Unfortunate plant incident

[Aqua360]

Hi all,

just thought I'd ask for some advice on washing plants, given a recent mini disaster I had at the weekend with my cherry shrimp.

Basically I'd been given a healthy bunch of plants from my friend who has his own pet license etc, but tends to operate fish rooms rather than a shop. Having taken my assortment of plants home and planting into my small aquascape project tank, my 12 cherry shrimps in the next hour began acting spasmodically, twitching on their backs and looking really bad.

Needless to say, they all died; which is a kick in the teeth since some were berried, and it was my first batch of the little guys. Probably better it happened to a small number though, before i invest in a larger colony. I can only surmise that the plants were coated in copper sulphate to kill snails, unfortunately having a knock on effect.

So what I'd like to ask is, what is the recommended way of washing new plants? weak bleach? just water?

thanks in advance, sorry for the essay

 

[darren636]

Alkaline wash.

So a 10% bleach solution ?

 

[darren636]

Actually, plants with copper will need multiple soaks and rinses in fresh tap water to get rid of the copper. Just to be safe.

 

[Daneland]

Hi all,

just thought I'd ask for some advice on washing plants, given a recent mini disaster I had at the weekend with my cherry shrimp.

Basically I'd been given a healthy bunch of plants from my friend who has his own pet license etc, but tends to operate fish rooms rather than a shop. Having taken my assortment of plants home and planting into my small aquascape project tank, my 12 cherry shrimps in the next hour began acting spasmodically, twitching on their backs and looking really bad.

Needless to say, they all died; which is a kick in the teeth since some were berried, and it was my first batch of the little guys. Probably better it happened to a small number though, before i invest in a larger colony. I can only surmise that the plants were coated in copper sulphate to kill snails, unfortunately having a knock on effect.

So what I'd like to ask is, what is the recommended way of washing new plants? weak bleach? just water?

thanks in advance, sorry for the essay

You could have tried the following

http://scapeclub.org/forum/showthread.php?13682-Harvesting-eggs-from-dead-female-shrimp



Harvesting eggs from dead female shrimp.
This is for hobbyist who would like to salvage the eggs from a berried female shrimp that has died. It is better to do this as soon as the shrimp has been discovered dead so that the eggs are at less risk for being eaten or developing fungus/algae growth.

What I do is use small fine nose tweezers to hold the dead shrimp's body at the carapace with firm but not crushing pressure. I then use a tooth brush (new or used, would not recommend using it again...) to gently brush the underside of the body, at the swimmerets, where the eggs are visible. The eggs are easily lifted off the shrimps body and can be suctioned up when the process is finished.

The eggs can be incubated in a tea strainer or a net under a constant and gentle flow of water (ie. small filter outflow or above an airstone. This will help to mimic the mother's fanning and general movements which keep the eggs viable. I'm currently trying another method and will let you know if it works out. Edit: Egg tumblers can also be used to help keep the harvested eggs viable.

With the technique I have mentioned above, you may get the best results if the eggs are closer to hatching time and the harvesting was done shortly after the shrimp's death. This helps to limit the eggs exposure to the elements and scavengers.

 

[Aqua360]

You could have tried the following

http://scapeclub.org/forum/showthread.php?13682-Harvesting-eggs-from-dead-female-shrimp



Harvesting eggs from dead female shrimp.
This is for hobbyist who would like to salvage the eggs from a berried female shrimp that has died. It is better to do this as soon as the shrimp has been discovered dead so that the eggs are at less risk for being eaten or developing fungus/algae growth.

What I do is use small fine nose tweezers to hold the dead shrimp's body at the carapace with firm but not crushing pressure. I then use a tooth brush (new or used, would not recommend using it again...) to gently brush the underside of the body, at the swimmerets, where the eggs are visible. The eggs are easily lifted off the shrimps body and can be suctioned up when the process is finished.

The eggs can be incubated in a tea strainer or a net under a constant and gentle flow of water (ie. small filter outflow or above an airstone. This will help to mimic the mother's fanning and general movements which keep the eggs viable. I'm currently trying another method and will let you know if it works out. Edit: Egg tumblers can also be used to help keep the harvested eggs viable.

With the technique I have mentioned above, you may get the best results if the eggs are closer to hatching time and the harvesting was done shortly after the shrimp's death. This helps to limit the eggs exposure to the elements and scavengers.

wow, i did not know this was possible...

I've removed the dead shrimps unfortunately

 

[Aqua360]

Thanks for the responses guys, open to anymore suggestions; I think what I'll do tonight is take all the plants out and give them a wash under the tap fully, then proceed to do some more water changes.

I'm expecting a batch of cherry shrimps to arrive at my fish supplier soon, and wouldn't take them until fully confident the copper issue has been resolved; so i'm eager to make sure im not missing a single thing.

Also, to cover another possibility, the tank is established; cycled months back. Immediately after finding dead shrimps, I tested my water and came back with 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites and negligible nitrate, so i'm not suspecting of issues in that aspect.

 

[parotet]

Sorry for the loss... I once had a similar experience with RCS but the origin was a spray used at home for killing insects in the terrace. A few micro drops were blown by the wind and got to my water change bucket and most of my shrimps died. This spasmodic movements sound like pesticides shock. If your friend breeds shrimps and fish, he won't be probably be using such hazardous substances with the plants, as they would be a risk for his activity... are you sure it is not something that got to your water/equipment/plants/tank?

Jordi

 

[Aqua360]

Sorry for the loss... I once had a similar experience with RCS but the origin was a spray used at home for killing insects in the terrace. A few micro drops were blown by the wind and got to my water change bucket and most of my shrimps died. This spasmodic movements sound like pesticides shock. If your friend breeds shrimps and fish, he won't be probably be using such hazardous substances with the plants, as they would be a risk for his activity... are you sure it is not something that got to your water/equipment/plants/tank?

Jordi

Sorry, I should have elaborated that he tends to import the fish and plants in, or acquire from wholesalers in the Glasgow area. He doesn't breed shrimp, does do some fish though.

I don't believe its anything that got to my equipment or anything, the tank is in my bedroom; very minimalist, no aerosols or anything like that...

I dose daily with JBL daily fertiliser, that's the only thing I can think of; but even then I've been doing that for a few weeks now, unless it built up over time

 

[zozo]

Sorry for the loss... I once had a similar experience with RCS but the origin was a spray used at home for killing insects in the terrace. A few micro drops were blown by the wind and got to my water change bucket and most of my shrimps died. This spasmodic movements sound like pesticides shock. If your friend breeds shrimps and fish, he won't be probably be using such hazardous substances with the plants, as they would be a risk for his activity... are you sure it is not something that got to your water/equipment/plants/tank?

Jordi

That's realy something to think more about then you would expect, maybe even more with open top tanks.. I guess there could be a lot flying around the house which we do not notice and could be fatal to shrimps. Thanks for sharing that Jordi.. It's connecting dots, such little dots you might not even see.. Like washing hads and stand still with what you do in the house..

I while ago i noticed, got 3 open top tanks now and lately i made patato pancakes again.. Didn't do that for o long time. But these have to be fried in oil, now i cook every day and never noticed anything.. But after frying those patato panecakes even with the cooker hood running full speed, i noticed the day after in all 3 tanks an oily film on the water surface which took me several days to get off again. Not that it killed something but it still looked nasty.. Next time i'll cook those patato pancakes outside the house in open air. Ofter fry patatos, but when they are mashed to pancakes, it releases someting different and a lot more of it when fried. Never realy noticed and spreads throug the entire house..

 

[parotet]

Yup, same effect if you use scented oils warmed by candles (is this the correct name in English?). There is plenty of nasty stuff we use in our home that land into our open tanks

Jordi

 

[zozo]

is this the correct name in English?

I know what you mean.. So correct enough for me..

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

Having taken my assortment of plants home and planting into my small aquascape project tank, my 12 cherry shrimps in the next hour began acting spasmodically, twitching on their backs and looking really bad. Needless to say, they all died;

Sorry to hear that.

This spasmodic movements sound like pesticides shock.

That would be my guess as well.

This is from a while ago, but it is worth a read <"Wipe Out"> .

cheers Darrel

 

[Aqua360]

Hi all,Sorry to hear that.That would be my guess as well.

This is from a while ago, but it is worth a read <"Wipe Out"> .

cheers Darrel

thank you, I'll have a read; my plan when I go home is to thoroughly wash the plants, and change my tank water continuously over the next few days. Want to be absolutely sure, before I endanger anymore shrimp

 

[PARAGUAY]

Many FarEast suppliers by law have to chemically treat plants for export to Europe the plants look healthy but are toxic to shrimp.PFK investigated this a while ago many plant retailers stopped sourcing far east suppliers as a result,using European nurseries instead. You can probably be confident as a example someone like Tropica their plants would be shrimp safe but many shops might have far eastern plants from importers buying in bulk

 

[Aqua360]

I might just actually bin those plants. Cost me £15, but I don't wanna put them back in now; even after the wash etc.

Think I'll just try and play it safe, order from co2 art or something; I'll need to fire them a quick email to ask them if their plants are alright safety wise

 

[Aqua360]

On a lighter note, I have a single surviving red cherry shrimp lol. He was dying like the others, but having since removed the plants; he recovered this morning and has resumed activity, really hope he makes it long term, so that I know when its safe to add more.

 

[zozo]

Shrimps are misterious little animals In my little tank already had a 15 amanos die a probably poisoned death i do not know.. Except 1 amano which is still around.. After that i did put in about a 15 young sherries and also they started dying off slowly on after another do not know if i have any left at the time. And still that 1 amono keeps cruising the tank and seems to be indestructible. I'm total clueless what the cause is.. Got another tank with shrimps from the same family and they seem to be fine.

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

I might just actually bin those plants. Cost me £15, but I don't wanna put them back in now; even after the wash etc.

Have you got another tank you could put them in? You wouldn't need to plant them, you could just let them float for a couple of weeks and by that time any systemic insecticides in the plants would be much reduced in toxicity.

You could test whether they are shrimp safe using another crustacean, both Daphnia and Asellus are used in ecotoxicology work. <"Acute and delayed effects of the neonicotinoid insecticide thiacloprid on seven freshwater arthropods">.

cheers Darrel

 

[Aqua360]

Hi all,Have you got another tank you could put them in? You wouldn't need to plant them, you could just let them float for a couple of weeks and by that time any systemic insecticides in the plants would be much reduced in toxicity.

You could test whether they are shrimp safe using another crustacean, both Daphnia and Asellus are used in ecotoxicology work. <"Acute and delayed effects of the neonicotinoid insecticide thiacloprid on seven freshwater arthropods">.

cheers Darrel

I have a hospital tank that i keep established with my convict cichlid. I guess i could chuck them in there

 

[Aqua360]

Shrimps are misterious little animals In my little tank already had a 15 amanos die a probably poisoned death i do not know.. Except 1 amano which is still around.. After that i did put in about a 15 young sherries and also they started dying off slowly on after another do not know if i have any left at the time. And still that 1 amono keeps cruising the tank and seems to be indestructible. I'm total clueless what the cause is.. Got another tank with shrimps from the same family and they seem to be fine.

Maybe he's like the shrimp equivalent of Bruce Willis in 'Unbreakable' lol