How To? Plant QT

[HappyGuppy]

Now that I am getting back into the hobby I want to get back some of the plants I lost (that I loved, forgetting about some others).  My strategy is strategic trading - give people what they want in exchange for plants I want (or just give them a cutting if they don't have what I want anyways).  Many of you may recall my nasty experience last year, and how I am now a firm believer of QT. 

So my question is, how do *you* QT your new plants?  I give you permission to be hypocritical in your replies in this thread.

Here is my plan, tell me what you think (sufficiently effective?)

I've got a gallon jar in a north window, for light.  Will add copper sulfate to double suggested concentration posted on bottle.  Leave the plants in there for a month with a couple guppies to stir up the water and contribute to keeping the plants alive.  After a couple of weeks do a couple peroxide doeses, for potential algae  erradication.  Water change, and leave for another couple weeks.

I believe that that plan would erradicate most nasties, however my concern is that once I put the plants into my tank they would have plenty of copper, and I have plenty of inverts.  One solution to this, I think, would be to just do this with a small cutting, rather than a massive amount of plants, and then a small amount of copper infused plant matter wouldn't matter that much once inserted into the tank.

I would love to hear thoughts on this plan, suggestions, or alternate ideas.

[dan2x38]

I wouldn't take that root especially using copper. The copper would be released into the water and risk the inverts.

Use a bleach or potassium permangate dip. You can get potassium permangate at pool supply or C/T it is very cheap. For bleach dilute 20:1 water to bleach. Dip for 30 seconds or so except the roots. You dilute the potassium permangate as well but I forget the dilution just Google it there are lots of articles on these types of dips. It will kill diseases and snails as well. Algae you need to check before buying. Use a magnifying glass (learn basic algae see pics online) and other test simple smell test. Many algae smell musty. If it has algae don't buy it or trade for it.

Of course make sure you rinse the plants after dipping - until there is no smell of the dips left on the plant.

Also general way to kill a lot of simple things keep plants in untreated tap water over night - this usually kills snail eggs too.

[HappyGuppy]

OMG Dan, you are right.  I guess I've gotten a bit carried away with my fear of disease.  That is a far simpler solution, and I believe it should be effective.

I remember going to a plumbing store in Kanata to get some permanganate, but they told me that they can no longer sell it.  Are you sure it is still easily purchasable? 

I am a little skeptical about your last statement, that a way to kill a lot is to simply leave in untreated tap water.  I have a hard time buying that.  How sure are you of that as being fact?  Idea: what if you add a few drops of household bleach to the water container?  If that alone would work, without killing the plants, to most importantly kill the nasty parasites & diseases, then that honestly might be sufficient for me if I can't get ahold of bleach.  I never had permaganate, but I remember in the past I used to bleach my plants (many to death).  Generally speaking I am no longer concerned about algae, as I have the solution to that problem (I dealt with the worst several times).  H2O2 is the solution.  Ask magnosis what he thinks of that solution. 

Back to bleach.  I don't have the purple powder, but I have a big nasty bottle in my basement.

In the past I bleached things to death.  But what you said is inspiring a new idea (and need to research & experiment further).  Could an overnight bath in a gallon jug, with X ml of bleach in regular tap water be mild enough for plant to survive, yet nasty enough for snails and most importantly disease.  Hmmm...

Dan, please do reply with your thoughts on this matter, and also anyone else who has thoughts.  Thanks.

[dan2x38]

I gave away a large bottle of permanganate when I got rid of all my plant setups. Maybe it isn't available anymore but pool supply stores and C/T sell it or use to sell it.

Yes untreated tap water will kill a lot of things including many snail eggs. But I wouldn't depend on it for a through rinsing for diseases & hitchhikers alike. After all that is why they add chloramine to our water. I said it kills some and snail eggs earlier.

As for bleach I didn't leave my plants in it for longer than 1 min. but usually 30 seconds. I never had a infestation of anything and I got plants from many sources.

As for H2O2 I used it before. In fact there is an article here somewhere of a test I did using H2O2 and whether it would kill the occupants of the tank. I used it to kill hydra that invested a breeder tank as well as snails. The tank was for breeding CPDs. It was commonly considered that the hydra some how traveled with the CPDs the only source was wild caught then and others had the same issue with the hydra. Any ways I left a few fry in the tank and treated it with H2O2 it killed the hydra and all snail eggs but didn't damage the java moss or hornwort. One thing the existing snail's shells became brittle and you could crush them by barely touching them.

I have also used H2O2 to treat BBA in a populated community tank with tons of a sorted plants with no ill affects and the BBA was killed very quickly. It does the same thing as killing it with Excel but is faster and way cheaper. But like I said it is harmful to inverts Excel isn't.