Plant Warning

[Ps3Steveo]

Thanks Andy.

 

[Knighty]

Knew i should have read here first

Just cycling my tank which is looking close so thought i would start with the planting, i have bought a 100 plant/stem bundle from an eBay seller. They seem to have good feedback for their plants but starting to worry now as the are sourced from the far east.
Have i just wasted nearly £20 ? they arrived today and there is a good selection and all very healthy.

Whilst i'm here, what is the best method of securing plants down these days, read mixed things about thin lead strips.

http/www.ebay.co.uk/itm/100-Live-Tropical-Fish-Tank-Plants-Easy-Grow-Best-Ebay-/221047064266?pt=UK_Pet_Supplies_Fish&hash=item33776e86ca

 

[Ellieabbott4]

Wish I read this before I put a bunch of cabomba in my tank and nearly wiped out all my cherry shrimp. They started to literally climb out of the water! Lost about 50 but saved a lot. Went back to my lfs and they explained this to me after contacting their supplier. They didn't know about this either

 

[DrRob]

Worth knowing that they're still out there on the market. Thanks for that.

 

[aquarist_in_china]

I think I probably shop at the wholesale market your stuff comes from. It wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if pesticides were used wrongly or if the people using them didn't even know of the effects. when it's 35c and 95% humidity in the summer anything and everything will grow, from germs to weeds. They'll have a good old battle on their hands just growing what they intend to.

 

[j j m]

thanks for sharing info

 

[AtomicFish]

Oh my gosh this is new to me. How can a plant kill a fish? I just recently added a live plant to my tank from petco. Anubis congensis.

 

[Essjay]

The main problem is with insecticides and/or snail killing chemicals which kill invertebrates such as shrimps and snails. This is a problem in the EU as legislation was passed several years ago that all plants imported from places where apple snails are endemic must be treated with snail killers. This followed the discovery of one species of apple snail in a river in Spain, resulting in the import, breeding and spreading of all species of apple snail within the EU being banned, and the treatment of plants was to stop any apple snails sneaking in that way. The ban on apple snails has been lifted in the UK since we left the EU but anyone in the UK and EU who keeps invertebrates would be advised to buy plants from EU growers.


However, it is not unknown for well meaning store staff to use terrestrial insecticides/snail killers on their aquatic plants and while products made for aquarium use usually kill inverts and not fish, those products intended for garden use are likely to harm if not kill fish.

 

[seangee]

The main problem is with insecticides and/or snail killing chemicals which kill invertebrates such as shrimps and snails. This is a problem in the EU as legislation was passed several years ago that all plants imported from places where apple snails are endemic must be treated with snail killers. This followed the discovery of one species of apple snail in a river in Spain, resulting in the import, breeding and spreading of all species of apple snail within the EU being banned, and the treatment of plants was to stop any apple snails sneaking in that way. The ban on apple snails has been lifted in the UK since we left the EU but anyone in the UK and EU who keeps invertebrates would be advised to buy plants from EU growers.


However, it is not unknown for well meaning store staff to use terrestrial insecticides/snail killers on their aquatic plants and while products made for aquarium use usually kill inverts and not fish, those products intended for garden use are likely to harm if not kill fish.

It is for this reason that I buy tissue cultured plants wherever possible. Yes they cost a bit more, but safety and quality is guaranteed.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Is this still happening? This thread is ten years old. If it's still going on, then it's worth resurrecting it.

 

[Essjay]

The EU ban on Pomacea snails and the requirement for plants from areas where apple snails are endemic is still in place. At first, they were intending to ban the import of plants as well, but under pressure changed it to treating the plants with snail killer.


The UK has left the EU and the ban on snails has been lifted. But as someone who keeps both shrimps and snails, I wouldn't like to risk plants from the far east. Somehow, I can't see plant suppliers sending two lots of plants this way, one lot for mainland Europe and Eire which have been treated and another lot to the UK which haven't.
Better safe than sorry.



What I don't know is if the same far east plant suppliers send untreated plants to the Americas, Australia, New Zealand etc.
And there's the possibility of insecticides as well as snail killers. Many countries insist on plants being treated to stop the risk of importing undesirable insects.

 

[GaryE]

I tried to find the rules for Canada. For importations from countries other than the US, it is necessary to have phytosanitary documentation and pesticides can be used to get that. Which pesticides should be on the document, which we don't get access to from the importer....

So it would appear that the thread is still of value.