# To bleach, or not to bleach



## bwood1979 (Apr 27, 2004)

I just got back from a trip to a rain forest and it just so happens that some beautiful little plants fell into my suit case. :wink: 

Should I bleach them? 

I believe that this topic has been covered before but a link to the discussion would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Blake


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## jschroeder (Mar 19, 2005)

You could use bleach, but I would use a product made for plants like Physan 20. Here is a link
http://www.physan.com/

I have used this product for years with great results. I use this when transfering plants from one tank to another. I've never had any burning like with bleach.

Good luck.
Justin


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## Jordan B (Oct 8, 2004)

Check out what the site says, this doesn't sound to great for the frogs. 

Product Features:

EPA approved for use directly on plants
Broad spectrum disinfectant
Environmentally friendly
Pleasant odor
Will not discolor skin
No reentry restrictions for hard surface use
Use of gloves not required with diluted solution
Cost effective use rate
Good wetting agent
*Leaves bacteriostatic residue*
Biodegradable


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## Frogtofall (Feb 16, 2006)

I agree with Jordan here. Do NOT use Physan on plants intended for a viv.

In all honesty, I would just rinse them really well and keep them in really warm frogless (animaless for that matter) viv for a few weeks then transfer them over.

Good luck.


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## Guest (Jul 31, 2006)

Yah, i would just rinse em with water well. I personally like having the natural little bugs in the terrarium as long as they do not become a nuisance. I currently have a few rolly polly bugs that hitch hiked themselved in and they eat the dead leaves and stuff for me! BTW, my viv does not have frogs yet tho.


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## Mantellaprince20 (Aug 25, 2004)

Hey Ben, I had that same problem, damn creeping ferns fell right off the trees into my suitcase and somehow rolled themselves up in my socks and pant pockets...... Anyway, instead of letting good plants go to waste when I got home, I rinsed them off really well and put them in a vivarium with frogs in it, and have seen absolutely no adverse affects to date, and it has been 5 months nearly now. THey are doing well, and it is nice having this weird morph of micropylum in my vivs . ANyway, I would go with the pure water rinse only, i mean, these frogs live with this crap in the wild anyway, and I really don't think it is much cause for concern. Keep in mind though that mine were epiphytes and didn't really have a root mass to deal with........ or much soil.......

Ed Parker


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## Dane (Aug 19, 2004)

Just be really certain that they didn't come from an area where Chytrid has been documented.


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## Rain_Frog (Apr 27, 2004)

I haven't used it yet, but from reading, 

If you can find it, Potassium permanganate *supposedly makes a very potent oxidizer and is as strong as bleach, but is less corrosive to plant tissues. I would soak the plants after a good, weak solution with some activated carbon to remove the rest of it. However, potassium permanganate has been banned from many places because it is so strong. 

Unfortunately, the large jugs of this stuff can be very expensive and I do have a small bottle of it, but not enough to sterilize a whole tub of plants, so it goes unused. I don't know either if watering the product down like most manufacturers say is enough to kill chytrid, but I don't know if its safe to just use it straight. 

If you're interested, I could find the article online that said how many ppm of KMnO4 you need in order to kill chytrid zoospores.

http://www.pondrx.com/store/customer/pr ... roductid=1


I think the best way is to just make a dilute solution of hypochlorous acid with vinegar and bleach and water it down and it makes the most potent disinfectant around. (with reference to Patty's/ slaytonp's article)


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## Dancing frogs (Feb 20, 2004)

I wouldn't take a chance...
Cytrid is getting closer and closer...I wouldn't wait for documents to make a decision.
If the plants are way cool, like stuff you never see for sale...maybee, if you have the room, skip disinfection for now, and plant it in an area not near you're frogs, or things that go near you're frogs.
Let it grow out there, till it gets big enough to take cuttings, then disinfect them, root them out, rinse the hell out of them, and try them in a viv...
That's what I'd do anyway...


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## *GREASER* (Apr 11, 2004)

a 10% bleach solution will kill chytrid. Its not very complicated.


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## Frogtofall (Feb 16, 2006)

Doesn't letting the plants sit in temps greater than 94F kill Chytrid? I thought I remember Grassypeak saying something like that.


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## *GREASER* (Apr 11, 2004)

Frogtofall said:


> Doesn't letting the plants sit in temps greater than 94F kill Chytrid? I thought I remember Grassypeak saying something like that.


yeah i heard over 90


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## Dancing frogs (Feb 20, 2004)

*GREASER* said:


> Frogtofall said:
> 
> 
> > Doesn't letting the plants sit in temps greater than 94F kill Chytrid? I thought I remember Grassypeak saying something like that.
> ...


Likewise...


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## dustin_grey (Mar 8, 2006)

Well I dont really have much to add, but wow! We have a few smugglers on this board.

Way to go!


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