Bleach Dip - too much for my plants?

[LindaC]

Well I thought I used 1 part bleach to 20 parts water but I eyed it and by the looks of 3 of my plants, I was mostly likely wrong.

The tops of my Rotala Indica are a cream color now where they were pink before and appear to be curling up. Also my narrow leaf Ludwigia doesn't appear to be growing at all and the nice color it always had seems to be gone. Will these plants die or is there still hope for them to recover?

Any others out there who have had this problem or am I the only one who over bleached when trying to get rid of algae?

 

[BillD]

How long were they in the bleach solution? When I was first told about this the time limit was 1 minute. Some plants also seem more sensitive to it. I have had mixed results. Hornwort doesn't like it at all.

 

[LindaC]

Two minutes, it was in the bleach dip approximately 2 minutes, that is what I read. One part bleach to 20 parts water for 2 minutes. Will the plants recover? Thoughts?

 

[Lonewolfblue]

It's hard to tell. I will be doing this shortly myself. Once I set up my 29G, I want to move some L. repens and a couple others to my 29G from my 75G, and want to do a bleach dip beforehand. Will let you know how mine turns out as well. Thinking of doing mine between 1 and 2 minutes.

 

[malkore]

and afterwards you rinsed them in triple dechlor'd water, to neutralize all the bleach?

you were doing this to kill black beard algae, yes?

 

[LindaC]

That is correct, BBA. I did rinse very well afterwards but not in dechlorianted water, did I make a serious mistake by not doing this? I had to remove my Rotala Roundafilia and cut it down about 3 inches to see if it will grow, it appeared to have stopped and the tops were turning an odd color. Two other plants aren't doing well either. Be very careful when you do this!

 

[malkore]

I always suggest a triple dechlor'd rinse afterwards. Otherwise you're not neutralizing the bleach/chlorine, you're just diluting it a little more.

bleach dips always leave plants looking a little beat up, so for now, just wait it out and give them everything they need to grow strong.