I recently added a new plant (anubias on driftwood) in my aquarium and my cherry shrimps started dying one by one. After checking out petshrimp.com, I learnt that it's probably the pesticides in my new plant that caused their death. What should I do with the plant now? Just take it out of the aquarium? I only have one aquarium, so there's nowhere else I can put it...Or should I transfer the shrimps to another smaller aquarium? Is there any way the shrimps and the plant can be put in the same aquarium? Is there any treatment for the pesticides?
I would bet it is the driftwood, not the plant. The cases where I've heard about this is where people are trimming the plant and leaving cuttings. There also was no conclusive evidents that crypts are responsible.
You should also remove the plant and driftwood. Put these in some water to dilute the toxins with daily water changes if you are set on using the plant.
A week ago I heard the exact same story from a danish aquarist.
She had a tank where all the shrimp began to die, after she added a Microsorum pteropus 'Windeløv' on driftwood.
I don't have any problems with my driftwood.....I boiled it six times for around an hour each time over a period of two weeks and soaked it, changing the water daily during this time. My shrimp run all over it,nibble at it and shelter under it.
It's probably not the driftwood but most likely pesticides. At the AGA meeting in TN Amano stated that one should be very careful about adding new plants to any tank containing shrimp. Specifically he was talking about the Amano shrimp. Many of these plants are grown out of water and they do use pesticides on them. Anubias and Bolbitus and Java Ferns for sure. Ditto for most amazon swordplants. Sure enough right after this conference my friend deep sixed my order of shrimp with him by putting his shipment of Bolbitus in the same tank. He was puzzled as to what had happened as he had a good wholesaler, excellent weather and no problems with shrimp in the past. Then he remembered what Amano had said and it all clicked. Really, if you want to keep shrimp, fish anything aquatic you have to have a second tank so that you can quaranteen things. If you don't you're just asking for trouble.
After checking out petshrimp.com, I learnt that it's probably the pesticides in my new plant that caused their death. What should I do with the plant now? Just take it out of the aquarium? I only have one aquarium, so there's nowhere else I can put it...Or should I transfer the shrimps to another smaller aquarium? Is there any way the shrimps and the plant can be put in the same aquarium? Is there any treatment for the pesticides?
Wow! I want to keep my driftwood, so maybe that's what I'll do...thanks for the suggestion Shrimp&Snails!