How to Disinfect Water Garden Plants

Any time you bring new specimens of plants into your water garden or pond, you should consider first disinfecting them. Though the idea of disinfecting live plants may at first seem somewhat strange, a disinfecting "dip" or "bath" can help to remove unwanted hitchhikers such as Hydra, parasites, bacteria, and some types of algae. Preventing these unwanted creatures from entering your water garden can be much easier than removing them once numbers are established, and the disinfecting dip can easily be done right at home. The safest and most efficient way to do this is with potassium permanganate.

Things You'll Need

• Potassium permanganate
• Liquid dechlorinator
• 2 buckets

Instructions

1. Purchase potassium permanganate from a hardware store or pharmacy. You may have to ask a sales associate or pharmacist to get the chemical for you from behind the counter.

2. Fill two buckets, each with enough water to cover the plants you will be disinfecting.

3. Add potassium permanganate to one of the buckets at a concentration of approximately 1/8 tsp. to each 3 gallons of water. The water should be a medium pink or magenta color. If it goes purple, dilute further with water until a lighter shade is achieved.

4. Add a liquid dechlorinator to the second bucket in a concentration 2 to 3 times the recommended strength.

5. Place your water plants into the potassium dip, and let soak for approximately 90 minutes. This will kill most harmful bacteria, dissolved organics, and parasites. It should also kill off most snails and eggs.

6. Transfer the plants from the potassium dip to the dechlorination bucket, and swish them around. Let them rest in the dechlorinator for 5 to 10 minutes, then rinse thoroughly under cool running tap water before you place them into the water garden or pond.

Tips & Warnings

• If you have trouble finding potassium permanganate at local stores, many online resources offer the product. Alternately, several aquarium supply chains offer pre-mixed potassium dip products, though the prices will often be considerably higher than mixing the dip yourself from potassium crystals.

• Use extreme care when handling potassium permanganate. The cake and pill forms of the product can be harmful and even toxic if ingested, and can irritate skin and eyes. Potassium permanganate can also be detrimental to fish and other live animals in high concentrations. Rinse hands and arms well before handling products that will enter fish tanks or ponds.

• Sensitive plants such as frill types and mosses should be dipped for no more than 30 to 45 minutes to avoid damage to delicate plant structures.

References

• SkeptikalAquarist.com: Potassium Permanganate (KMnO4)
• AquariumPlants.com: Plant Dips/Baths