# wild plants



## anrich (Jun 17, 2010)

aquarium plants are quite unavalable and expensive in south africa...
So... I am planing to resort to wild plants. the problem is unwanted pathogens, bugs, ect.
From experience with other non aquatic plants, a Potassium permanganate solution or a vary weak perioxide solution could work...
Any Ideas???


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## Newt (Apr 1, 2004)

Potassium permangate solution will work.


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## WhiteDevil (May 7, 2009)

PP will work perfectly.


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Mar 7, 2008)

Hi anrich,

I have also used a weak bleach solution (5.0%) for 1 - 5 minutes followed by a thorough rinse and soak in water treated with declorinator. Plants with tough leaves get longer treatment, plants with soft leaves get shorter treatment.


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## anrich (Jun 17, 2010)

thanks guys... How long do you think i need to Quarantine the plants before intro, or before i could see unkilled buggers
Sweet!


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## Newt (Apr 1, 2004)

If you choose PP then also use dechlor compound. It neutralizes any leftover chemical.


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## Thierry26 (Jan 30, 2010)

Prepare a bath for plants with 9.5 liter of water and a 0.5 liter of bleach. The bath should not last more than a minute. Rinse thoroughly with clear water the plants at the end of treatment.


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## HeyPK (Jan 23, 2004)

Most aquatic plants, even mosses, can recover from 2 minutes in the 5% bleach. This kills most varieties of hair algae, hydras, etc. It is important to have a good environment already set up for the treated plant to recover in. Treated plants will not last long if they are kept in the dark afterward. Some aquatics, such as Cryptocorynes, Anubias, sword plants, can survive up to four minutes of treatment, which can kill even the toughest of the hair algae, such as Cladophora.


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## anrich (Jun 17, 2010)

Thanks!. I am going to this woodland spot with iron rich lakes tomorrow , in search of wild plants and the perfect free, el natural substrate...
I feels a bit like some darwin mission, but is bound to bear endless riches for my nano "tiger barb" tank.
I really appreciate the response!!!!!!!!


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## Noto (Oct 26, 2009)

You're just murdering barb food. All the little bugs and creepy-crawlies that come standard with wild-collected plants are delicious mobile snacks for any small fish.

I would carefully pick through the plants for any big predatory critters- dragonfly nymphs, large hemipterans and beetles, leaches- and put the rest in the tank. The possibility of introducing fish pathogens is virtually nil, with one important exception: snails are hosts for certain parasites that also infect fish. If the pond has no fish, then there are probably no parasites in the snails. Otherwise, be careful to remove all snails.

I would also suggest you use terrestrial soil for your substrate. Aquatic soils tend to have funky anoxic muck just a little below the surface.


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## anrich (Jun 17, 2010)

sweet!!!
I am quite busy with tiny grass-like plants, which i found grows naturally as a sort of creeping floor cover...
I have no experience with this type of plants... 
so...
Any ideas????
Thanks..


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