# Disinfecting Plants



## frogdaddy1 (Oct 4, 2020)

Hi everyone, this is my first time making a vivarium and my frog (i am a father to be) arrives in two weeks. My plants have been growing in the terrarium for about a week and a half now - I planted them originally and then realized I hadn't cleaned them, so I pulled them out, rinsed the roots and then put them back. 

Of course, on further reading, I see that a bleach bath is recommended to really kill all the potential baddies. I currently have bugs starting the bio-active process in the terrarium. My question is : should I pull and bleach the plants and then pop them back? Will this hurt the microfauna?
Do I need to also change the growing medium? 

Or is the water rinse that I did okay? I'm getting a Powder Blue Tinc and do NOT want to kill it accidentally omg. 

Thank you!


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## Socratic Monologue (Apr 7, 2018)

Bleaching them is to be done before you put them into the viv -- so that no pests/pathogens hitch a ride. Once the plants are in the viv, it would do very little good to bleach them, since anything hitchhikers have already reached their destination.

It isn't likely that you'll have introduced a frog pathogen, so don't sweat the introduction of the frog. Plant pests are a different matter, but they are mostly just nuisances. Do it right next time, but I don't think you should lose any sleep over what you did this time.


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## Tihsho (Sep 21, 2009)

Anyone know if chlorhexidine or F10 are safe to use? They are used by vets to sterilize equipment and are non toxic to humans, but not sure if flora can handle it or if its frog safe after a few rinses.


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## Socratic Monologue (Apr 7, 2018)

Tihsho said:


> Anyone know if chlorhexidine or F10 are safe to use? They are used by vets to sterilize equipment and are non toxic to humans, but not sure if flora can handle it or if its frog safe after a few rinses.


I'd be more concerned if those agents can reliably kill all the pests most people want to avoid -- snails, slugs, flatworms. I doubt they do, or at least I doubt that anyone knows if they do, and so wouldn't be a good choice for cleaning plants.

Nor do they have readily available neutralizing agents that I know of; bleach does.


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## E.Shell (Aug 27, 2020)

Any recommendations for pet-safe sterilizing locally procured tree limbs, etc. without substantially altering their character (bark color/algae/moss/lichens?)

I have always used the oven to bake things like that, but need to use something too large for the oven, and I'd like to avoid killing off the micro-flora this time.

I'm not too paranoid, not really anything venomous here (like scorpions), plus I used PVC (Azek) for the enclosure, and not wood, so many pests like termites and wood boring critters are not able to get out or into the structure. I would still like to try to eliminate "hitchhikers".

Thanks,
Ed


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## bulbophyllum (Feb 6, 2012)

E.Shell said:


> Any recommendations for pet-safe sterilizing locally procured tree limbs, etc. without substantially altering their character (bark color/algae/moss/lichens?)
> 
> I have always used the oven to bake things like that, but need to use something too large for the oven, and I'd like to avoid killing off the micro-flora this time.
> 
> ...



I would try to solarize it. Maybe put it in a plastic bag in the sun. Create a mini greenhouse. I think 140'F is the target temp to kill insects when they kiln dry wood.

gary


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## Kmc (Jul 26, 2019)

Socrates mentions an underused point, the use of declorinators as a final dip. I made it a stiff dip since sodium thiosulfate is harmless and it promotes a sense of penetrability to make it stronger, but it couldve been unnecessary. 

Bagging in plastic means you are blocking out uv radiation, which has nice kill power. 

I have a spare mercury lamp I use to dry things, it's fairly young I just realized I should put my masks under it.


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## E.Shell (Aug 27, 2020)

bulbophyllum said:


> I would try to solarize it. Maybe put it in a plastic bag in the sun. Create a mini greenhouse. I think 140'F is the target temp to kill insects when they kiln dry wood.
> 
> gary


Thank you for your suggestion Gary!


Kmc said:


> Socrates mentions an underused point, the use of declorinators as a final dip. I made it a stiff dip since sodium thiosulfate is harmless and it promotes a sense of penetrability to make it stronger, but it couldve been unnecessary.


A 'declorinator'...as in a solution with a product like the aquarium product "Prime"?
Ed


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## Socratic Monologue (Apr 7, 2018)

E.Shell said:


> Thank you for your suggestion Gary!A 'declorinator'...as in a solution with a product like the aquarium product "Prime"?
> Ed


That is the product I use post bleach dip.


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## E.Shell (Aug 27, 2020)

Socratic Monologue said:


> That is the product I use post bleach dip.


Excellent, we're on 'city water' here and I keep Prime on hand for my tanks. Thank you!


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## RGilbers (Oct 2, 2020)

Excuse me for making maybe a silly question. But I got yesterday some plants which I want to place in my viv when it finally arrives. But reading this thread it seems that I need to tread the plant a proper way prior to place them in the viv. At the moment I just placed them in transparent plastic boxes with grow light the way I received them. But after reading this I start to think to do some more. Is there a good thread which gives me the right way to do this? I found yesterday allready a snail today all was clear but while reading this I think maybe its better to follow some better advise.

Bleach dip???? I think there must be a right recipe for it because just throw a couple of cups bleach in some water and rinse the riits with it I dont think plants like that....but thats just a feeling.


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## Socratic Monologue (Apr 7, 2018)

I mix one part of regular Chlorox disinfecting bleach with nine parts tap water, and submerge the plants into that mixture for ten minutes. I then remove the plants and rinse them under the tap. I then mix tap water and some Seachem Prime, and submerge the plants is that mixture until I cannot smell bleach on the plants (couple minutes).


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## RGilbers (Oct 2, 2020)

Socratic Monologue said:


> I mix one part of regular Chlorox disinfecting bleach with nine parts tap water, and submerge the plants into that mixture for ten minutes. I then remove the plants and rinse them under the tap. I then mix tap water and some Seachem Prime, and submerge the plants is that mixture until I cannot smell bleach on the plants (couple minutes).


I assume that you get rid of all the substrate the plants came with. So take of the pot and earth so that the roots are clear. After the cleaning process do you pot them in some earth and leave them in quarantaine for a while?


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## Socratic Monologue (Apr 7, 2018)

Yes, the standard procedure is to rinse the soil away so that the entire plant can be bleached. If at all possible, I like to take clippings off of potted plants for use in vivs, but with some plants that isn't possible or desirable.

I don't quarantine after bleaching, though I think some people do.


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## RGilbers (Oct 2, 2020)

Thanks all clear this weekend I'll start cleaning them


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