This guy emailed me probably from our discussions on this list. Thought I'd
pass it along in case any of you are interested.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sat, 09 Jun 2001 01:41:13 +0800
From: Colin Passmore <colinlaura at iprimus.com.au>
To: peter.unmack at asu.edu
Subject: Calcium in Aquaculture
Dear Peter;
My name is Colin Passmore and I live in Perth Western Australia. I am involved
in the promotion and marketing of Coquina shell which is deposited by nature
along the north west coastline. I believe that this occurance is rare in the
global picture, whereby thousands of tonnes are deposited each year. In the
meantime I have made contact with several people in the aquaculture industry
and they are using coquina shell as a filter medium. It provides good surface
area and is an ideal habitat for benificial bacteria to harbour. In addition
they are putting it in the bottom of growing tanks and they are finding that
shell fish are nibbling it. They declare that it improves and strengthens
growth and structure. The point is that it stands to reason that calcium is an
important part of all diets, some more important than others. In the case of
crabs, lobsters (and all other shell fish) because the outer strucure is shell
or calcium carbonate it is important to have a good supply of calcium during
development. Other species may not require similar levels but one thing is for
sure where you have bone or calcified tissue then it has derived from the
ingestion of calcium. And so the cycle continues. One dies so that another can
live.
I was researching calcium on the net and found your email enquiry about
calcium and I thought I would respond. Hope I havnt bored you.
Regards, Colin