02-23-2015, 01:12 PM
So I ended up getting snails and slugs in a viv a second time, but this time it was in my biggest tank (120 G). I don't like snails and slugs - they ate some of my favorite plants including three orchids...so game on. Getting rid of them required a tear down, so that got me thinking about better plant cleaning strategies. I'm experimenting with a regiment I used in my planted tank days, though I am not sure how well this will work for terrestrial plants. Here's my new plan:
(1) bare root plants, rinse thoroughly
(2) soak plants in tap water for a few hours to hydrate
(3) 15 minute soak in 10% bleach
(4) tap water rinse
(5) 24 to 48 hour bath:
(7) RO rinse
The 24 to 48 hour soak always worked on aquatic snails for me. Alum is a powder you can get in the spice section of the grocery store. It's used for pickling foods, and in this case, snails. I figured this was the nuclear option in my war against snails so we'll see how it works out. I'll post more as I have the opportunity to evaluate the impact of this approach on the test plants. In the meantime, what is everyone else doing to treat their plants beyond the bleach soak?
(1) bare root plants, rinse thoroughly
(2) soak plants in tap water for a few hours to hydrate
(3) 15 minute soak in 10% bleach
(4) tap water rinse
(5) 24 to 48 hour bath:
- Alum powder (pickling snails / slugs)
- formalin and malachite green (protozoan / parasite aquatic ick treatment)
(7) RO rinse
The 24 to 48 hour soak always worked on aquatic snails for me. Alum is a powder you can get in the spice section of the grocery store. It's used for pickling foods, and in this case, snails. I figured this was the nuclear option in my war against snails so we'll see how it works out. I'll post more as I have the opportunity to evaluate the impact of this approach on the test plants. In the meantime, what is everyone else doing to treat their plants beyond the bleach soak?
Jim from Austin | https://www.oneillscrossing.com/dart-frogs/
fantastica nominant | summersi | reticulata | A barbotini
fantastica nominant | summersi | reticulata | A barbotini