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Re: plant auction preparation



Well, you can get hydra with plants, I know that. I don't have any now that I know of, but have had that in the past. I am just really paranoid, having been burned and having birds which can carry all sorts of deadly things to your precious flock when they are first brought into the home, and orchids that seem like such a great deal until you find out they have virus and mealybugs and snails.... I always figure better safe than sorry. And the snails, I don't know if it's even possible to get rid of them but I should try not to get more of them! Just want to make sure every reasonable precaution is taken in the future with regards to plants, orchids, fish, and birds.
Sure would like getting cory cat eggs though!
Kate

Kathy Olson wrote:

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