Adding new plants to the tanks.

[FishHobby99]

Last week I went on a plant spending spree. Many will arrive any day, including one that has tiny banana like appendages. I’m seeing instructions from various sources suggesting to dip them in bleach to destroy hitchhikers such as snail eggs. Bleach does not sit well with me. Would a thorough rinse suffice? Thanks.

 

[Rocky998]

Last week I went on a plant spending spree. Many will arrive any day, including one that has tiny banana like appendages. I’m seeing instructions from various sources suggesting to dip them in bleach to destroy hitchhikers such as snail eggs. Bleach does not sit well with me. Would a thorough rinse suffice? Thanks.

No, the snail eggs are on pretty good or the snails are super small. Make a 1/20 bleach solution and soak for a few minutes. It'll be fine.

 

[Byron]

I would not do any treatment. The monthly planted tank columnist in TFH a few years ago, Rhonda Wilson, said that anything actually strong enough to kill snail eggs or algae would inevitably damage the plant. Given the already-stressed shape of new plants, I would not add to this.

I don't see the issue with snails, though I can accept that some find them "ugly," but they are extremely useful in any tank and I welcome them.

 

[Rocky998]

I would not do any treatment. The monthly planted tank columnist in TFH a few years ago, Rhonda Wilson, said that anything actually strong enough to kill snail eggs or algae would inevitably damage the plant. Given the already-stressed shape of new plants, I would not add to this.

I don't see the issue with snails, though I can accept that some find them "ugly," but they are extremely useful in any tank and I welcome them.

Some people, like me, enjoy snails but not when they over breed and cover everything. Snails are very sensitive to bleach at low amounts of time while the plants can tolerate it while the snails die. After that you can rinse the plants off in tap water and put them in the aquarium. Thats what I'm going to do.

 

[Byron]

Thanks. Does it depend upon the snail type? Those red ramhorns overbred IMO. I’m sticking with nerites.

The common small snails like pond, bladder, ramshorn and Malaysian Livebearing are the only snails I have ever had. They will reproduce to the level of available food. They eat algae (we cannot see it, but it is there in the biofilm on all surfaces) and decaying organic matter, excess fish food, etc. Their main value is in breaking organic matter down faster so the various bacteria in the substrate primarily can then more easily take care of it. Without these snails, one must rely on various species of bacteria. Which is not bad, just takes much longer to deal with the organic matter.

None of the above harm live plants but they do keep the leaves clean. Having said that, some aquarists have suggested the ramshorn (only) sometimes eat soft plants, but I don't know if this is accurate or not. The other innocuous snails mentioned do not eat healthy live plants.

As I said, the reproduction is because they have food, so an abundance of these snails is a good indicator that there is plenty of organic matter, and you want that out of the tank ASAP--which is why I consider these snails my helpmate.

 

[Sgooosh]

I would not do any treatment. The monthly planted tank columnist in TFH a few years ago, Rhonda Wilson, said that anything actually strong enough to kill snail eggs or algae would inevitably damage the plant. Given the already-stressed shape of new plants, I would not add to this.

I don't see the issue with snails, though I can accept that some find them "ugly," but they are extremely useful in any tank and I welcome them.

i tried bleach dipping with wild plants and they all melted in the second day
eww

Thanks. Does it depend upon the snail type? Those red ramhorns overbred IMO. I’m sticking with nerites.

if you get enough nerites, it will surpress the baby snail population, but ofc you have to remove some baby snails

 

[ClownLurch]

I’d rather use snail traps in the future than bleach in the present myself.

 

[Rocky998]

I’d rather use snail traps in the future than bleach in the present myself.

Were not talking about in the aquarium, we're talking about recieving plants and treating them for snails... You cant trap snail eggs and its hard to know when you've trapped larvae because they are very small. So to me, a quick bleach dip isn't too bad.

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

I read about someone using Romaine lettuces leaves as traps.

Here you go.

Bait can be lettuce, courgette/zucchini, whatever works.

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

Nice looking wife, Bruce. Smart too.

I'm sure her husband thinks so.

 

[FF_Member146894]

Oh, I thought she was yours. Sorry.

what

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

Oh, I thought she was yours. Sorry.

Rachel O'Leary...clearly an American, in the US of A.
Bruce Leyland-Jones, in Cleator Moor Cumbria.

Yeah, right.

 

[ClownLurch]

Were not talking about in the aquarium, we're talking about recieving plants and treating them for snails...

I know.
I wasn’t talking about bleaching in the aquarium either.

 

[Rocky998]

I know.
I wasn’t talking about bleaching in the aquarium either.

Ok....