How to "clean" plants when moving to a new tank

[callisto9]

I have a packed 6.6 gallon tank and I'm getting started on a 20G long. I want to move all my plants over, but 1) they have some sports on them (diatoms, I think) and 2) they are in a tank where four guppies have died.

I want to make sure I don't transfer anything over to the new tank. There are currently two guppies and a mystery snail in this tank. And a ramshorn. Somewhere. LOL

How can I "clean" and prep these plants for the new tank?

I have: anubias (2), java fern, amazon sword, water wisteria, hornwort, marimo moss balls (3) and some long, reedy-thing.

Thanks in advance for your help! Would prefer a method that doesn't involve me buying something I'll never have to use again.

 

[jcolon]

Personally .. I wouldn't worry too much since its plants from your tank. Unless you feel you have a rampant parasite / disease that's attached itself to your plants ... I'd say just transfer them over. Plants do have BB attached to them and biofilm inverts like shrimp feed off of.

Worst case ... you can do a 50/50 Hydrogen Peroxide and water dip. That'll kill any unwanted microbes plus it can help rid the Diatoms. I do this with any new plants I get.

 

[callisto9]

Thanks so much. I have no idea what killed the guppies, so I want to be safe.

I've been told you can't rinse stuff with just plain tap, right?

I'm trying to be so careful...

 

[jcolon]

Thanks so much. I have no idea what killed the guppies, so I want to be safe.

I've been told you can't rinse stuff with just plain tap, right?

I'm trying to be so careful...

No problem .. glad to help!

You can also rinse with tap as ... the idea is the chlorine / chloramines should kill off any unwanted microbes. Or just let the plants / other deco sit in a bowl of tap for several minutes ... maybe up to 1/2 hour.

A Bleach solution dip for fake ornaments does the job as well.

Lots of choices ... but I settle for H-Peroxide myself.

 

[callisto9]

I like the hydrogen peroxide idea, too. It's cheap.

 

[aqua_chem]

Peroxide is gentler than many other cleaning techniques too, as long as you don't leave it in for too long.

 

[callisto9]

OK, great, thanks!

So how long should I leave them in the dip?

Rinse off with tap, sit in hydro/water mix for X mins.
Rinse off with tap again?
Put in new tank.

 

[jcolon]

OK, great, thanks!

So how long should I leave them in the dip?

Rinse off with tap, sit in hydro/water mix for X mins.
Rinse off with tap again?
Put in new tank.

I leave mine in the H-Peroxide for 2-3 minutes ... hasn't harmed any plant yet.

 

[callisto9]

I leave mine in the H-Peroxide for 2-3 minutes ... hasn't harmed any plant yet.

Thanks. Do you rinse it off after that?

 

[jcolon]

Yep .. a final minute dip with tap water and then into the tank. If anything manages to survive that ... it's the super microbe from MARS!

 

[bloodlucky]

If your talking about disease because your worried that whatever killed your guppies might be on your plants, then do a large wc maybe 80% and add some aquarium salt or raise the temp or something

I wouldn't worry about transferring ammonia stuck to your plants from the 6 gal to the 20 long. Besides the bacteria need to eat that stuff in order for the cycle to proceed.

 

[callisto9]

Awesome. Thank you so much. I've already spent so much on my plants in my little tank that I definitely want to move them over to the new one.

 

[bloodlucky]

I have a question do any of your plants require additional CO2? Besides java ferns

 

[callisto9]

I have a question do any of your plants require additional CO2? Besides java ferns

I don't use CO2 or ferts right now. I don't plan on doing so in the new tank either.