Anacharis and 2nd hand decorations

[Coolysd]

Hey y'all!!
I purchased some used decorations and am wondering if there is anything specific (besides regular washing) that I should do before adding them to my tank.

Also, I just purchased 6 bundles of Anacharis and am wondering if it's okay to leave on the sponge piece at the bottom of the bundle when I put them in the tank.

As always, thanks for all y'alls responses and expertise!!

 

[Alice B]

rinse plant well to remove snails. I dip used decorations in bleach water, rinse well then put in a bucket of tap water and dump in some chlorine remover to be sure all the bleach is neutralized But that's me. I'm kinda picky like that

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Pics? Can give better advice if we can see it.

I've never had used decor, only second hand tanks, but I'd also likely bleach dip anything fake, rinsing well then soaking in triple dosed declorinator, before rinsing again and allowing to thoroughly air dry, to be sure every trace of bleach is gone. Over the top cautious, but I'd be wary of bacteria or worm eggs or something from a previous tank, but that's not really an issue if the decor hasn't been used in a long time and is all dried out. A good scrub to remove dust and old algae is probably all they really need.

I wouldn't bleach anything that's real stone or wood, ever. Boil or bake.

Anything fake that's painted - feel it for rough edges in hollows etc that might injure fish, rough edges can usually be sanded off. Be wary of anything with bubbling or flaking paint, since some paints are toxic and could leech chemicals into the water column.

If you keep shrimp or snails, pr plan to, you also need to be aware of potential medication traces that the decor may be contaminated with. Some meds contain copper, which can leave enough copper on second hand tanks and decor to kill inverts in a second hand tank. If you don't keep or plan to keep inverts, then not a problem. If you do, or want to, then Seachem has a product called Cuprisorb that you can run in the filter for a while to remove traces of copper.
All of the above are unlikely to happen, besides maybe the med poisoning thing, since a lot of people are quick to throw meds into their tank the minute something goes wrong, and aren't aware of copper traces being left behind. But, you did ask if there was anything else! So, all the things I'd bear in mind when buying second hand tank stuff.

 

[Coolysd]

Pics? Can give better advice if we can see it.

I've never had used decor, only second hand tanks, but I'd also likely bleach dip anything fake, rinsing well then soaking in triple dosed declorinator, before rinsing again and allowing to thoroughly air dry, to be sure every trace of bleach is gone. Over the top cautious, but I'd be wary of bacteria or worm eggs or something from a previous tank, but that's not really an issue if the decor hasn't been used in a long time and is all dried out. A good scrub to remove dust and old algae is probably all they really need.

I wouldn't bleach anything that's real stone or wood, ever. Boil or bake.

Anything fake that's painted - feel it for rough edges in hollows etc that might injure fish, rough edges can usually be sanded off. Be wary of anything with bubbling or flaking paint, since some paints are toxic and could leech chemicals into the water column.

If you keep shrimp or snails, pr plan to, you also need to be aware of potential medication traces that the decor may be contaminated with. Some meds contain copper, which can leave enough copper on second hand tanks and decor to kill inverts in a second hand tank. If you don't keep or plan to keep inverts, then not a problem. If you do, or want to, then Seachem has a product called Cuprisorb that you can run in the filter for a while to remove traces of copper.
All of the above are unlikely to happen, besides maybe the med poisoning thing, since a lot of people are quick to throw meds into their tank the minute something goes wrong, and aren't aware of copper traces being left behind. But, you did ask if there was anything else! So, all the things I'd bear in mind when buying second hand tank stuff.

Here are some pics. The rock looking ones are plastic and the branch one is some type of ceramic as is the base of the plastic plant.

 

[Sgooosh]

Hey y'all!!
I purchased some used decorations and am wondering if there is anything specific (besides regular washing) that I should do before adding them to my tank.

Also, I just purchased 6 bundles of Anacharis and am wondering if it's okay to leave on the sponge piece at the bottom of the bundle when I put them in the tank.

As always, thanks for all y'alls responses and expertise!!

the sponge piece is better removed because in some cases it will make the plant rot, or limit it's growing

anacharis is also able to float

 

[GaryE]

I am a little cavalier about decorations - a rinse in hot water is all I'd do. The sponge on the base of the Anacharis is for the store, so they can keep the clumps for sale. Take it off or the stems will rot. Anacharis can be planted once the long white roots appear, but most people float it.

 

[sharkweek178]

Only problem with planting Anacharis instead of floating it is that sometimes the parts furthest from the light can go brown.

 

[Alice B]

I have some anacharis in my pond. if I wash off the snails you think it will not hurt an aquarium?

 

[Coolysd]

the sponge piece is better removed because in some cases it will make the plant rot, or limit it's growing

anacharis is also able to float

Thank you!

 

[GaryE]

I have some anacharis in my pond. if I wash off the snails you think it will not hurt an aquarium?

It's hard to get all the snail eggs off plants, but what you buy in stores is grown in southern ponds.