Shipping plants

[Mugwump]

I don't recall our getting any plants in cold weather. Has anyone done this??...Are a lot of heat packs used to prevent freezing?...etc..just like fish??..I would think so...any special acclimation needed? other than soaking for vermin..

[BallAquatics]

When it gets cold, I ship them just like fish...  insulated box with a heat pack.

Dennis

[PaulineMi]

Do you soak in PP?

[Mugwump]

Do you soak in PP?

I do a mild bleach dip, then soak in a mild salt water solution

[BallAquatics]

It's been so long since I last got any new plants, I can't remember when.  I do remember that I was in the habit of putting new plants in a quarantine tank.  Back then I was keeping lots of fresh water dwarf shrimp and every so often you'd hear where someone got some new plants and they killed all their shrimp.  Many of the big plant suppliers treat their plants before shipping and the snail and general pest treatments they use are also lethal to shrimp.  Plenty of fresh water and a month or so in a quarantine tank would remove the toxins.

Dennis

[PaulineMi]

Wow!  That commercial plant treatment info is new to me...and scarey. 

Jon, for how long do you soak your plants?

[Mugwump]

The bleach dip...about 15mins....the salt soak...a week or so, changing water and rinsing/checking the plants for vermin......then they'll all go in one tank for a week, to make sure.....usually does the trick....it's all about looking for anything happening with the plant/leaves/roots,etc...checking for overall health too.....sickly weak plants get tossed....

[BallAquatics]

Wow!  That commercial plant treatment info is new to me...and scarey.

Yea, it's got something to do with the treatment they use to remove/kill snails if I remember correctly.  There was even a write-up on PFK...

http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/content.php?sid=4831

Just Google "plants kill shrimp" and you'll come up with lots of hits on the shrimp forums.

Dennis