Who Gives A Fish Forums

I'm wondering if any plant can be toxic to shrimp - I just got three new ones from the aquarium store yesterday and they were already in a tank with snails and shrimp, so copper shouldn't be the issue. My shrimp's condition took a turn for the worse this evening, though. Here are the plants I got...

I've heard that in certain countries, imported plants can be treated with pesticides that are toxic to aquatic life. I'd recommend thoroughly rinsing your new plants under tap water, then soaking them in a separate bucket of water. Change the water in the bucket daily for a couple of weeks before introducing the plants to your tank.

If you've already added the plants and your shrimp are struggling, consider doing a 75% water change and gravel cleaning the substrate daily for the next two weeks. Ensure any new water you add is free of chlorine and chloramines.

Adding some carbon to your filter can help, and be sure to replace it after a week. It's a good idea to keep carbon in the filter for a couple of weeks to be safe.

Thanks for the advice, I appreciate it.
So, just to clarify, does all this still apply even though I bought the plants from an aquarium shop where they were already in a big tank with shrimp and snails?

I'm with @coltin on this one. That pesticide treatment is a strong possibility, even if the plants were already in a tank at the aquarium shop.

Yes it does. EU-grown plants shouldn't be treated, the pesticide law only applies to non-EU plants. I've got shrimps and snails, so I usually buy online from sellers who guarantee shrimp-safe plants.

I'm devastated, I think it's too late for my shrimp. I've been researching and it looks like the symptoms match poisoning. We had two plants from the tank with snails and shrimp, and one from the plants-only section, so I'm guessing that's the culprit. We followed our usual routine, rinsing and treating the new plants, but I guess it wasn't enough this time. The thought of having to give up on keeping shrimp in my tank is heartbreaking, especially since the plant has been in for 48 hours already. I'm worried it's too late to save the water quality, and I'm not sure what to do next.

Sorry to hear about your shrimp, it's heartbreaking when we lose our pets, especially when it's preventable.

Thanks @oldraider, I'm really beating myself up over this, feeling pretty guilty. I'm thinking of doing a partial water change now, just to try and minimize the damage for my fish at least.

Don't beat yourself up over this, you were just trying to create a great environment for your fish and shrimp. You didn't know about the pesticides, and it's not like you intentionally put your shrimp in harm's way. I've got a 30-gallon planted tank with ghost shrimp, and I can tell you that they're super sensitive to water conditions. I actually chose ghost shrimp for my first time keeping shrimp because they're affordable and I wasn't sure how things would go. I lost a few after being told my other fish would leave them alone, but I learned from the experience and moved forward.

I would take the plant out, just in case, and do a big water change. Vacuum the gravel too, can't be too careful.