Cleaning New Plants

I wanted some extra cover for my betta while his other plants finish growing in, so I went to the specialty shop and got some floating plants. I was planning on getting duckweed, hornwort, or salvinia minima. The guy that was helping me said they were definitely out of the duckweed and hornwort, but had some "salvinia something or other", the tank they were in looked pretty clean - no fish or snails that I could see, just plants. Brought it home and was about to just toss it in the tank straight from the container when I remembered all of the stories I've heard about people getting pests from their new plants. All of the plants currently in my tank came from tubes, so I just rinsed them off with tank water and planted them. I've read a few suggestions about using bleach (sounds kinda dicey), pottasium permanganate (would need to buy some), or just rinsing them with tank water and adding them in. Not sure which way is best, so figured I'd ask which methods work best for you guys?

 

I go the potasium permanganate route. You should be able to pick some up at your local chemists ( I think you call them drug stores in America ) it should be fairly cheap and a little goes a long way. I add 1 tablet to a liter of water and dip the plants in for 2-5 mins. Remember to rinse well afterwards

 

I've done a bleach dip on all my plants without any issues. Just 20:1 solution of water and bleach. I move them around couple times or push them back under during a 3min dip. Then I follow with a 5min dechlor dip with a squirt of dechlor in water.

I haven't had any issues with pest or rogue algae.

I've tried peroxide a coupe times with err... less effective results and got a odd type of string algae development on the new plants that I had never seen in my tanks before.

I have potassium permanganate, but have never used it because I don't know how to dose it. It came with all the equipment when I bought my 29gal for my birthday.


You can try a pharmacy/drug store. I don't know what luck you'll have, though you'd be able to get it in small quantity.

If those don't check out you can get it at most hardware stores as iron filter cleaner, usually sold under then brand filter-mate. You'd be buying it in bulk this way and it is not cheap @ $30/bottle.

 

I use Alum from the spice isle. Gallon of water 3 tablespoons Alum. Soak them overnight. Rinse and plant, no snails yet.

 

Used the potassium permanganate, seemed to work well. They've only been in for an hour, but they look pretty good! Thank you for all the advice!