Haaaaalp! Toxic plants?

[Aquatic_Adam]

I have a 1 gallon shrimp bowl. It's open top and I had a plant grow massively out of it. I've had this bowl running for months now with no problems and the RCS inside were reproducing. Two days ago I clipped the plant because it was too big in my room. The next day the water smelled, all my shrimp were dead and the water was cloudy to boot! Did this plant have a defense mechanism against being trimmed?

 

[severum mama]

Can you tell us what plant it is? If not, can you post a photo so we can see it and hopefully give you an ID?

 

[Aquatic_Adam]

Unfortunately I cannot take a picture but the plant resembles star grass although I know it's not.

 

[Aquatic_Adam]

Also looks like gayii.

 

[aqua_chem]

Probably not. Most stem plants reproduce by breaking off of the main bush and drifting away to reestablish somewhere else.

 

[aquaponicpaw]

I'm gonna take a guess and say that the only likelihood of the plant directly poisoning the fish is If it produces some type of sap. It would seem like most other plants would be fine.

From personal experience: I have a Pothos plant (poisonous to Mammals) in My tank and whenever a leaf dies, Snails, Shrimp and Fish mow down on it. My guess would be that maybe the plant starved the water of oxygen in an effort to repair itself.

Sorry to hear about your loss. And It's definitely information for me to hang on to as I often ponder doing Shrimp in smaller containers.

 

[Aquatic_Adam]

Oh don't think that shrimp in a small bowl is a bad idea! Perhaps next time I shouldn't mow a plant down as much! The RCS loved it in the bowl.