Will the copper in fertilizer harm the shrimps?

[druxboyz]

I currently am using Plantex CSM+B for my traces. I believe there's .1% Cu in there. Is this enough to harm the shrimps if i dose properly?

[Rex Grigg]

As long as you dose properly and do regular water changes you will not have a problem.

[DebbyS]

Yesterday I asked just about this very question in a different, Aquarium-Connected forum but at last check, no replies. A search for "copper" in this Water Parameters forum got me the answer I needed. No needless paranoia for me! Thanks!

[mistergreen]

No worries, I think the shrimps do need a little trace copper to be healthy too like most living things... It's problematic when it's too much...
Aren't their blood cooper based? And Ours are iron based.

Although, I keep a low tech tank with the inverts in it where there's no dosing at all (except for a few cheats usually after a water change). The plants & the inverts are thriving.

[crazy loaches]

Ahh I see you posted over here too Debby - there is one response to your thread and the guy is saying that shrimps and fertilized planted aquariums are not compatable and eveyone he knows thats tried shrimp have all ended up with dead shrimp. I dont know much about shrimp, but sounds like a fear monger to me.

[DebbyS]

Hi, CL! I did note that in the Other Forum I got a number of responses. The variety was interesting, variety being the spice of life and all that. That forum and this one are the ones I visit most often.

I now think probably that trustworthy liquid fertilizer (a name brand product), administered properly/per directions, probably won't hurt shrimp. Copper-containing medicine probably does hurt them, but I have never used any of that and would try herbal remedies first anyhow.

Now my big decision is whether or not to get more shrimp. Maybe when monsoon season starts, it's cooler outside, and I feel like traveling on the city bus to the pet store I have room for more of those light-living beings... or maybe another small glow-light tetra since my last two are growing slowly ... or another pygmy cory ... decisions, decisions!

[rodgej3]

Hello,
I was using copper containing fertilizers for a couple months and my shrimps were not producing eggs. I stopped using them about 1-2 months ago and now I have eggs. I think the stress of added metals may not kill them in those small doses, however they are not perfectly healthy with it in the water. That is my experience anyway. I use flourish macro elements (NPK) and iron and that's it now.

[Arv]

Originally Posted by rodgej3

Hello,
I was using copper containing fertilizers for a couple months and my shrimps were not producing eggs. I stopped using them about 1-2 months ago and now I have eggs. I think the stress of added metals may not kill them in those small doses, however they are not perfectly healthy with it in the water. That is my experience anyway. I use flourish macro elements (NPK) and iron and that's it now.

In my case I had about a dozen of Amano shrimps. I lost a few at first when I used warm water from the tap (assuming the metals from the hot water tank which include copper did it) since then I conditioned water in a big tub. After that I never lost one until I switched to CSM+B from Flourish but at the same time I was increasing my CO2 to combat some algae. I was convinced that I would lose a shrimp the day after I dosed micros but like I said I increased CO2 also so I can't really be certain.