# Ridding plant of unwanted pests/bacteria prior to introducing into fish tank?



## Spud (Jul 24, 2010)

How should I treat the plant I buy at the Aquarium store prior to adding it to my goldfish tank?

I had Ick problem about 1 month ago and don't whether it was introduced by a plant I added to the tank or new fish or something else. So this time around I want to make dam sure that any plant I add will be pathogen/virus/bacteria/pest free (as free as can be).

I did read some where about giving a potassium permanganate bath so some such. Anyone know what I am talking about?


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## James0816 (Jun 19, 2009)

You can do bleach or PP dips. PP is harder to come by than bleach. And bleach can be hard on plants. If you use bleach, do so at a 20:1 ratio and don't expose the roots to the dip. Couple of minutes and rinse very well, then soak in a good dechlorinator like Prime for several minutes. I've never used PP so I can't comment on it.


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## jrman83 (Jul 9, 2010)

Some say that the ich protazoa exists in all tanks. Whether or not your fish is infected with it has to do with your tank and your fish's immunity system.


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## Spud (Jul 24, 2010)

James0816 said:


> You can do bleach or PP dips. PP is harder to come by than bleach. And bleach can be hard on plants. If you use bleach, do so at a 20:1 ratio and don't expose the roots to the dip. Couple of minutes and rinse very well, then soak in a good dechlorinator like Prime for several minutes. I've never used PP so I can't comment on it.


Could you explain further about soaking it in PRIME? Do I fill up a bowl with pure PRIME and soak the plant or do I need to add only a few drops of Prime to a bowl of water and then soak the plant in it?

Is a PP dip a better, i.e. more effective or safer option for plants? Can the roots also be immersed in PP ?


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## snail (Aug 6, 2010)

I think thet best thing is to quarantine plants but not every one has the setup for it.


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## James0816 (Jun 19, 2009)

Spud said:


> Could you explain further about soaking it in PRIME? Do I fill up a bowl with pure PRIME and soak the plant or do I need to add only a few drops of Prime to a bowl of water and then soak the plant in it?
> 
> Is a PP dip a better, i.e. more effective or safer option for plants? Can the roots also be immersed in PP ?


As mentioned, I don't have any experience using PP. Sry can't help any further than that.

As for the Prime, you can just use a few drops for the container you use. For example, the directions say to use 2 drops per gallon. I always use much higher when I clean things with bleach.


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