# How do you clean new plants?



## Melissa3

I've been looking all over this site but I can't seem to find the article or post that covered how to clean live plants before you put them into your tank. 

I once bought plants and put them in my tank without thinking. Before I knew it, I had a snail infestation. :rant: I'd like to avoid future infestations of any kind. Does anybody have any suggestions on how to safely "disinfect" your plants?

Thanks, 

Melissa


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## GlitcH

Hey Neighbor!

I just wash them with warm tap water.


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## freydo

for me i fill up a bucket of water and dump the plants in there. i know i'm fooling myself, but i figure whatever chlorine is in the water will shock any nasty things into submission. so far i haven't been surprised by anything.

i usually let them sit in there for a few hours or days with a PC lamp until i'm ready to plant them. i'll generally change the water once or twice, depending on how cold it gets.


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## eklikewhoa

I just rinse it under the tap


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## meredymae

Snails aren't too bad so long as you don't mind them crawling around. The ones that will sneak in on your plants won't hurt them. Just don't buy those big "apple" ones at the store.

I actually really like "malaysian trumpet" snails because they turn over your substrate from digging around in it. It keeps it from going anaerobic and helps you keep the blue-green "algae" (cyanobacteria) from popping up along the edges of a long-running tank.

Anyway, my opinions.

I still run my new plants under lukewarm tap because of other annoying things like planaria. I also pick over new plants for signs of algae, especially the long green threads (cladophora) or the black beardy stuff.

When I first went to real plants, I kinda freaked about all the potential little "ickies," but I realized over time that all that stuff is part of the ecosystem and helps keep a balanced, natural aquarium. My fish haven't had any disease issues since I started with plants.

Good luck.


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## Melissa3

Haha I have cured the snail problem by buying a clown loach. He shucks em fast, too fast. Every now and then I ask my LFS for some snails just so I can feed my loach!!! =) 

I was just nervous about ICH that may have settled on the leaves (In another post, I asked how to safely get rid of ICH with snails and shrimp in the tank) or anything else that may have a negative effect on my tank. 

PS: sorry if I sound paranoid, I'm still learning =)


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## trenac

Aquarium plants has a list of dips/baths to get rid of algae and snails... http://www.aquariaplants.com/plantdipsbaths.htm


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## Sidi

_I was just nervous about ICH that may have settled on the leaves (In another post, I asked how to safely get rid of ICH with snails and shrimp in the tank) or anything else that may have a negative effect on my tank.

PS: sorry if I sound paranoid, I'm still learning =)_

There's nothing paranoid about worrying about ich. You can my the healthiest fish from the store, and have a huge outbreak of ich in your tank that will kill your favorite fish. That isn't just "lightning may hit you" odds, it's "you'll be in a car accident sometime during your lifetime" odds.

Plus, you have to tailor the treatment to your tank. Salt...will kill some fish almost instantly. Heat...will kill some fish almost instantly. Tank meds...well, you get the picture. Figuring out an ich cure, because you didn't have a quarantine tank, can be absolutely awful.


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## Sidi

*Melissa3* I have to say it, and I'm sorry, but you picked a poor solution (if you don't have a home for the loach). I checked and the 29g is small for a single clown loach. And it would be better to have several together. I'm not condemning you, because I have a clown loach in a 55g that I desperately want to find friends for in the tank I'm just about to set up for my tinfoil barbs.

Once it's done eating your infestation please be ready to look for new homes, or set up a big tank for the loach. And this is coming from someone who feels dirty about tank size.


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## furballi

Add potassium permanganate to achieve a light pink solution. Soak the plant for about one minute. 

I prefer a 20 seconds diluted bleach (20:1) bath. Immediately rinse with tap water after treatment. There is no need to dip the roots in this solution. This should eliminate most algae on the plant.


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## Melissa3

Sidi said:


> *Melissa3* I have to say it, and I'm sorry, but you picked a poor solution (if you don't have a home for the loach). I checked and the 29g is small for a single clown loach. And it would be better to have several together. I'm not condemning you, because I have a clown loach in a 55g that I desperately want to find friends for in the tank I'm just about to set up for my tinfoil barbs.
> 
> Once it's done eating your infestation please be ready to look for new homes, or set up a big tank for the loach. And this is coming from someone who feels dirty about tank size.


I definitely agree with you, keeping fish in a tank too small irritates me almost as much as caging a bird. (I really hate birds in cages. Its so unfair!) I bought the pair when they were tiny and (same as you) I planned on putting them in the 55 I have, when I get it running. I do know they get big, I've seen one on the internet that was over 10in!!!!!

Also, I lost his buddy to "wasting away" disease. I can't find much info about this on the internet. Do you know what it is? I've been leery about buying more loaches because of this.

BTW, Thanks to everyone for the tips!!


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## tommyr

I just soak mine in about a gallon of water with a few teaspoons of Alum in it. Kills snails nearly instantly and eggs in a few days....

Tom


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## Robert Hudson

http://www.aquabotanic.com/disinfect.htm


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