Help! Keep plants alive

[Sara86]

I just received all my plants for my tank, I had ordered them when I noticed a new fish has ich. I'm treating it with heat, because of my snails and shrimp. The tanks temperature is at 32°c until tomorrow then it will go down to 30°c for 6 days. I don't want to put my new plants in until the temperature is back down and the ich is gone. My question is what's the best way to keep my plants alive until then? Should I un-pot them and put them in a bucket of cool water until I'm ready? Will they be ok for at least 6 days? I do have a spare tank but my air pump is in my tank to help oxygenate it while the temperature is so high. I'm pretty new to the planted tank, I'm all low tech no co2, normal lighting so the plants are all low tech as well. Any advice would be much appreciated thanks

 

[Guest]

Firstly, hi and welcome.
The old raise the temp to get rid of ich is hit and miss...more miss in my inexpedience. I think it just stresses already stressed critters even more.
Reduce your temp to normal and use eSha Exit - it's shrimp, snail, and plant safe. And it can be combined with eSHa 2000 as a broad spectrum treatment.
Don't forget to take your filters capacity in to account when figuring out the correct dose and remove all absorbent media - charcoal and purigen etc...

Problem solved...you can now plant straight away. Nonetheless, if your plants are emersed and sealed in pots they will last several days and should be fine as is without any problems.

 

[Andy Thurston]

Also Huge daily water changes are good for ich treatment. Its also beneficial to a newly planted setup so Win Win

 

[Sara86]

Hi
Thank you for the replies.
I have treated ich successfully this way once before when I first setup my tank. Thank you for giving me the names of shrimp/snails safe products, that was why I tried heat treatment the first time because I couldn't get anything that wouldn't kill my snails. I will use them in the future if needed as heat treatment sucks. I've been doing 40-50% water changes since even day since I started the treatment. I have 6 days left at 30°c which is warm enough to stop them breeding, 32°c kills any free swimming ich but any lower than 29°c and it can infect uninfected fish in the tank. Would my plant be ok for 6 days in the pots, in the zip lock bags they came in, if I leave them in their box in a cool dark place and just sprinkle in some water twice a day?

 

[Paulo Soares]

Good Morning,

Troi said it all.
I also have a high planted tank in 25 degrees, with fish and shrimp.

In the past i also treat my fish from "ICH" and didn´t increase the water temperature. I suggest you don´t believe in all you read in the web but in peoples experience.

I did use eSha Exit at the same time with eSHa 2000 following exactly the doses reccommended by the manufacturer.

I Didn´t do any dayli water change. What´s the point? So you´re adding medicine and after a while you remove it? How do you expect the treatment to take effect?

I haven´t done any water change untill the 5th day treatment was done.
So i suggest you do this way:

Put the water temperature for what it was normal before.
Do a three day treatment following exactly the dosage recommended.
Then yes do a water change at the end of 4th day.
Wait a couple of days to see results in the fish. You´ll be able to watch if the ICh is disapearing.
If not repeat more three / four days of treatment. And only after do again a water change.
Use both Exit and 2000.

Plants can enter any time. Even if you still want to have a 30 degree water temperature. No harm at all.
In the summer plants are in stores at higher temperatures and nothing occur. At list here in Portugal 😉

Still if they are 1/2 grow or Cups you can wait ending the treatment and return to a water temperature below and plant then.

Even if they are not 1/2 grow or cups just simply put them in large container with tap water. Let them be floating in it. They will absorb plenty of co2 from the air and live happy till you plant them in the tank . 🙂

Best regards

 

[Sara86]

Thank for ur reply, the ich isn't the problem. I have successfully used heat treatment this way before over 2 years ago when I first setup my tank. I only found out about these products last nite and by the time I order and receive them the heat treatment will be finished. (have to order as none of my LPS stock it) But in future I will be using eSha products as heat treatment is time consuming I really appreciate you guy's telling me about them. My problem is the temperature for the next 5.5 days will be °30 and all the plants are between 26-28°c. I sprinkled them with water this morning and put them back in a cool dark room they are still in zip lock bags, I'll sprinkle them again tonight but will they survive like this or will they be ok floating in the tank at 30°c until the temperature goes down and I can plant them?

Thanks again for replying 🙂

 

[Paulo Soares]

Take them out of the bags. Plants are put in bags just for transportation. No for being there more then a 3 or 4 days. Otherwise they dye.

Put them in a container with tap water and let them be floating in there with the natural light environment inside the house and not in the dark. In the dark room it´s the worst you can do. Light is life for them. They will last long for several days.

Best regards

 

[Sara86]

Brilliant thank you so much, unfortunately they will have to stay like that for a few more hours until I get home from work but I will fix it as soon as I get home.

Thanks