Really Necessary To Disinfect New Plants?

[Winterlily]

Was just reading on a species-specific fish forum and they are really hot on the idea that all plants must be disinfected in either bleach or potassium permanganate, kept in quarantine for a few days, then possibly dipped/bathed again before being put in with fish. They all seem to feel strongly that plants can bring in all kinds of nasties, including ich and flukes.

What do you all feel? This seems a bit like overkill to me, but then, I'm brand new to the live plants thing and have NO interest in putting my fish at any risk. So what are you opinions here?

(And on a related topic, are there good online plant shops that keep the plants 100% separate from fish so things like ich isn't an issue? Or isn't it fish being kept with the plants that's the problem?)

 

[Truck]

most of the plants i buy are grown emersed anyway so there is no need with them...i dont see the point personally, i know of no one on here that does this

 

[Geoff1991]

Green machine have high quality plants that i believe are grown using hydroponics so there wont be any fish/snails in there with them.

http/www.thegreenmachineaquatics.com/

 

[kris6458]

I wish I did. ... Ive been battling Hydra for 2 months. I cant get them to go away and they came in with my live plants from a trusted LFS.

 

[Truck]

Green machine have high quality plants that i believe are grown using hydroponics so there wont be any fish/snails in there with them.

[URL="http/www.thegreenmachineaquatics.com/"]http/www.thegreenmachineaquatics.com/[/URL]

some of them are grown in water such as vallis which is 100% aquatic

 

[Geoff1991]

Oh, right. Ive always assumed they were all grown using hydroponics. That would explain why my hygrophila difformis was grown submerged. And would also explain how a dead cherry shrimp ended up in my tank.

 

[SuperColey1]

I wish I did. ... Ive been battling Hydra for 2 months. I cant get them to go away and they came in with my live plants from a trusted LFS.

Buy some Panacur 2.5% liquid dog wormer. Will cost less than a fiver. then dose 1ml per 20USG. That will kill the Hydra within hours (according to shrimp sites.)

I don't dissinfect plants no matter what the source emerged form or submersed. Can harm the plant sometimes.

If you don't want snails then find a good source. Snails are very hard to keep off plants wether emergent or submersed. When you buy emergent growth plants in pots they still have to trail in water. The snails do not need to be submersed non stop. They just need to be moist.

AC

 

[Winterlily]

Okay, so it sounds like this isn't necessary - just some folks over-worrying? That right?

I wasn't even a little concerned about this until I read that other thread in which every single person was talking about disinfecting - not so much for snails etc but more for fish-harming things like ich, flukes, pathogens etc. Thought I'd better check here to see if that was really necessary or just way overkill.

Wish some of those shops mentioned were here in the states - anyone have any suggestions for places that grow plants withOUT fish in the tanks here in the states?