Sticky Proposal: De-contaminating New Plants

[JakeH]

"I got a new _______ plant. How do I clean/disinfect it before going in my tank with expensive/rare/whatever fish?"

There is plenty of info on this subject scattered thru this forum, from all kinds of sources, but what is reliably considered the "current best method" by the Moderators & others who are considered experts? I think this should be a locked sticky so we dont get 1200 different answers to one question. Maybe another sticky for user-submitted methods & opinions? What do you think?

 

[HarleyK]

Howdy,

I think that's a great idea. You mentioned that "There is plenty of info on this subject scattered thru this forum, from all kinds of sources". How about you start the project and accumulate that info in this thread. We will go thru and comment accordingly. Once the material approaches completion we can sticky it.

I simply use a quarantine tank.

HarleyK

 

[JakeH]

I'll see what I can get started.

 

[velanarris]

Potassium permaganate dip is the most effective way as it will also kill flagellites and inverts that tag along with your plants.

 

[Pharaoh]

I was just thinking this the other day, I just hadn't gotten around to searching before posting.

I have also heard of a bleach dip for plants, but I am not even remotely aware of the procedure for this.

 

[velanarris]

1:20 bleach:water dip and dry, clean with RO/DI, put it in a quarantine tank or bucket with old tank water for 24 hours, plant and serve. This method works to kill all the non-cysting parasites and invertebrates. Parasites like Heximata and Ich can survive this treatment.

Any other methods people are interested in?

 

[borderraider]

eagerly waiting this one... bought new plants a good few months ago all seemed well 'til i saw this bug thing sitting with his friends. turns out to have been dragon fly larvae and im glad that i didnt have any fish at the time! only found out what it was when one of the little s**ts hatched and died on the surface of the water

 

[velanarris]

eagerly waiting this one... bought new plants a good few months ago all seemed well 'til i saw this bug thing sitting with his friends. turns out to have been dragon fly larvae and im glad that i didnt have any fish at the time! only found out what it was when one of the little s**ts hatched and died on the surface of the water

You can just buy a betta, they absolutely LOVE insect larvae.

 

[borderraider]

I just put everything that was in the tank in a bucket and then caught the little b******S in a shot glass and launched them into my pond

 

[wolfsburgfanatic]

Potassium permaganate dip is the most effective way as it will also kill flagellites and inverts that tag along with your plants.

Yup, just read about that a couple months ago (in TFH I think??). Planning on giving it a try when I plant my growout.