[Tribabe2009]

I just received some new plants and wanted to get an idea, of what everyone uses to rinse them before adding them to your tank. I have seen comments on several different methods, from a weak bleach solution, to soaking in Prime for an hour. Here is what I received:

- Golfball sized portion of mixed moss (good sized portion - Java and Peacock)
- 1 x Crypt wendtii tropica (med. sized)
- 5 x Bacopa monnieri
- 4 x Water Wisteria (large stems)
- 2 x Windelov Java Fern (over 6 leaves per plant)
- 5 x Dwarf Water Lettuce

Thanks....

 

[Nordic]

I have some new plants I got from an LFS with ich in a few of their fish tanks.
Not taking chances, going to hit them with potassium permanganate today.
it was like 50 US cents from the pharmacy for 13 grams (lifetime supply).

 

[Seattle_Aquarist]

Hi Tribabe2009,

All of my tanks are snail free and have been for several years. I tried various 'dips' such as potassium permanganate, alum, bleach, and Excel and although some would kill living snails invariably viable snail eggs would survive and I would have snails. Many times the treatment would damage the plants beyond recovery.

Now I quarantine all plants for at least 30 days until I am sure that there are no snails. To be safe I add a few drops of Seachem Cupramine to the 1.5 liter quarantine container to kill any live snails or eggs that may hatch. Seachem Cupramine is a copper treatment so if I had shrimp I would be careful to rinse thoroughly and soak any plants treated with Cupramine before adding them to a shrimp tank.

 

[Tribabe2009]

Hello Roy,

Sounds good.. Would QT'ing them in a bucket of tank water with an air stone work? I do not have a QT tank up-and running at the moment..

Thanks..

 

[AWolf]

I only soak new plants over night in tap water. There is some chlorine in my tap water, I can smell it. But after reading other posts, I wonder if I am taking too many chances. I use a diatom filter a couple times a month, so that helps, and I have a UV sterilizer on one tank. I could just move the sterilizer around to all of my tanks, so I don't have to buy more than one. 1 day here, 1 day there....

 

[Seattle_Aquarist]

Hello Roy,

Sounds good.. Would QT'ing them in a bucket of tank water with an air stone work? I do not have a QT tank up-and running at the moment..

Thanks..

Hi Tribabe2009,

You will need a light source if you use a quarantine method; a 2-3 week period (or more) with no light typically will result in dead plants.

I have a set-up in my garage where I grow some species emersed for future 'scapes and I do my quarantine plants like this - I use a 2X40 watt (48") shop light as the light source.

Plant in Quarantine; water dosed with Seachem Cupramine

 

[JJ09]

I spray with mild bleach solution and let sit for twenty minutes, then rinse in tapwater, then rinse again in water w/lots of extra dechlor.

 

[roadmaster]

I spray plant's with peroxide /water solution 50/50 % and rinse with tapwater .
Got gob's of snail's that travel through the fist few centimeter's of my substrates and that which they eat,they also excrete back into the substrate where it becomes plant food.
I do not mind the snails but understand other's disdain for them.
I mostly spray and rinse the plant's to knock off the majority of the snail's and their egg's and to rinse any chemical residue from the plant's that may have been used to keep insect's from damaging them at grow out nurseries where they are growing emmersed.(sp)

 

[Nordic]

Lol, I was laughing at a MTS this morning. it seems to poop right next to its head.