# Shrimp and liquid carbon bad idea?



## Glaucus

I am thinking of using a liquid carbon source. In the past i used a liquid carbon source but this had unwanted effects to some fish. I'd say that shrimps are even more sensitive in that respect. I found a thread from 2010 telling no harm is done to shrimps using normal doses. Just wanted to check if this is still common perception.


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## hornedtoad1

my experience--
a 5-gallon with rcs, some hc that i was dosing very lightly with flourish excel. the shrimp were doing ok, no visible effect of the flourish, but there were no babies, even tho there were berried females. so i stopped dosing and started seeing babies after awhile. so no more flourish for that tank.
the hc is doing fine too, apparently didn't need to be dosed after all.
so i'd say not to use it.


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## DrEd

If dose less than one quarter of the recommended amount, then it should be fine, at lease for my RCS.


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## TarantulaGuy

It IS toxic to them, I've killed shrimp with it before, but in small doses it won't kill them. I can't say it is good for them either, but they won't die at half strength or less doses.


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## Tot3nkampf

Hmmm. I am doing light doses of excel in a 10 gallon. Shrimp look healthy but no shrimplets. I assumed boraras were getting them but maybe not. i will stop dosing to see if reproduction happens


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## _chicken_

I have used it in tanks with RCS, yellow shrimp, and amanos with no apparent ill effect.


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## h4n

I dose Excel in all my shrimps tanks, but only half the suggested amount and they are fine and breeding! 
But tanks are also heavly planted so i'm assuming it gets absorbed quickly,


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## HybridHerp

I don't dose excel but I do dose a different liquid co2 product
my 5 amano shrimp are doing completely fine with it, even holding eggs
sucks that amano eggs don't hatch in freshwater though, or else I'd have a mini army by now


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## isellcars

I double my recommended dosage of excel everyday and I have for months. I tank is heavily planted. Mind you I would be better off with a co2 system but can't afford it right now. It has not affected any of my shrimp. I have 12 amano's, 2 vampire, 4 ghost and 4 RCS. They are all doing very well.


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## TarantulaGuy

I want to stress this, liquid carbon (e.g. Gluteraldehyde) WILL be toxic to your shrimp at a certain dosage level. I can't stress this enough. Overdosing WILL KILL YOUR SHRIMP. It's a tissue fixative in biology labs, and a known carcinogen, this. stuff. is. toxic. Dosing at regular levels or less will probably be ok, but at some point, this stuff is gonna start affecting your shrimp. Just don't do it. If you're dead set on adding carbon, whip up some DIY CO2 canisters, or spend some money and get a CO2 system.


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## isellcars

Didn't realize that.....guess I will cut down on the use of Excel and save more for a complete co2 system instead.


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## iamivan90

New to this planted fish tank thing and was going to add liquid carbon to my plants but will def stay away from it now that I saw this thread..Thanks!


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## TarantulaGuy

If you don't have shrimp it's fine, gluteraldehyde does break down nicely and relatively quickly under light into useable carbon for your plants. It just so happens to be toxic before it breaks down. So, no shrimp or inverts, go ahead and use some liquid carbon, you'll be fine, just don't drink the stuff. If you have shrimp, just to be extra safe I'd use pressurized or DIY CO2. Plus, it's a better source of carbon anyways, more consistent levels can be maintained then with liquid carbon.


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## John P.

Willing to bet more shrimp have perished due to CO2 levels being too high than Excel. I'm guilty as charged.


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## TarantulaGuy

John P. said:


> Willing to bet more shrimp have perished due to CO2 levels being too high than Excel. I'm guilty as charged.


Heh, I'm guilt BOTH ways. I feel like it's easier to do with excel though, assuming you don't tinker with your pressurized gas too much, or have a end of tank gas out due to a crummy regulator. Pressurized is so regular that critters are generally adapted to it pretty quickly.


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