Please Help! COPPER

**kingkew** · 28th Feb 2015, 15:43

Hi all, this is my first time (was my first time) keeping shrimp. I have had 10 red cherry shrimp in my tank, it was alright for a week until a few hours ago when I introduced new dwarf baby tears (HC) into the tank which I am certain contained traces of copper. Long story short, all my shrimp died. I am clearing out the tank now and do no know what to do to completely rid the HC and substrate of copper traces.

What should I do with the HC and soil substrate? Should I get brand new soil substrate? I have just stripped the tank and plan to restart it again, growing HC emersed before adding shrimp in the future.

I really need some advice/help on how to get rid of the copper traces on my newly bought HC and on how to clean the soil substrate of copper. It has been an overall disappointing and horrid experience.

**Suzerolt** · 28th Feb 2015, 17:56

Seachem prime removes some amount of copper. The standard dose of Prime of 1mL / 40L will remove 2.6ppm of copper in the 40L (10gallon).
You can wash the soil in some amount of water with heavier load of seachem prime.

Perhaps you can start a quarantine tank to soak & quarantine your plants as well.

If you intend to 'reset' your tank & equipment, you can do a vinegar soak. The acid will remove the copper from the silicon as well.
Vinegar is about $2.50 for 5L at Seng Shiong. After that, just give the tank/equipment a good rinse.

If you are paranoid, buy a copper test kit. The Salifert brand test kit is about $20.

**Urban Aquaria** · 28th Feb 2015, 21:02

Its might not be copper (unless you did an actual test with a copper test kit which generated a positive measurement, otherwise you may be trying to solve the wrong thing)... most likely it could also be residual pesticide or some sort of anti-snail treatments in the HC that affected the shrimps.

Either way, washing and soaking the plants throughly in clean tap water helps reduce the concentrations of those chemicals, quarantine for a few days helps alot too (like what Suzerolt mentioned).

Btw, what is the water volume of your tank? Usually in a larger tank, the chemicals would be diluted enough to render it less toxic to shrimps... its usually in small tanks that the chemicals have a much greater effect.

**seudzar** · 28th Feb 2015, 21:54

Agree with UA, these plants are grown in farms pond where there are fishes in water to eat insects and mosquito larvae

**kingkew** · 28th Feb 2015, 22:07

Originally Posted by Suzerolt

Seachem prime removes some amount of copper. The standard dose of Prime of 1mL / 40L will remove 2.6ppm of copper in the 40L (10gallon).
You can wash the soil in some amount of water with heavier load of seachem prime.

Perhaps you can start a quarantine tank to soak & quarantine your plants as well.

If you intend to 'reset' your tank & equipment, you can do a vinegar soak. The acid will remove the copper from the silicon as well.
Vinegar is about $2.50 for 5L at Seng Shiong. After that, just give the tank/equipment a good rinse.

If you are paranoid, buy a copper test kit. The Salifert brand test kit is about $20.

I got myself some seachem prime, added it to the substrate and let it sit, added to the HC together with flourish excel and phosphorous under strong lighting

**kingkew** · 28th Feb 2015, 22:08

Originally Posted by Urban Aquaria

Its might not be copper (unless you did an actual test with a copper test kit which generated a positive measurement, otherwise you may be trying to solve the wrong thing)... most likely it could also be residual pesticide or some sort of anti-snail treatments in the HC that affected the shrimps.

Either way, washing and soaking the plants throughly in clean tap water helps reduce the concentrations of those chemicals, quarantine for a few days helps alot too (like what Suzerolt mentioned).

Btw, what is the water volume of your tank? Usually in a larger tank, the chemicals would be diluted enough to render it less toxic to shrimps... its usually in small tanks that the chemicals have a much greater effect.

How to treat the soil substrate if it isnt copper and something else like you mentioned? my tank is 18L

**Urban Aquaria** · 28th Feb 2015, 22:49

Originally Posted by kingkew

How to treat the soil substrate if it isnt copper and something else like you mentioned? my tank is 18L

Just have to do multiple large water changes to flush out whatever chemicals that are toxic to the shrimps... its all about dilution, after a while the water will be restored to safe levels. Other than getting special test kits which can detect and measure specific toxic chemical compounds, i guess the only way to find out if the tank is okay is to introduce a few "commando" shrimps (aka test subjects) to see their reactions to the water parameters. If they are okay, then can slowly add in your nicer shrimps.

Though if you are really worried (and can spare the extra time and effort), then re-starting the tank with brand new soil, new hardscape and new plants would assure the water conditions will be fully reset.

Yeah, 18 liters is a relatively small water volume so there is less buffer against the effects of chemicals. Have to be more cautious when introducing new things into the tank.