Naturally sourced surface plants.

[MadMaxi]

Hey Gang!

Getting my 20G re-established and setup again, I've salvaged some of the Java Ferns, Java Moss and recently added Hornwort and temple plants to the tank. The new additions are doing well and growing. Looking to reduce the amount of Hornwort eventually and replace that with something like frogbit/duckweed from my neighbors outdoor pond.

Before I add it to the tank is there anything I should do to treat the plants and avoid bringing parasites in?
I've heard doing a quick bath in just normal tap water with some Chlorine in it will help kill off anything that might 'invade' your tank. Just wondering if anyone has done this before and what was the best way to make that transition from the outdoor pond to your tank. I currently have NO fish at the moment but I still want to prevent something from entering the tank. So that I can start stocking it soon with live critters!

[Tihshho]

I personally wouldn't add wild stuff to the tank, but that's my take. Look up Alum dip, people do that for plants, but I'm not sure if it's okay to use with floaters or not. 

[Guppysnail]

Let it sit in tap water for 2-3 weeks after rinsing. Most parasitic things will die off without a host. Watch for snails damselfly nymph dragonfly nymphs etc. they will hatch out in that time frame. Folks collect wild without issue so from a neighbors pond it should be fine. 

[MadMaxi]

And for the record. We are on great terms with the neighbor, its a stocked pond that he's done a lot of work to and he's even invited the family and I to come over and fish it anytime we want!

 

[Guppysnail]

I did not think you were going to go stealth 🥷 mode for duckweed 😁

[Widgets]

Stealth mode for duckweed is pretty easy. Just dip your arm in and you will get enough sticking to you arm to populate all your tanks. All it takes is one leaf.

[MadMaxi]

On 4/25/2022 at 4:36 PM, Guppysnail said:

I did not think you were going to go stealth 🥷 mode for duckweed 😁

Wouldn't be the first time or last time I've worn camouflage lol

[Widgets]

Last year I collected flora and fauna for a native tank. The only thing I had problems with was algae. I could not get enough algae cleared off the plants, and too much was introduced into the tank. I fought with that tank for almost a year.

[Torrey]

On 4/25/2022 at 2:02 PM, MadMaxi said:

Hey Gang!

Getting my 20G re-established and setup again, I've salvaged some of the Java Ferns, Java Moss and recently added Hornwort and temple plants to the tank. The new additions are doing well and growing. Looking to reduce the amount of Hornwort eventually and replace that with something like frogbit/duckweed from my neighbors outdoor pond.

Before I add it to the tank is there anything I should do to treat the plants and avoid bringing parasites in?
I've heard doing a quick bath in just normal tap water with some Chlorine in it will help kill off anything that might 'invade' your tank. Just wondering if anyone has done this before and what was the best way to make that transition from the outdoor pond to your tank. I currently have NO fish at the moment but I still want to prevent something from entering the tank. So that I can start stocking it soon with live critters!

I intentionally keep everything alive, after decades of doing H2O2 baths or bleach baths to clean what I salvaged.

I discovered last year that the damselfly nymphs didn't eat anywhere near as many of my fry as they ate of other problematic bugs in the house, so the trade off was worth it for me. Not everyone feels the same, however.

Azolla & duckweed hide more nymphs than frogbit, and frogbit is easier to rinse clean under a garden hose.

[Brandon p]

Most mosses are able to transition 

[MadMaxi]

On 4/26/2022 at 1:01 AM, Torrey said:

I intentionally keep everything alive, after decades of doing H2O2 baths or bleach baths to clean what I salvaged.

I discovered last year that the damselfly nymphs didn't eat anywhere near as many of my fry as they ate of other problematic bugs in the house, so the trade off was worth it for me. Not everyone feels the same, however.

Azolla & duckweed hide more nymphs than frogbit, and frogbit is easier to rinse clean under a garden hose.

Good to know. Yeah I am def going to take a look here in a few weeks when they are doing better and growing. Appreciate the feedback cheers!

[Rikostan]

I collect quite often too, since I live on a shore line and can legally take anything that comes up on the high water mark. I have dipped pretty much everything in hydrogen peroxide and everything has come through fine except for the elodia, which lost all it's leaves.