Pesticide In Shrimp Tank!

[VL1990]

I bought new plants from pets at home and some shrimps. I put the plants straight in along with the shrimps. Unfortunately pets at home failed to mention they use pesticide on their plants and it completely wiped my whole shrimp tank out. I know it makes sense to wash them but iv never been told this before ever and it id their job to infofm me of this especially selling shrimp to me along with the plants! Anyway my question is what do I do with the contaminated tank? Iv took the plants out and they are mow soaking in cold tap water. How should I treat the tank before adding new stock? Thank you

 

[Baccus]

Remove all the water and do as many rinses as possible of all the substrate and any timber or ornaments that are in the tank.
You could add some purigen to the filter to also hopefully remove any residual chemical as well as add activated charcoal to the filter.
Unfortunately I know of any domestic test kits that you could get to test for any residual chemicals that may still be in the tank.
 
Depending on what the shop used the tank may never be suitable to shrimp again, but before trialing shrimp in there again I would try some snails (since the shop most likely used a copper based chemical to remove snails), snails will be as suspectable to any residual cooper as shrimp would be.

 

[Ch4rlie]

Oh no! Sorry that has happened

Hate when that sort of thing happens.

You are certain it was the plants?
Just that I've bought plants from P@H before and nothing untoward a happened in my tank with shrimps and snails.

Maybe it was a new batch of plants at P@H from probably Far East or something and these do need to be irradiated of pests before imports to UK trades. Maybe P@H staff were unaware or something like that.
Unusual though as most LFS knows about effects of pesticides on plants on stocked aquariums.

Baccus has pretty much answered on other possible causes and suggestions on cleaning your tank is what I would go along with as well.

 

[fluttermoth]

The most commonly used pesticide, in this situation, can be neutralised by alkaline water; you can use bicarb to raise the pH and keep it like that for a week or so.

 

[DerpPH]

Yup snails are a good indicator if the tank is fish safe.

Well you could buy from a reputable and trusted plant seller though

 

[fluttermoth]

Well you could buy from a reputable and trusted plant seller though

Trouble with that is, that in the UK all imported plants must, by law, be treated with a pesticide before they come into the country, and most plant sellers do import their plants.

 

[dave840f1]

Everything seems to have been said except that I always buy from a local grower (UK in your situation) that way the plants don't need to be treated with pesticides. Regarding your dead shrimp I would definitely go back to the shop and complain as you purchased them together and the shop must have known the law regarding importing plants and should have told you.

 

[VL1990]

Yes i went back and complained and the best they could do was a £20 gift card even though i explained the shrimp i already had in there were worth £50+. They dont seem to really care about the welfare of shrimps to be honest. I havent dropped it though iv took this up with customer services.

 

[DerpPH]

Yes i went back and complained and the best they could do was a £20 gift card even though i explained the shrimp i already had in there were worth £50+. They dont seem to really care about the welfare of shrimps to be honest. I havent dropped it though iv took this up with customer services.

 
 
Maidenhead aquatics sell grown plants and are mostly grown in the uk,