Re: plant auction preparation

[Kathy Olson <kathy@thekrib.com>]

Yeah, I was thinking of answering this.  I think we have ended up with 
diseases off of auction plants once, maybe twice.  The once was ick.  The 
twice not so sure that was it.  I try to isolate plants, but sometimes it 
just isn't available.  ie...we really only have one good high light, CO2 
tank right now.

As Erik said, if there is even a suggestion a tank is sick, I never bring 
in those plants but destroy them.  (even when the tank has been clear for 
6 months afterwards).  I would hope everyone else would do the same.

When we get plants from the wholesalers, who knows!!!  It is a gamble, and 
all I can say is that I would guess it is less risky than getting new 
fish.  I agree with Erik, I usually don't bleach.  But then I DON"T put 
them in with MY PRIZE fish either.

Good question.  Curious to hear what everyone else says!!


Kathy




On Fri, 7 Feb 2003, Erik Olson wrote:

> On Fri, 7 Feb 2003, Kate Breimayer wrote:
> 
> > Does anyone have a preferred method of sanitizing plants? 
> 
> I haven't done anything other than wash off washable algae and duckweed
> for many years (though I should note that if there's more than normal
> healthy bits of algae, or the plants came from a tank I even SUSPECT may
> have disease of any kind, I won't sell it... Kathy makes me destroy the
> plants in those rare cases).  At one time early on, I used alum to get rid
> of snail eggs, and it didn't hurt anything... not nearly as bad as bleach,
> which is just nasty on many plants!
> 
> Actually, you CAN find a lot of interesting hitchhikers on the plants you 
> buy.  We've had a killifish, a tetra, a while cloud, and even a CORY 
> CAT(!) spontaneously grow from plants I bought or moved between tanks.
> 
> See you all at the auction on Tuesday... I can't wait to see what comes in!
> 
>   - Erik
> 
>