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Discusdude7
05-09-2014, 08:57 PM
Got 2 amazon swords at a lfs today and I wanna put them in pots in my 120 barebottom tank, my question is how should I go about cleaning them? Just rinsing under tap? Bleach? If bleach...then what dosage in a seperate container?
Thanks

RodneyL001
05-09-2014, 11:01 PM
with some of my amazon's I did a 10 to 1 with bleach, it did cause some stress to the plants, they turned a little brown but seem to have recovered from the initial shock. I must admit I don't always treat, I did with one plant because I did see one small snail on the plant before I bought it.

Discusdude7
05-09-2014, 11:35 PM
with some of my amazon's I did a 10 to 1 with bleach, it did cause some stress to the plants, they turned a little brown but seem to have recovered from the initial shock. I must admit I don't always treat, I did with one plant because I did see one small snail on the plant before I bought it.

How long do you let it soak?

Siddhartha Saive
05-10-2014, 01:28 AM
I advise not to use any chemicals

Sent from my Micromax A110 using Tapatalk

pcsb23
05-10-2014, 04:34 AM
I advise not to use any chemicals
I agree :)

They will just cause stress to the plants and open the door for algae. All I do is rinse them carefully and thoroughly under running water these days.

RodneyL001
05-10-2014, 07:56 AM
of course their are varying opinions on this one, you will get some who advise to soak, I let mine soak about 10 seconds, of course if you get your plants from a source you have complete confidence in, then it won't be an issue.

Discusdude7
05-10-2014, 10:25 AM
I agree :)

They will just cause stress to the plants and open the door for algae. All I do is rinse them carefully and thoroughly under running water these days.

Paul,
I wasn't worried so much about snails but more about something from the lfs (bacteria?) that gets into the tank and makes my fish sick. Do you think this will happen even if I don't bleach dip them?

pcsb23
05-10-2014, 10:45 AM
Paul,
I wasn't worried so much about snails but more about something from the lfs (bacteria?) that gets into the tank and makes my fish sick. Do you think this will happen even if I don't bleach dip them?
I think we need to be pragmatic :)

The problem with dipping plants in harsh chemicals is the plants themselves are harmed, this then means the bioload in the tank increases as the bits of damaged plant decomposes, which robs the water of O2, which lowers the redox and water quality. It can also cause ammonia and nitrites to form due to the decomposing matter. Algae can take hold, further setting the plants back, and so the cycle goes on ...

I'm more concerned about maintaining water quality, this helps to ensure the well being of the fish. Bacteria is ever present, there is nothing (in practical terms) that we can do about it either, what we can do though is ensure the fish have the best possible environment so their immune systems deal with any pathogens.

Discusdude7
05-10-2014, 11:06 AM
I think we need to be pragmatic :)

The problem with dipping plants in harsh chemicals is the plants themselves are harmed, this then means the bioload in the tank increases as the bits of damaged plant decomposes, which robs the water of O2, which lowers the redox and water quality. It can also cause ammonia and nitrites to form due to the decomposing matter. Algae can take hold, further setting the plants back, and so the cycle goes on ...

I'm more concerned about maintaining water quality, this helps to ensure the well being of the fish. Bacteria is ever present, there is nothing (in practical terms) that we can do about it either, what we can do though is ensure the fish have the best possible environment so their immune systems deal with any pathogens.

Thanks Paul, so a through rinse in tap water is fine ?

pcsb23
05-10-2014, 11:14 AM
Well it is what I have been doing for the many years now. I use a mixer tap so the water is tepid (you will last longer that way - believe me!). With broad leave plants like swords it's easy, even then you need to be careful with them. It also allows the opportunity to remove any old or dead/dying leaves. With the smaller stuff it gets trickier, but I've managed to rinse HC without too much issue. Like everything with discus it just takes a bit of patience :)

quattrok04
05-10-2014, 11:53 AM
Hey how about hydrogen peroxide, I used it before to get rit of some alge on a few leaf and it work like magic!!

Discusdude7
05-16-2014, 03:46 PM
Well it is what I have been doing for the many years now. I use a mixer tap so the water is tepid (you will last longer that way - believe me!). With broad leave plants like swords it's easy, even then you need to be careful with them. It also allows the opportunity to remove any old or dead/dying leaves. With the smaller stuff it gets trickier, but I've managed to rinse HC without too much issue. Like everything with discus it just takes a bit of patience :)

Paul, I am suspecting the plants to have snails. Should I do a bleach dip or is rinsing the plants enough?

Discusdude7
05-16-2014, 06:15 PM
Will excel kill snail eggs

wild-blue-discus
05-17-2014, 03:42 AM
Hey there
have you tried taking a sponge soaked with API's Leaf zone or seachem's excel and gently wiping them down leaving for about 5min then rinsing or just refilling tank?
It works a treat on Anubis and other slow growing plants that often get an algae build u p on the leaves, without having to resort to bleach (which i used to be guilty of doing)

pcsb23
05-19-2014, 06:07 AM
Paul, I am suspecting the plants to have snails. Should I do a bleach dip or is rinsing the plants enough?Bleach will damage the plants and will allow algae to take hold. If you must dip for snail use a chelated copper treatment like cuprazin and then rinse carefully as any copper is toxic to shrimp etc ...


Will excel kill snail eggs
Don't know, sorry.

ClayT101
05-19-2014, 11:56 AM
For snails, use an Alum dip. You can find instructions all over the internet. Once you get snails in your aquarium, you will not get rid of them.

musicmarn1
06-12-2014, 02:56 AM
My plant supplier does a pp dip and his plants are amazing but I'd never do bleach no matter what

Discusdude7
06-12-2014, 10:44 AM
My plant supplier does a pp dip and his plants are amazing but I'd never do bleach no matter what

Marnie,
Who is your plant supplier?

brewmaster15
06-12-2014, 03:42 PM
API makes a product (or they did) called Clout.
(Clout contains:TRICHLORFON (Dylox), Malachite Green, Metronidazole)

It makes a very good bath for new plants,IME. When ever I had plants I would always use this product as a 24 hour bath...It usually gets rid of snails, accidental protozoans, and pretty much all else. I have used this on many plant species and never had an issue.. it definetly is safe for something hardy like swords.

hth,
al

Discusdude7
06-12-2014, 03:44 PM
API makes a product (or they did) called Clout.
(Clout contains:TRICHLORFON (Dylox), Malachite Green, Metronidazole)

It makes a very good bath for new plants,IME. When ever I had plants I would always use this product as a 24 hour bath...It usually gets rid of snails, accidental protozoans, and pretty much all else. I have used this on many plant species and never had an issue.. it definetly is safe for something hardy like swords.

hth,
al

Thanks Al, did you buy it online ?

brewmaster15
06-12-2014, 03:50 PM
You can sometimes find it in LFS, but I usually bought it at Jehmco.com

-al

dghby
06-23-2014, 04:03 PM
Hi DiscusDude, a little late but I use Alum powder (found in the spice aisle of grocery store) I use 2-3 tablespoons per gal of water ( I normally fill a 5 gl bucket about 2/3rds full) and put the new plants in as soon as they get to the house. I use room temp water.
let them soak for about 3 hours this kills snails and their eggs.

while I have heard it isn't necessary I still rinse them well in fresh water before putting them in the tank.

I have never had issues using this and who I got the info from has done it for years with no issues.

DISCUS STU
07-31-2014, 11:58 AM
Amazon Swords seem to be the plant of choice for Discus tanks running at higher temps., I do the same thing for all my tanks. I personally like the Radican Sword the most. I usually just run them and the roots under lukewarm tap water and try to inspect for any snails or anything else.

In the past, though I haven't done this in a long time, I've put them into buckets with a weak solution of chelated copper sulfate for a few days. Copper is death to snails. Haven't had to do this in a long time. I had one outbreak in a breeding tank, no plants, and took care of it with copper sulfate but it pays to be careful with it.