It has become apparent that some aquatic plants may be treated with pesticides that may cause shrimp fatalities.
For more background information please read through this thread thoroughly –
viewtopic.php?f=10&t=19481
In summary it is suspected that plants imported from Asia are most at risk. This is due to the majority being grown outdoors in an environment that may be highly populated with pests.
Although by UK law, imported plants are not allowed to be treated with pesticides, the overwhelming anecdotal evidence suggests these plants are being treated.
Here is an extract from a message I received -
At the moment there seems to be no easy way to treat said plants, except for a long-term quarantine (up to 6 weeks) in combination with plenty of chemical adsorption media filtration such as activated charcoal/carbon. Even if this is done, if the insecticide has been up-taken by the plant; there is still a potential hazard.
If you keep shrimp and are receiving plants then our advice is to ask where they are sourced. If they are imported from Asia then speak with the vendor and try to ascertain what/if any quarantine measures have been undertaken. A thorough rinse under freshwater is apparently not enough to ensure any pesticides have been removed.
Bear in mind that many Asian-sourced plant suppliers are providing these plants at relatively low cost, and they have a valuable role in the marketplace. The trade-off is the potential for these plants to be contaminated. Whether or not it is the retailer's/supplier’s responsibility to ensure the plants are 100% shrimp safe goes beyond the scope of this topic. For any retailers out there that supply Asian plants; I would recommend providing some form of care sheet indicating the potential dangers and how to minimise them. Please also feel free to point them in the direction of this topic.
If you want to be more certain that your plants are not contaminated then consider purchasing plants from a known European nursery such as Aquafluer and Tropica. The trade-off here is that they are relatively expensive.
To minimise risk to zero then consider purchasing tissue-cultured plants grown in sterile conditions with no chance of contamination from suppliers/retailers such as Tropica 1-2-Grow and Anubias In-Vitro. Again, the trade-off is that these plants are relatively expensive.
With the rise in popularity of shrimp in the UK and elsewhere I believe this issue needs to be highlighted and I encourage you all to share the contents of this thread with shrimp keepers.
As the situation develops and we find out more information, this thread will be updated accordingly.
For more background information please read through this thread thoroughly –
viewtopic.php?f=10&t=19481
In summary it is suspected that plants imported from Asia are most at risk. This is due to the majority being grown outdoors in an environment that may be highly populated with pests.
Although by UK law, imported plants are not allowed to be treated with pesticides, the overwhelming anecdotal evidence suggests these plants are being treated.
Here is an extract from a message I received -
At the moment there seems to be no easy way to treat said plants, except for a long-term quarantine (up to 6 weeks) in combination with plenty of chemical adsorption media filtration such as activated charcoal/carbon. Even if this is done, if the insecticide has been up-taken by the plant; there is still a potential hazard.
If you keep shrimp and are receiving plants then our advice is to ask where they are sourced. If they are imported from Asia then speak with the vendor and try to ascertain what/if any quarantine measures have been undertaken. A thorough rinse under freshwater is apparently not enough to ensure any pesticides have been removed.
Bear in mind that many Asian-sourced plant suppliers are providing these plants at relatively low cost, and they have a valuable role in the marketplace. The trade-off is the potential for these plants to be contaminated. Whether or not it is the retailer's/supplier’s responsibility to ensure the plants are 100% shrimp safe goes beyond the scope of this topic. For any retailers out there that supply Asian plants; I would recommend providing some form of care sheet indicating the potential dangers and how to minimise them. Please also feel free to point them in the direction of this topic.
If you want to be more certain that your plants are not contaminated then consider purchasing plants from a known European nursery such as Aquafluer and Tropica. The trade-off here is that they are relatively expensive.
To minimise risk to zero then consider purchasing tissue-cultured plants grown in sterile conditions with no chance of contamination from suppliers/retailers such as Tropica 1-2-Grow and Anubias In-Vitro. Again, the trade-off is that these plants are relatively expensive.
With the rise in popularity of shrimp in the UK and elsewhere I believe this issue needs to be highlighted and I encourage you all to share the contents of this thread with shrimp keepers.
As the situation develops and we find out more information, this thread will be updated accordingly.
