Possibly a silly question, but: Should I quarantine plants ordered from Aquarium Co-Op's website?

[md363]

Hi, I'm really wanting to order some new plants from Aquarium Co-Op's website for my almost 5-month established planted 10g aquarium.  I currently have a gravel substrate, a grouping of Java Ferns and 3 Dwarf Endlers in this aquarium.

This may be silly to ask, but what are you all's suggestions on whether or not to quarantine plants from the Co-Op that I'll be receiving through the mail?  Any suggestions regarding methods of quarantining the plants and if it's necessary at all are greatly appreciated.  Thanks in advance!  🙂

[lefty o]

odds of plants coming in from the co-op with something parasitic on them is fairly low. nothing is impossible, but i personally feel fairly safe with plants from this source. you will more than likely get some snails that hitch hike in on the plants.

[Isaac M]

Hello @md363, as @lefty o mentioned, odds are low but still possible. Personally, I do not quarantine plants from the aquarium co-op because I trust them.

However, I have received plants before from another popular website that I will not name that appeared to have shipped me plants from an outdoor source like a pond. The plants were littered with aphids and dragonfly nymphs. I noticed something was wrong when I noticed more and more dragonflies flying around my living room 😂 thankfully, I was floating the plants in an empty aquarium.

I would only think about quarantining plants if they are coming from a new source you have never used before. Typically an empty tank or tub for observation is all I would do. Other options that I have never tried are dipping aquarium plants in Alum or potassium permanganate or similar. 

[GameCzar]

I've never quarantined a plant.  I get snails sometimes, but I like snails. 

[Ragnarok12]

As a trusted supplier, I also wouldn't quarantine from the Co-op. I take them straight out of the box and toss them straight in the tank, Unless I don't have time to plant, in which case they go straight into a bucket!

[Ragnarok12]

TBH because I'm lazy and impatient to see my new plants in action. I also don't move fish, plants, or equipment between my aquariums if I can help it, so anything that is introduced into an aquarium stays in that aquarium only and I can deal with clearing it out as needed.

[lefty o]

if you watch the co-ops wharehouse video's, there's no fish in the plant tanks. snails up the yingyang, but no fish, so ich or other easily transferred fish maldies are extremely unlikely. now say you go to the lfs and pick a plant out of one of the tanks with fish in it, yes its possible to bring ich home with the plant.

[lefty o]

On 8/24/2021 at 9:00 AM, Tankseeker said:

@lefty o I would play safe

i would never fault you for being cautious. we all take risks every time we add something to an aquarium.

[md363]

Thanks everyone for the replies!  🙂  So if I were going to quarantine the plants, from any source really, just floating them in a tub or tank with just water for a week or two is a safe option?  This should be enough time for even ICH to die off if I'm correct?

[Streetwise]

I often stage Co-Op plants, but only because I like to wait for inspiration to do the actual planting. I don’t worry about anything that I have ordered.

[md363]

On 8/24/2021 at 4:46 PM, Streetwise said:

I often stage Co-Op plants, but only because I like to wait for inspiration to do the actual planting. I don’t worry about anything that I have ordered.

Cool, good to know, thanks!  I'll probably just let them sit for a week or two in water just to be safe.  I had a disaster of ICH from a PetSmart plant killing ultimately all 5 of my Neon Tetras when first getting into fishkeeping.  Not to compare PetSmart to the Co-Op or anything like that, we all know the difference  🙂

[Streetwise]

I put mine in tanks or buckets with a Fluval Plant 3.0 Nano and sponge filter, so I can be really lazy, and take my time.

[md363]

On 8/24/2021 at 5:04 PM, Streetwise said:

I put mine in tanks or buckets with a Fluval Plant 3.0 Nano and sponge filter, so I can be really lazy, and take my time.

Excellent method IMO.  I'll try something similar when I get my new plants.  I'm really wanting to try something other than Java Ferns.

[Keeg]

Im pretty confident that the co-op's plants won't come with anything extra like diseases. Snails. maybe, but snails are a good thing in my opinion. But from other stores im iffy but I dont quarantine, just a rinse if I feel they are safe. But other options are the plants in tubes from big chain stores. They're completely grown in a tube from mother plants above water/ gel. Ive never had any issues with them and they're sometimes cheaper than the submersed grown ones. 

Edited August 24, 2021 by Keeg

[md363]

@Keeg thanks for the advice!  I didn't know that about the plants in tubes at the big chain stores, interesting.

[md363]

@Tankseeker  interesting, I'll look into this method more in-depth, thanks!  🙂

[Ken Burke]

I never quarantine plants.  I think the risk of transferring ich is super low, especially since it is an opportunistic disease.  Most likely it’s already in your tank, but if your high are heathy and not stressed their immune system fights it off.  
 

if you are worried about it, rinse it off under tap water.  

[Hobbit]

On 8/24/2021 at 9:57 AM, lefty o said:

if you watch the co-ops wharehouse video's, there's no fish in the plant tanks. snails up the yingyang, but no fish,

I thought they might have otos in the tanks? But maybe I dreamed that.

Edited August 25, 2021 by Hobbit
Either way, I don’t quarantine plants. I just rinse them. 🙂

[Cory]

I would never dip plants in salt personally.

[Gator]

I agree with Cory, you should never dip plants in a salt bath, instead, place 9 tablespoons of Alum, a pickling spice found in the spice aisle of your grocery store, into a 5g bucket and add 3g's of dechlorinated water and stir. Place your plants in the Alum bath and let sit for at least 3 hours, the Alum will kill any living creatures on your plants right now, but it takes 3 hours to penetrate and kill any eggs on the plants. Remove the plants, rinse in running water and place the plants in your desired location in your tank. Place the lid on the bucket to prevent evaporation and write Alum bath on the lid, set aside somewhere out of the way so you'll have it the next time you buy plants. Alum is somewhat expensive, but well worth the expense considering it's only a one-time purchase.

Alum doesn't harm the plants. About 3yrs ago, I accidentally left my plants in the Alum bath overnight, I woke up the next morning, realized what I had done, rinsed them off, placed them in my tank and they took off, so much so that I'm still giving trimmings to my friends and anyone else interested in live plants.

Sincerely

Gator

[Hobbit]

On 8/25/2021 at 2:07 AM, Gator said:

Alum doesn't harm the plants.

I can report that an alum bath lasting 48 hours kills hornwort and almost kills anachais. Whoops. 😅 

On 8/25/2021 at 2:19 AM, Tankseeker said:

@Ken Burke rinsing wouldn’t do anything

@Tankseeker I’ve noticed you tend to jump to conclusions about the things other aquarists do that you don’t understand. It comes across as pretty judgmental and dismissive. We all usually have a reason behind our methods, and sometimes it sounds like you think we’re just stupid or something. 😛 If you have a specific point of disagreement, you can list that, such as “Rinsing won’t dislodge snail eggs” or “I don’t think rinsing would get rid of any harmful bacteria.” If your opinion comes from experience, let us know: “I used to just rinse my plants, but then after a new plant order, all my fish turned purple.” Or if you just don’t understand, you can ask! “What’s your thought process behind rinsing plants?”

In my case, when I rinse plants, I’m inspecting every leaf, rubbing off any algae or dead plant matter, and dislodging dirt or rock wool bits. I’ll catch any bigger snails or pests, but I won’t catch every snail and that’s okay with me. If I’m really trying to get rid of all snails, I’ll use an alum dip. If I’m trying to kill bacteria, I’ll use a bleach dip.

Edited August 25, 2021 by Hobbit
Remembered bleach dips

[Hobbit]

Also, our very own @Irene has done two videos comparing different plant dips, including salt and alum!

 

^one of my favorite Irene thumbnails 😄

[Kathy F]

I've never quarantined plants personally and haven't had problems.   I bought from 3 different online sources and 2 different real world sources.   I did get a pest snail from the LFS but it was easy to dispose of during a water change and it was only one.   Maybe I have just been lucky.   

On a side note, I have had to buy from so many different sources due to the pandemic and low stocking levels everywhere.    In a way, the supply issues has made me broaden my horizons and try new stores I never would have considered in the past.    

[Patrick_G]

I’m late to the conversation but I never quarantine plants from Aquarium Coop or other trusted local sources. I tried the alum dip method until I stopped worrying and learned to love the snails. 

[Amyrinthe]

I ordered a bunch of plants from Aquarium Coop a few months ago. They arrived looking healthy and beautiful - not a snail in sight. But, I quarantined just in case.

Three weeks later, my quarantine tank was filled with bladder snails. 

I did an alum dip and that took care of the snails.

My plants are still healthy and growing like crazy in their new homes.

But, I do recommend a quarantine if you don't want uninvited snails.