Disinfecting objects and introducing plants for a tank

[jake96]

Hi all, I was wondering how everbody else disenfects objects and prepare plants for thier tanks. This is how I disinfect objects and introduce plants. PLease post your methods!

For rocks I:
-Bowl them for a couple of hours
-Let them sun dry for a few days
-Wash them with coldwater in my sink before putting them in a setup
(before salamander)

For aquatic plants I:
-Rinse them with cold water in my sink
-Put them in tank (before newt)

For terrestrial plants I:
-Wash them and thier roots
-Plant in tank (Before capitve)

For wood I:
-Bowl it for a few hours
-Sun dry it
-Wash it in sink
-Put it in tank (Before salamander or newt)

I have also heard of freezing wood or rock to disinfect it, anyone who does this please post how it works this seems like an interesting method.

 

[SludgeMunkey]

For rocks I:
-Bowl them for a couple of hours
-Let them sun dry for a few days
-Wash them with coldwater in my sink before putting them in a setup
(before salamander)

This is not really disinfecting the rocks. Use of this method can still result in introduction of pathogens to your enclosure. Also, you must be careful of what type of rock and where you get it from as many are toxic to caudates either naturally or by environmental contamination.

For aquatic plants I:
-Rinse them with cold water in my sink
-Put them in tank (before newt)

This is a sure fire method of introducing everything from snails and leeches to hydra and diseases to your tanks. Live plants must be quarantined for at least thirty days. They can be disinfected with a supersaturated solution of quicklime or alum. Commercial products for this purpose are safe if they are lime based. Potassium permangate solutions should not be used with anything for an amphibian enclosure.

For terrestrial plants I:
-Wash them and thier roots
-Plant in tank (Before capitve)

That will do the trick, but washing the roots seems excessively unnecessary. As long as you quarantine the plant for 30 days and observer no fungi , insects or other ride-alongs, washing the leaves gently is sufficient.

For wood I:
-Bowl it for a few hours
-Sun dry it
-Wash it in sink
-Put it in tank (Before salamander or newt)

By "bowl" do you mean boil? If so, this is spot on the best method for treating wood.

I have also heard of freezing wood or rock to disinfect it, anyone who does this please post how it works this seems like an interesting method.

It works to an extent, but unless your deep freeze holds temps well below freezing, it will only work in killing invertebrates(like beetle larvae) on and in the wood. Even then, in many cases it will not kill them either.

 

[Lusiwarrior]

HI,
except the plants, everything I put in my aquarium is washed 3 to 4 times and then boiled, and again washed 1 or 2 more times. In my opinion is the most easy and effective! Never had problems! For plants, we always learn is not it?