# Chemical on recieved Crypts.?



## Leonard (Mar 4, 2007)

Hello, everybody!
I just recieved some Crypts from AquaSpot_World (in bad condition because they were shipped in a ordinary letter! :doh: ). I immideatley put them into my Crystal Red tank, where I was going to have them. I went back to the tank an hour later and all shrimps were dead!! :-x
Do you use to spray the Crypts with some chemical to treat against bugs or very strong nutroin? I'm not glad at AquaSpot_World because they did not tell me about this before!! The plants I recieved was in VERY BAD condition and I absolutley have to warn you about buying plants from him! Bad seller! 
Well, does anyone now what this chemical could be? There was no problem with the other plants I puted in other tanks, only the shrimps in the tank I put the Crypts were reacting like this...


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## orlando (Feb 14, 2007)

Could it of been from the disruption of substrate during planting that may have caused an ammonia spike or nitrate spike?


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## Leonard (Mar 4, 2007)

orlando said:


> Could it of been from the disruption of substrate during planting that may have caused an ammonia spike or nitrate spike?


I didn't even plant them , just let them float in the surface in the tank...  Everything also happened ao fast, it couldn't been anything else.


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## frozenbarb (Feb 8, 2007)

Wow... your Crystal Red? High grade? Population? that really sucks. Thats why you always quarantine plants/fish


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## crypts (Jan 4, 2008)

Cyrpts are aroid, it will release poison chemical when it feel is under under threat. The safest way is soap the plants in acording it toralate water condition for days before intruduce to the main tank.


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## ts168 (Apr 13, 2004)

Hi Leonard, If you said in bad condition, you mean melted? If so i do believe , that any melted plant is bad for the water, not just for shrimp. Un future try to clean it up and soak for atleast 1days... Sorry to heard your bad experience.


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## jazzlvr123 (Apr 29, 2007)

crypts said:


> Cyrpts are aroid, it will release poison chemical when it feel is under under threat. The safest way is soap the plants in acording it toralate water condition for days before intruduce to the main tank.


wow thats very interesting so do all crypts release poison chemical when it feel is under under threat? i never knew that so is it a defense mechanism or something?


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## aquanut (Jun 26, 2007)

Crypts are in the family Araceae. Plants within this family are known to have calcium oxalate crystals, and or raphides in a milky white sap exuded when the stems are damaged as a defense against herbivory. However those characteristics, are more noticeable with terrestrial species like; _Alocasia_, _Colocasia_, _Aglaeonema_, and _Spathiphyllum_.

aquatic species of plants are not known to produce sap in any appreciable amount as a general rule, but I think they probably do produce some. seems unlikely that chemicals naturally found in the plant killed the shrimp in this particular case.


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## crypts (Jan 4, 2008)

aquanut said:


> Crypts are in the family Araceae. Plants within this family are known to have calcium oxalate crystals, and or raphides in a milky white sap exuded when the stems are damaged as a defense against herbivory. However those characteristics, are more noticeable with terrestrial species like; _Alocasia_, _Colocasia_, _Aglaeonema_, and _Spathiphyllum_.
> 
> aquatic species of plants are not known to produce sap in any appreciable amount as a general rule, but I think they probably do produce some. seems unlikely that chemicals naturally found in the plant killed the shrimp in this particular case.


I think crypts do have the same defense capability, i have the similar experience before.


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## rs79 (Dec 7, 2004)

I've seen new crypts melt and kill shrimp overnight. It might be as simple as an ammonia spike...


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## aquanut (Jun 26, 2007)

crypts said:


> I think crypts do have the same defense capability, i have the similar experience before.


i think its probably more related to the fact the plants were dying/decomposing when they were received and moved into the tank which caused an ammonia spike. KISS.


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## jazzlvr123 (Apr 29, 2007)

aquanut said:


> KISS.


lol, what?


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## aquanut (Jun 26, 2007)

keep it simple stupid. the most logical, or simplest answer is usually the right one.


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## Squawkbert (Jan 3, 2007)

^ Occam's razor, actually. "All other things being equal, the simplest solution is the best." 

I didn't know Crypts could get "extra" nasty when melting... count me "lucky".


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## Leonard (Mar 4, 2007)

The Crypts. didn't arrive melted, but all C. wendtii "Tropica" melted just after a day in a box with water (outside the tank).
They didn't melt inside the tank while this was happening, so I belive the teory about the Crypts poison is more true! The spieced I got was parva and wendtii "Tropica". Maybe ebough poison to kill my shrimps (mostly grade S)


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## aquanut (Jun 26, 2007)

i doubt it. if it were true, trimming a healthy Crypt plant would then lead to shrimp deaths.


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## neilfishguy (Mar 10, 2008)

which there is an article about the dangers of on planetinverts. IME this is not true though. I guess YMMV so be careful?


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## crypts (Jan 4, 2008)

aquanut said:


> i doubt it. if it were true, trimming a healthy Crypt plant would then lead to shrimp deaths.


Please correct me if i'm wrong, the chemical released from the rhizome instead.


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## neilfishguy (Mar 10, 2008)

crypts said:


> Please correct me if i'm wrong, the chemical released from the rhizome instead.


But I dont see how there was rhizome damage in this case...so even if it is released from the rhizome as long as it could be triggered from leaf damage I really dont see how that is relevent.


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## Leonard (Mar 4, 2007)

aquanut said:


> if it were true, trimming a healthy Crypt plant would then lead to shrimp deaths.


This probobly were happening because of the Crypts were grown emersed. If they grow submers, as they do when you've got them in your tank for a while, they don't release "poison" when trimming it.


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## aquanut (Jun 26, 2007)

Leonard said:


> This probobly were happening because of the Crypts were grown emersed. If they grow submers, as they do when you've got them in your tank for a while, they don't release "poison" when trimming it.


got any references to back up that claim?


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## Leonard (Mar 4, 2007)

nope 
But I'm very sure of that is wasn't a ammonia-spike!
I just wondered if you knew if this was a common problem, but it seems like it's pretty unusual. Well, the shrimps are dead and there is nothing to do...


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