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It was a toss up where to place this topic either here or plants as both are involved.

After doing all the research on plants and diseases I have discovered it must be imported into the tank either by water, fish or plants. As well as poor tank house keeping.

I am about to add a lot of plants to my 11g Betta tank. I know that they will be coming from three different areas and many tanks. It is extremly possible and a very good chance I could import a nastie.

I have read some pretty heavy methods of prevention one involving a chemical soaking for three days and this will remove most eggs but not bacteria.

What I was thinking as the plants arrived I would wash and soak them in clean heated airated water overnight or 24hrs.

Float them in the tank with plenty of water movement.
Add a good Parasite killer and a good bacteria medication.
All at the recommended dosage.

This "should" remove all the nasties.

Then do all the planting

About two weeks later I would add some of the fish and a week later add the remainder if I can get exactly what I require.


Keith

Near enough is not good enough, therefore good enough is not near enough, and only your best will do.
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Keith,

I personally think you're over cautious, yes. I am under cautious, I just put new plants in the tank (after trimming, if necessary) and wait to see what surprises I get with them. I guess the best thing to do is somewhere in the middle. If I could be bothered, I would just wash them in running water and perhaps dip them in bleach solution for a couple of minutes if I suspected they would carry algae with them. However, I think that in a well balanced tank where water quality is good, which I trust your tank to be, new plants cannot really pose a threat.

Certainly the most interesting thing I got with new plants were freshwater hydras. It was only after the plant was in the tank for a few days I noticed something which I thought was short thread algae, but a closer look revealed that it wasn't the case. I was fascinated for about a week, until they've disappeared. I also got the usual suspects such as snails and limpets, but they never multiply to infest the tank and lately my shrimps have developed a taste for escargot, so they're just munching on the snails, even the ones I actually want in there...

As for bacteria, I don't know if I got any with the plants. What I do know that I've not had a sick fish for quite some time although I've added many new plants since the last sick fish.

There's nothing stopping you going through that process you've outlined if you want to be on the safest side possible, but yeah, I think you're being over cautious.

I do a realatively easy method that has worked well for me. I do a double dip method. I dip them in a 10% bleach solution for 2 minutes. Then rinse them good in tap water. Then put them in a QT tank for a few days. After a few days, I do a SW dip, with a SW solution of about the same as normal SW tank (I actually take water out of my SW tank). I leave them in there for about 5 minutes. The bleach, for the short period of time, seems to have no effect on the plants. I never have any leaf loss or damge. But, the SW, I always have some leaf loss in a few days. Both dips, produce a plethora of critters and such, mostly snails, on the bottom of the bucket. After doing these methods, I have never had any problems with snails or parasites in my planted tanks.

HTH...

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There is always a bigger fish...

No Keith I don't think you are being over cautious...I've managed to bring home not just snails, but those leeches, that had to come from somewhere, maybe it was the plants? Marc has a good plan up there, and I sent you a couple of ideas on email finally found where it went to

Good luck, noone wants nasties in their tanksor at least I know I don'theidi

"I've got a great ambition to die of exhaustion rather than boredom." Thomas Carlyle

ACIDRAIN & Heidi

I would rather spend the time before hand as this it the easy part. As I dont have a SW system could I use a cooking Sea Salt? If so at what strentgh Tea Spoon per G or Lt.

Keith

Near enough is not good enough, therefore good enough is not near enough, and only your best will do.
I VOTE DO YOU if not WHY NOT?
VOTE NOW VOTE NOW

I don't know what the exact measurement would be, as I us a very large scooper for me salt when changing the SW in the SW tanks. My best guess would be 1 1/2+ cups per gallon. Now this is best guess. I don't think it will hurt any to do 2 cups. You will only be leaving them in for about 5 minutes. Not sure what cooking salt is exactly, but IMO, salt is salt. Unless the cooking salt has some kind of addatives in it. At one time (when I could get it locally) I used to be able to get Morton table salt by the 50 pound bags. I used this for my SW tanks water changes, with no ill effects, other than I had to add some stuff to the water. As your salt in the big buckets at your lfs already has the trace elements and such in it.

HTH....

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There is always a bigger fish...

I've read before about giving them a bath for a few minutes in a 10% bleach solution, then rinsing very well in tap water, rubbibg the leaves or what not. After that they put them in a soaking tub (quarantine tank) for a few days. I think it was a way to kill algae and get rid of snails and bugs n stuff, and the bleach for just a few minutes wouldn't hurt the plants at all. Some, if I recall correctly, even said it helped them grow better. ??? Anyways, I don't think, with all the work you put into your tanks, with your fish, the investment you've made etc. that over-cautious is a bad thing. I think its just good planning to do something. good luck and let us know how it works out

I can't say you're being overcautious, just concerned about what gets into your tank.. Can't blame ya.

I ended up with ramshorns in one tank, and ramshorns and ponds in the other.. Having shrimp and MTS in both, I can't copper or 'med' the tanks to get rid of them.. So I'll have a pause in my tank upgrades while I do a 3 day alum treatment soak on all the plants.. If there are snails/eggs in my filter though, it's all for naught..

Better to treat anything going in beforehand,
saves alot of trouble and work

The Amazon Nut...

Keith, I would treat the plants but watch out for the meds if you have the betta in the tank. I know you said you were going to add the fish later but parasite and bacteria meds to a betta after being in clear water could be a shock for the fish (sort of a double whammy) if he isn't sick. I would do a lot of water changes before adding the fish. Another idea would be to add the meds to the plants in a bucket of clear water to soak for a couple of days.

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