# Plant purchase = dead shrimp halp



## Gordonrichards (Apr 28, 2009)

I purchased 20 anubias nana petites, ended up putting them directly into my tank after they arrived.
I should have washed them, looking back so in a way I'm quite retarded.

I'm not sure what caused it, but I had upwards of around 30-40 dead shrimps in the tank, not just older shrimps, but young/juvies as well.

Anyone else have the same issue? I'm not sure if there was new bacteria or chemicals on the plants when I dumped them in. Bare root cuttings. :^(

Kinda unhappy, but I am happy that I have three colonies of cherries.

-Gordon


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## FrothHelmet (May 18, 2006)

First let me say that I am sorry for your unfortunate loss.

Your suspicions of chemicals on the plant are correct. The anubias-petite have come from Asia, and it is now common practice due to regulation that all plants leaving at least some if not all of the countries we common import from mandate that plants be sprayed with chemicals to prevent the transference of pests.

So yes, chemicals on your plants killed your shrimp  The way to deal with this is to soak plants from Asia in water for a week with 100% daily water changes. If you have valuable CRS, you may want to be even more cautious...


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## tws (May 13, 2010)

wow...

this may be the reason i lost 5 out of 6 algae shrimp. i recently put these critters in my fountain bowl which had a variety of established plants in it... the shrimp absolutely flourish!

later i bought a package from walmart containing a single Nymphaea (lilly bulb) and dropped in in my bowl... the shrimp gravitated to it appearing to nibble all the outer fibers...

soon they began to die.

i wonder if the bulb had been chemically treated beforehand?

curious,

tws


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## Six (May 29, 2006)

That's really weird. I wouldn't blame yourself for that- I too would have put the plants directly in the water. No plant should be treated with an invertebrate killing med. My guess is if you bought them from APC the seller had beard algae on them and since you can't sell plants with algae, he nuked them in a bucket before shipping. 
Anubais are extremely tolerant of that kid of treatment. You should ask the seller what kinds of algacides and other chemical he/she was using. 

HTH! Let us know what happens- this so pretty strange so I'd like to hear the outcome.

GL!


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

Wow! I never thought of that. I guess I've been lucky. I always put my plants directly into my tanks. So sorry for you.


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## tex627 (Nov 2, 2008)

I've also heard that anubias' roots will leach out toxins when they're broken. I work at a fish store and whenever we get plants from china we throw it directly into our tanks with shrimp and fish. everyone is fine. I think it may be the broken roots on the anubias thats causing sudden deaths.


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## Six (May 29, 2006)

tex627 said:


> I've also heard that anubias' roots will leach out toxins when they're broken. I work at a fish store and whenever we get plants from china we throw it directly into our tanks with shrimp and fish. everyone is fine. I think it may be the broken roots on the anubias thats causing sudden deaths.


If this was true way more people would have problems. I've had anubias in every shrimp tank and never had die off from fragging my plants. And that was intentional.


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## tex627 (Nov 2, 2008)

just a hypothesis.


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