When you first bring home a new aquarium, it can be exciting to introduce the plants you’ve chosen to your fish. However, as with anything in life, there are some things you need to know in order to make sure your new plants are safe and healthy for your fish.
There is a risk of introducing undesired disease-causing organisms into aquariums or water gardens with a new aquatic flora or fauna addition.
Using routine quarantine practices with each new aquatic life acquisition helps to reduce the possibility of these organisms being introduced.
Why Should You Quarantine Plants
When you bring a new plant into your aquarium, you run the risk of introducing pests or diseases that can harm your plants. To protect your plants, it’s important to quarantine any new plants before you introduce them to your aquarium.
This means keeping them in a separate tank from other plants in your aquarium for a period of time to see if they are infected with any diseases. If you do not quarantine your plants, you could be introducing harmful diseases into your aquarium.
How To Quarantine New Aquarium Plants?
The precautionary measures aid in the health of new plants. Establishing a quarantine procedure for aquatic plants does not have to be more difficult than setting up an additional tank to temporarily house plants.
Provide the required lighting, warmth, or filtration to sustain perfect plant conditions. A quarantine period of at least two weeks is advised.
Related: How To Quarantine New Fish?
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Here are the necessary steps that should be taken before introducing a new plant in the aquarium,
Step 1) Examine the plants carefully and remove unnecessary things
Examine the plants carefully for snails, eggs, and others. Discard any broken outer leaves that were damaged during shipping since they could become a breeding ground for rot and decay.
Remove any substances present or sponge-like material that came with the plant. Make certain that you remove them properly and gently. Try to get down to the bare roots, and don’t leave any residue on the roots that can absorb pesticides or other pollutants.
Using the pair of scissors you have, shorten the length of the long and difficult roots of the plant to around one to two centimeters. The roots will regrow soon, so you do not have to be concerned about it.
Step 2) Clean and disinfect fresh plants
When adding new plants to your aquarium, it is important to clean and disinfect them before adding them to the tank. This will help prevent any diseases or pests from entering your aquarium.
To clean the plants, soak them in a solution of hot water and bleach (eg. sodium hypochlorite to the bucket of water) for 10 minutes. Then rinse them thoroughly with fresh water. To disinfect the plants, soak them in a solution of hydrogen peroxide for 10 minutes.
You should also quarantine any new plants for at least two weeks before adding them to your aquarium. This will help ensure that they are free of any diseases or pests.
It will remove attached pesticides and other contaminants, as well as remove heavy metals found in some tap water including chlorine and chloramine.
Step 3) Rinse the plants
Then rinse them thoroughly with fresh water to remove any remaining rock wool residue and soak it in a pail of safe water for several days (at least 5 days).
Step 6) Perform full water changes
Change water every day until the process is completed. Ensure that disinfection is added with each water change. After the two weeks of quarantine, rinse the plants with clean tap water. The plants are now prepared to be introduced into the aquarium.
Related: How To Quarantine Saltwater Fish?
Related: How To Quarantine Sick Fish?
Tips for Quarantining New Aquarium Plants
If you’ve just added a new aquarium plant to your collection, there are a few things you should do before you put it in the tank.
-Make sure the plant can handle the water conditions of your tank many plants can only tolerate certain levels of salt or alkalinity.
-Make sure the plant has been properly grown and shipped aquatic plants can be damaged in transit and will not grow as well once they arrive.
-Put the plants in a separate container and fill it with water from your aquarium.
-Let the plants sit in the water for a few hours so they can adjust to the temperature and pH level. Add a few drops of chlorine remover to the water to get rid of any chlorine or chloramine that may be present.
-Check the plants for any signs of disease or pests and remove any that are affected. Once the plants have been cleared, add them to your main tank.
Final Words
In conclusion, quarantine new aquarium plants to help prevent the spread of unwanted pests and diseases. By following these simple steps, you can help keep your aquarium healthy and free of pests and diseases.
