FAQ PAGE 7
This Page contains following topics : Shells & bad smell Shelling tools How do you dry coral ?
Shells & bad smell
(Original
Forum Question : I have just returned from a beach vacation where
I collected many shells. How do I get the bad odor out of them)
If the whole animal is
still in the shell it must be removed. This is usually accomplished
by either boiling or freezing/thawing the specimen, followed by
shaking the animal out, or picking it out with a thin sharp tool.
Once the major portion of the soft tissues have been removed, the
shell can be completely cleaned and deodorized by soaking in bleach
(1 part Chlorox or other liquid laundry bleach to 9 parts water).
For very dirty shells with a lot of heavy external matter, dilution
can be 1 to 5. Lower gastropod (snail-type) shells into the bleach
spire down, so the solution can run into the shell and fill the
interior. Allow to soak for an hour to overnight, then flush under
a strong stream of fresh water. (Answer
by M. Paul Monfils via the Forum)
Shelling tools
(I
amtrying to locate a "stick" or tool to use in picking up
shells as I walk & comb along the beach. I have seen people using
something that looks like a modified golf club. Do they make these
themselves, our is there asource from which they can be purchased
?)
In medical supply stores
that sell crutches, walkers, etc. they have such tools - a stick
a couple of feet long with a sort of pistol grip on one end and
a claw that opens and closes on the other end, for people who cannot
bend over to pick up things. Larger pharmacies often have a department
carrying such items. (Answer
by M. Paul Monfils via the Forum)
How do you dry coral
?
(I
found some wonderful pieces of coral on the beach in Bimini, Bahamas.
They were still spongey and very wet, so they must have been broken
in the surf that day. They've been sitting on my patio for a week,
but they are still a bit soft. How do I make them harden and turn
white? They're a greyish color right now)
There are two general
types of corals - soft corals, where the matrix material is tough
but flexible (a sea fan is an example); and hard or stony corals
where the matrix is calcified, inflexible, and stone-like. If your
specimen is flexible, it is not a hard coral and there is no way
to make it hard. If it has a hard, stony core but is covered by
a thin soft layer, these are the polyps and should be removed by
soaking in 10% Chlorox for a few hours, followed by a fresh water
rinse. This will also whiten the hard parts. However, if your specimen
is a soft coral, or perhaps a sponge of some sort, soaking in bleach
will completely destroy it. (Answer
by M. Paul Monfils via the Forum)
