General

I had been reading months ago over at the aquariumcoop forums. A method for treating plants to rid them of hitchhiker animals and algae is quite popular there called Reverse Respiration.

We have tried it a number of times and it seems to work well. It involves weighing down plants in seltzer water and in complete darkness for 6 to 9 hours or overnight, then transferring them to soak in dechlorinated water with aerator for 30 mins, then rinsing and trimming off obviously damaged leaves before planting. For some delicate plants, the seltzer soak can be reduced to 2 to 3 hours, especially if you only want to be rid of animals.

The article seems to have compared various plant treatment methods, too, and seemed well researched and tested. The plants seem to recover from subsequent melt and grow in quite well, based on my observations. It helps to ensure the temp of the waters involved (seltzer, dechlored tap, tank) are close, so as not to shock the plants during the transfers.

We use this method for new plants and for treating and retreating plants with stubborn algae. It helps, of course, to ensure the conditions that encouraged the algae are eliminated or reduced.

Just passing this along, since I haven't heard it mentioned at club meetings.