Introducing New Plants

**taikiat** · 25th Sep 2008, 09:52

Recently I just did a rescape and introduced some new plants. Before that I soaked the new plants for about a day before putting the plants in. After they were introduced, my shrimps started kicking around, jerking, swimming upside down and dying. Suspecting that it was a case of uncleared insecticides I immediately removed the new plants and put them in another pail of water to further soak them. As soon as I did that and a change of water the shrimps got better. But around 80% have already died. Not wanting the incident to repeat itself, I decided to further soak the plants, but the plants sort of melted and the water turned foul. I'm new at introducing new plants for a farm so I'm gonna need advice on how to do it.

**blue33** · 25th Sep 2008, 10:59

Usually we bought those plant in submersed instead of emmersed, in submersed usually they have some fish inside the tank.

**taikiat** · 25th Sep 2008, 16:06

the plants i bought from seaview. its true that the submersed plants have fish in them, but i just got those that were hung up in plastic bags, so... how do i go about treating those plants?

**blue33** · 25th Sep 2008, 16:11

Originally Posted by taikiat

the plants i bought from seaview. its true that the submersed plants have fish in them, but i just got those that were hung up in plastic bags, so... how do i go about treating those plants?

Rinse in tap water then soak in container around 3 days, change water everyday, that should work.

**beetroot** · 25th Sep 2008, 22:53

Oooh... taikiat, i know what you mean, same case as mine, link here:

http://www.aquaticquotient.com/forum...ad.php?t=45366

at least mine weren't so bad... mine didn't start kicking around or jerking, but they went quiet... like very quiet, started molting and a few died. And I only removed the wood+plant a day later. Also bought hung in plastic bag (dry).

I'm going to be very cautious now... soak for days and keep changing water.

But what plants did you buy? Not all plants are suitable for shrimps, I asked shop auntie before buying. Because I saw something nice, but she said the nice looking plant will rot and not suitable for shrimps. Thats why I bought wood+moss instead.

What shrimps do you have?

**blue33** · 25th Sep 2008, 23:03

Originally Posted by beetroot

Oooh... taikiat, i know what you mean, same case as mine, link here:

http://www.aquaticquotient.com/forum...ad.php?t=45366

at least mine weren't so bad... mine didn't start kicking around or jerking, but they went quiet... like very quiet, started molting and a few died. And I only removed the wood+plant a day later. Also bought hung in plastic bag (dry).

I'm going to be very cautious now... soak for days and keep changing water.

But what plants did you buy? Not all plants are suitable for shrimps, I asked shop auntie before buying. Because I saw something nice, but she said the nice looking plant will rot and not suitable for shrimps. Thats why I bought wood+moss instead.

What shrimps do you have?

Hi! I've read your post thread. It could be your woods that you didnt soak long enough, sometime the woods bought may leak out some chemicals that will affect your fauna. Either you use boiling water over it or you soak them long enough. Shrimps are very sensitive fauna.

**blue33** · 25th Sep 2008, 23:04

Originally Posted by taikiat

the plants i bought from seaview. its true that the submersed plants have fish in them, but i just got those that were hung up in plastic bags, so... how do i go about treating those plants?

Those hung at seaview are usually the emmersed type. Soak for few days and change water everyday would solve your problem.

**beetroot** · 25th Sep 2008, 23:11

Originally Posted by blue33

Either you use boiling water over it or you soak them long enough. Shrimps are very sensitive fauna.

Hello, blue33.

I think I'll have to soak them lonnnnggggg enough. Use boiling water and I'll be cooking the moss and mini nana on them

.

**blue33** · 25th Sep 2008, 23:25

Originally Posted by beetroot

Hello, blue33.

I think I'll have to soak them lonnnnggggg enough. Use boiling water and I'll be cooking the moss and mini nana on them

.

That's a funny one! Cook GREEN salad.

**beetroot** · 25th Sep 2008, 23:46

Hahaha.... read somewhere that shrimps like blanched salad too, maybe can try... hahaha... [think it's cooked spinach, the real salad for shrimps?]

Pardon this silly gal

.

**blue33** · 25th Sep 2008, 23:54

Originally Posted by beetroot

Hahaha.... read somewhere that shrimps like blanched salad too, maybe can try... hahaha... [think it's cooked spinach, the real salad for shrimps?]

Pardon this silly gal

.

We're out of topic. Please excuse us!

**beetlejuice403** · 26th Sep 2008, 01:02

Originally Posted by beetroot

Hahaha.... read somewhere that shrimps like blanched salad too, maybe can try... hahaha... [think it's cooked spinach, the real salad for shrimps?]

Pardon this silly gal

.

Sorry a bit off topic here...

It's true beetroot, my shrimps do love blanched (boiled) spinach & those mixed peas (normally used for fried rice) after boiling... Maybe they do need 2 servings of vegetables too per day like us human...

[Not too sure if they will need the 2 servings of fruits like us too... Anyone tried?? Durians?!?

]

Cheers!!

PS: Back to the topic of treating new plants... it's always better to be on the safer (kiasu) side: Rinse the plants with running tap water, soak it in mild & diluted bleach solutions (to remove snails & their eggs), boil & soak any driftwoods/bogwoods before introducing to the tank... Better to lose a few stems of the plants/dollars than to sacrifice your precious faunas already in your tank...

Cheers!

**taikiat** · 26th Sep 2008, 09:50

i now did a reflection and realised what else could be the problem.

1) just as everyone can agree on, it might be the chemicals in those plants.

2) i was doing some replanting, so that might have stirred too much substrate up and caused an ammonia spike in e tank which killed the shrimp.

anyways i learnt my lesson... now my tank's pretty bare of plants, will wait for my shrimps to multiply before i do anything funny. btw they're healthy now, made a rough count, suffered around 40% casualties. Cherries are tough

**leechaorui** · 26th Sep 2008, 13:22

I think you may want to consider investing in some equipment that sucks out the dirt from the soil so that you reduce your nitrate build up.

In addition, buy plants from fellow hobbylist, I think they are safer and more accustome to local weather.

**beetroot** · 28th Sep 2008, 16:04

Hi beetlejuice403, you mentioned soak in mild & diluted bleach solution - wouldn't that be harmful to the shrimps too, even after washing the plants after soaking? I am pretty afraid to add anything else to my shrimp tanks after what happened (my other post thread).

Hmm... i have not tried "cooking" spinach & peas for them, though have read about it. At least i know now, there are people who do that

!

taikiat, what shrimps do you keep? Even after they multiply, take care of the little ones. Think they are not as strong as the adults, thats from my experience. I think i have lost majority of the cherry newborns, so my tanks' are still pretty bare of anything too, for now.

**taikiat** · 28th Sep 2008, 17:03

cherries. damn hardy class. the newborns have their little java moss carpet to hide in, and a driftwood to harbour in. but i seldom see them swimming around unless water's wrong. otherwise they're alright already. lost about 40% after the incident, now there're 5 pregnant ones shaking their eggs and swaggering so i thiink they have recovered pretty well.

newsflash:just introduced some new hc and bacopa, hc might not make it, but my shrimps have started to check out the bacopa,which means all is going well. yes!

**beetlejuice403** · 29th Sep 2008, 14:09

Originally Posted by beetroot

Hi beetlejuice403, you mentioned soak in mild & diluted bleach solution - wouldn't that be harmful to the shrimps too, even after washing the plants after soaking? I am pretty afraid to add anything else to my shrimp tanks after what happened (my other post thread).

Hmm... i have not tried "cooking" spinach & peas for them, though have read about it. At least i know now, there are people who do that

!

Hi beetroot, after soaking the new plants in diluted bleach solution, you MUST wash it under running tap water again (or better still, soak it in clean water for a while before introducing into your tank...) If your bleach solution is weak enough & are mostly washed off, it should be fine for the faunas in the tank though...

As for cooked 'delicacies', maybe you can give it a try next time (once in a blue moon), maybe to reward your shrimps for produce more shrimplets for you...

Cheers!

taikiat, what shrimps do you keep? Even after they multiply, take care of the little ones. Think they are not as strong as the adults, thats from my experience. I think i have lost majority of the cherry newborns, so my tanks' are still pretty bare of anything too, for now.

Hope it helps & glad to know that your survivor shrimps are making a fast comeback...

**StanChung** · 29th Sep 2008, 15:49

If you want to soak your plants, you can put them in the fridge with fresh aquarium water for 3 days sealed tightly in a bag. tkae it out after and rinse again. Most species can last longer in cool water even in very low light.