Re: Copper in food killing Amanno Shrimp?

[Chuck H <grendel at usit_net>]

Andrew wrote:

>The ingredient lists Copper Sulfate as a main ingredient. Copper is
>poisonous to invertebrates such as algae eating shrimp. There is always
>left over food that the shrimp eat. The shrimp seem to be disappearing.
>Is this a reasonable conclusion?


Are you finding actual corpses or are they just MIA?  They may just be 
hiding out doing what it is that shrimp do.  I have dozens in my tanks and 
rarely see more than a few here and there at any given time.  Regardless, 
I'm very doubtful that there is enough copper in the food to cause them 
harm.  I use OSI foods which also contain copper sulfate (I expect most 
foods do) and my shrimp eat plenty of it.  If you're certain that the 
shrimp are indeed dead or absent from the tank, then I'd suspect water 
quality, pathogen, or suddenly chubby fish before the food.
--
Chuck Huffine
Knoxville, Tennessee