Bleach Dipping Plants

[prismsand]

I've heard you can bleach dip plants to get rid of algae. Does anyone know how to do that? And is there any risks involved to the fish when you put them back in the tank?

I'd hate to lose all my plants due to the Aqua Durt fiasco. I did buy a few new ones just feel clean and new.

Just for others knowledge aquariumplantscentral.com is a great place to buy plants. There isn't anyplace in Spokane that sells them except for Petsmart and they are junk.

 

[Cory]

I'm hoping Seattle_aquarist will chime in. But I believe you dip them in 1 part bleach 20 parts water. Leave them in a bucket for like 5 minutes, then move to a bucket with lots of dechlorinator.

 

[KaraWolf]

I don't recall what the proportions are but I know it depends on the plant type how long you can dip them before they start to die. There's at least one that can only stand like 3 min.

 

[pbmax]

Just for others knowledge aquariumplantscentral.com is a great place to buy plants. There isn't anyplace in Spokane that sells them except for Petsmart and they are junk.

There must be a lot of variation between petsmarts... the one near me has a pretty good selection of tissue culture plants. While they may be a bit pricey ($8 / package), they do very well in both emersed and submersed setups. Granted, if no one has been buying them for a while they can get kind of sad, but the quality of the plants I've purchased there lately have been fantastic.

 

[Seattle_Aquarist]

Hi prismsand,

There are several recommended treatments including dips in dilute hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), potassium permanganate, and mild (5%) bleach. All can have some positive effects, but some damage sensitive plants. I have not found any to be 100% effective; especially dealing with snail eggs.

Today I use the quarantine method. I purchase a plant and it goes into a quarantine tank or tray with moderate light above it and water mildly fertilized with a balanced general purpose fertilizer like Seachem Flourish Comprehensive. I also add 2 -3 drops of Seachem Cupramine per gallon of water in the aquarium or tray. The copper in the Cupramine kills the snails, but not the unhatched snail eggs. I continue the treatment for about 4 weeks depending on water temperature to insure all snail eggs have had sufficient time to hatch. If I am treating the water in a tray without filtration I change the water 1 - 2 times a week as needed to avoid surface scum and stale water. Rinse plants thoroughly after treatment to remove copper, avoid using plants treated this way in aquariums containing shrimp or other invertebrates. All of my tanks are Snail-Free.

Better yet, purchase plants from forum members that are snail-free to begin with!

Quarantine Bottle

 

[CrazedAce]

What kind of algae are you trying to get rid of? I remember doing a 1/20 bleach dip for 30sec with THOROUGHLY rinsing afterwards to kill hair algae in my 10gal. It is very time extensive and to be honest you should fix what is causing the algae in the first place, or you will be doing this all the time.

I am still struggling with that tank.

Another option is squirting hydrogen peroxide directly onto the plant without even having to move it. This would be more natural and less evil than bleach. Just make sure the tank has adequate aeration.

What type of setup is this algae coming from?