Making plants safe for shrimp and snails

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Psb1968

Aquarium Advice Newbie
Joined
Jan 29, 2025
Messages
7
Location
Borehamwood
Hi all
I've brought some plants which I've found out are not safe for shrimp and snails will soaking the plants in bicarbonate over night make them safe to put in my tank ?

Regards Peter
 
No idea Just says on the description on amazon not safe for shrimp must be what they use to treat the plants,would it be safe to let rinse the plants in bicarbonate over night ?
 
From Tropicas website entry for your plant.
Screenshot_20250315_161526_Samsung Internet.jpg
So either your plant is a Tropica plant, or someone else is just taking the comment from tropicas website.
 
They aren't cultivating their own plants. They are just importing them and reselling. They have no control over whether whoever they imported the plants from are treating their plants with pesticides and are covering themselves by saying they aren't safe for inverts.

There is no specific issue with the plant species, so a long enough soak should be sufficient to remove anything harmful. Tropica know their stuff when it comes to plants, so I would follow their directions. Soak for 2 weeks, change out the water twice a week before adding to an aquarium with fish or inverts.

You might be fine if the plants are clean. It depends on how risk averse you are. Quarantining plants as is always a good idea to prevent introducing anything you don't want into your aquarium, the same as its a good idea to quarantine fish. Pest snails would be the obvious one you don't want to accidently introduce with plants, but harmful chemicals is another potential contaminant.
 
Thanks for the advice, should I soak in just water or use bicarbonate for two weeks in your opinion ?
 
I would follow Tropicas advice. Soak for 2 weeks, change out the water twice a week before adding to an aquarium with fish or inverts.
 
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