How do I clean beach found shells to put in the tank for our hermits?

[elzibar]

Hi.
I'm struggling to find info on this.
There's loads of where to buy shells, but I can't seem to find any on cleaning ones you have to make them aquarium safe.

Anything special I have to do, or is a good scrub in RO enough?

Thanks.

 

[betareef]

I don't clean them at all, unless I find them in mud, and I just rinse that off.

 

[KrisReef]

"Cleaning" was covered by @betareef .

If you want to sterilize the shell putting them in a tap water & bleach solution is a good way to address lots of shells or rocks that you might want to add but did not want to possibly infect the tank with whatever pest or disease might be present with the shell or rock.

I collect rocks from the ocean and add them asap, wet, to my tanks to boost diversity of microbes. For decorative rocks (marbles, pretty stones) and shells a rinse in tap or treatment in bleach especially for shells where there may be a dead animal rotting inside is what I do.

The hermits will clean out their own shells, and they generally will only use a certain species of empty shell for an upgrade. Hermits are particular, from my understanding of them?

So, I'm posting regarding hygiene and tank biosecurity, mostly. gl.

 

[betareef]

The hermits will clean out their own shells, and they generally will only use a certain species of empty shell for an upgrade. Hermits are particular, from my understanding of them?

I have watched a hermit line up a new shell, and hop into it, decide he didn't like it, and hop back to his old one.