of simulating their presence in our mangrove biotope-type aquariums, and by utilizing oyster shells glued to your mangrove roots and branches, you can create a truly realistic representation of this unique habitat, both above and below the water line! With a little glue and a lot of patience, you can easily secure these lightweight, small (approximately 2"-3" (5.08-7.62 cm) shells to your mangrove wood. The result is an added touch of "cool!"
Although these are not C. gasar, these specially hand-selected shells create a look in the aquarium that is very difficult to distinguish from the actual Mangrove Oyster, and they are proportionately "scaled" perfectly to go with our Mangrove wood! Our oyster shells are carefully collected, graded, and cleaned (without chemicals), and are ready to use in your brackish-water aquarium with just a quick rinse in freshwater. These are FLAT, HALF-SHELLED specimens, which means you can either utilize them as "open" examples, or glue the halves together to create your own "complete" simulated oysters. Alternatively, you can glue them with the inside facing the root to create the illusion of a whole specimen, and thus yield more "oysters per bag!" See the attached photos from our office brackish water aquarium to see how the effect looks in "practice!"
All in all, these terrific shells are a great touch for that added dose of authenticity in your brackish-water aquarium!
NOTE: The photo is for illustrative purposes. As these are natural products, expect variation in the appearance of the shells that you will receive.
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All of our shells are intended for ornamental aquarium or terrarium use only. Please use common sense and take the time to rinse prior to using them, to reduce the possibility of problems. Always go slow when introducing any natural materials into your systems, so you can judge the effect they have on your fishes and plants. They are not intended for human consumption. DO NOT INGEST!
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Bits of roots, twigs, and shoots from terrestrial plants are found throughout the aquatic environment. They form a network of "interstitial spaces" on the substrate, where all sorts of...
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These versatile botanicals are derived from coconut shells (Cocos nucifera), and are really cool-looking "accent pieces" for a tropical stream biotope aquarium! Each one has a very unique shape, and...
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If you've been following my ramblings here at Tannin, you know that we're big fans of natural-looking substrates in biotope-inspired aquariums. Most of the tropical substrates that we've seen in...