Avoiding unwanted snails when introducing plants

[octanejunkie]

I really didn't want snails in our aquarium; at least I was pretty sure we didn't want snails. Ironically, when we got Anacharis from the LFS, boom; we got snails.

Since seeing the first snail in our tank I have done a fair amount of reading and research, and I'm no longer obsessing about the snails being there, really I'm not. But for the past 5 weeks I have been pulling snails out of our tank, all different sizes. It seems endless.

I do understand they have their place in nature, and perhaps in our tank. They are not carpeting walls so it's obviously not a problem, as far as I know. But if I wanted to avoid introducing more snails in the future when we bring in more/different plants, is there anything we can do?

This article suggests soaking the plants in warm, mildly salty water prior to planting in our tank... seems easy enough, is it good advice?

 

[Mebbid]

If you already have snails then it's not going to matter if you bring in more. The pond snails are the annoying ones which I am going to assume you already have.

I would avoid the salt dip as it can be harsh on plants and possibly outright kill them.. A bleach or potassium permegranate dip should work to get rid of them though. Any type of dip can be harsh on plants, I did a bleach dip on my chain sword and it killed every leaf on it; it's just now recovered after a month.

 

[Rivercats]

I have good luck using Hydrogen Peroxide 3%. For more delicate plants I put roughly 3/4 tank water to 1/4 Peroxide into a container just large enough to soak the plants for 20 minutes in the solution. Most plants tho you can just put paper towels in the sink, squirt Peroxide over them thoroughly, fold the wet paper towels over the plants, and let sit for 20 minutes. Don't rinse and then just plant. This kills most everything and is remarkably easy on the plants.

 

[octanejunkie]

I have good luck using Hydrogen Peroxide 3%. For more delicate plants I put roughly 3/4 tank water to 1/4 Peroxide into a container just large enough to soak the plants for 20 minutes in the solution. Most plants tho you can just put paper towels in the sink, squirt Peroxide over them thoroughly, fold the wet paper towels over the plants, and let sit for 20 minutes. Don't rinse and then just plant. This kills most everything and is remarkably easy on the plants.

Brilliant! Just the sort of advice I'm after.
Thanks

 

[Betta Platy Addict]

I have good luck using Hydrogen Peroxide 3%. For more delicate plants I put roughly 3/4 tank water to 1/4 Peroxide into a container just large enough to soak the plants for 20 minutes in the solution. Most plants tho you can just put paper towels in the sink, squirt Peroxide over them thoroughly, fold the wet paper towels over the plants, and let sit for 20 minutes. Don't rinse and then just plant. This kills most everything and is remarkably easy on the plants.

Great advice, thank you!

 

[Mebbid]

Another good option. But beware, the hydrogen peroxide is very very rough on vals. I tried doing light spot treating to my spiral vals with it due to hair algae and it 100% killed them

 

[Rivercats]

Another good option. But beware, the hydrogen peroxide is very very rough on vals. I tried doing light spot treating to my spiral vals with it due to hair algae and it 100% killed them

That's weird as I use it on Corkscrew Vals without problems. What type Vals were they?

 

[Mebbid]

That's weird as I use it on Corkscrew Vals without problems. What type Vals were they?

Valisnera Spiralis

Vals, Italian (Vallisneria spiralis)(sold 10 plants per order)

Despite liking them I haven't bought a val since. Going to wait until I have co2 to try again.

 

[Rivercats]

Valisnera Spiralis

Vals, Italian (Vallisneria spiralis)(sold 10 plants per order)

Despite liking them I haven't bought a val since. Going to wait until I have co2 to try again.

I've always had such good luck with Corkscrews they are my Val of choice. I've never had them melt from liquid carbon, even in really high doses and H2O2 never bothered them either. I've also never grown them with CO2 and they always did great.

 

[Mebbid]

Guess I will have to give corkscrews a try once I find some. Thanks