Plants and Hydras

[pegasus]

On another forum I post a tread selling my fish and at the same time advertising our super auction. The first reply came from a women stating that she had bought plants at our last year auction. She continued by cautioning the readers to quarantine the plants since hers and her friends where full of hydras and she lost $400 of fish.

I had 2 replies. First you get hydras occasionally from LFS and from private sales also. I continued by suggesting that plants didn't need quarantine but a bath at 36C for about 6 hours.

What is your opinion ( I never had plants). Did you ever have any hydras from our auctions or from a LFS? Did you have problem getting rid of them? Did you loose fish? Etc.

[BigDaddy]

I can't say I've experienced any issues with anything from the auctions.

HOWEVER:

Plants are living organisms as well.  If your prepared to quarantine fish, why not quarantine plants?

Snail infestations, toxins (I'm thinking of wisteria), algae... all good reasons for quarantine.

Potassium Permangenate or a  bleach dip.... probably a good idea.

[dpatte]

its always wise to protect yourself, but i know of no one tthat got hydra from anyone at OVAS.

i hope she doesnt think is club policy

[Julie]

What ratio of bleach to water in the disinfectant?


tx,
Julie

[BigDaddy]

10:1 water to bleach ratio.

Dip based on how fragile the plant is.  30 seconds for delicate plants, up to 4 mins for hardy plants.

[Julie]

Thank you.
Can't say I've ever had a problem with plants from anywhere.

Julie

[NjOyRiD]

whats that Bid daddy?: toxins (I'm thinking of wisteria)

[gvv]

Please tell me, how (even if hydra appearedwith plants that were sold on the auction, that I'm doubt) hydra can cause a damage to grown up fish?
The last thing I've heard was that hydra can hunt on small fry (it is about 1cm long itself). I never heard or read about damage to grown-up fish, but only know that it can be possible to get hydra from outdoor water ponds, etc with plants and live food.
Nevertheless, if you managed to find it in your tank you should remove all fry from this tank, as it could attack fry of about it's own size and add chemicals,or 2-spot gourami, which is the only one fish (as I know) will hunt them down. You could use H2O2 (beware, some plants can be damaged with it),  (NH4)2SO4 or NH4NO3 - thes are what I know. I dont remember the percentage, but I could find it.

Regards

[BigDaddy]

whats that Bid daddy?: toxins (I'm thinking of wisteria)

As a natural defense mechanism, wisteria is rumoured to release a toxin to keep other plants at bay.

I've read that it is recommended to soak new wisteria plants in non-aquarium water for a while before introducing it into the tank.

[dannypd]

I've noticed ALL my hydra in my brackish tank (now 1.008) disapeer by the recent additions of some cichlids from pegasus.

[NjOyRiD]

whats that Bid daddy?: toxins (I'm thinking of wisteria)

As a natural defense mechanism, wisteria is rumoured to release a toxin to keep other plants at bay.

I've read that it is recommended to soak new wisteria plants in non-aquarium water for a while before introducing it into the tank.

whoa, i didnt know that! anythig else i should know about wisteria?!