# dipping plants in epsom salt?



## jeffkrol (Jun 5, 2013)

epsom salts are magnesium sulfate.. Generally fairly harmless addition.. as to killing snails/eggs????


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## illbethejudge (Feb 13, 2017)

jeffkrol said:


> epsom salts are magnesium sulfate.. Generally fairly harmless addition.. as to killing snails/eggs????


I got snails in one of my tanks even when bathing the plants in clorox and now that i think about it it caused more harm to the plants than to the snails.


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## Seattle_Aquarist (Jun 15, 2008)

Hi illbethejudge,

My experience has been that some dips are effective at removing live snails few dips (if any) are effective against snail eggs. I have not heard of Epsom Salt (MgSO4*7H2O) being at all effective. Some folks have had some success with regular salt baths / dips (non-iodized) and potassium permanganate dips; I would avoid bleaches.

All of my tanks are snail-free. I quarantine my plants for about 4 weeks (under lights of course) and treat them with a copper solution. The copper solution kills live snails and as snail egg clusters hatch the babies snails are killed as well. I would not recommend using copper on plants that may be used in a tank with freshwater shrimp.


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## illbethejudge (Feb 13, 2017)

Seattle_Aquarist said:


> Hi illbethejudge,
> 
> My experience has been that some dips are effective at removing live snails few dips (if any) are effective against snail eggs. I have not heard of Epsom Salt (MgSO4*7H2O) being at all effective. Some folks have had some success with regular salt baths / dips (non-iodized) and potassium permanganate dips; I would avoid bleaches.
> 
> All of my tanks are snail-free. I quarantine my plants for about 4 weeks (under lights of course) and treat them with a copper solution. The copper solution kills live snails and as snail egg clusters hatch the babies snails are killed as well. I would not recommend using copper on plants that may be used in a tank with freshwater shrimp.


I have shrimps in my tank.
Quarantine i guess is a plus which i haven't done on any of the plants I've gotten.


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## PlantedRich (Jul 21, 2010)

Some understanding of snails and the way they are killed might be helpful? Snails can "close the door" to a dip that is hard on them. So once closed a dip has to be long enough to let the chemicals eat through the muscle holding the door before it kills the snail. Way too long for most plants to handle. Dips are likely to kill eggs pretty quick but then leaving live snails is not going to help much. 
Bleach dips for snails will not kill the snails or the plants will be dead as well. Chlorine is not selective on what organics it will react with so it has to be used in the correct situation.


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## illbethejudge (Feb 13, 2017)

PlantedRich said:


> Some understanding of snails and the way they are killed might be helpful? Snails can "close the door" to a dip that is hard on them. So once closed a dip has to be long enough to let the chemicals eat through the muscle holding the door before it kills the snail. Way too long for most plants to handle. Dips are likely to kill eggs pretty quick but then leaving live snails is not going to help much.
> Bleach dips for snails will not kill the snails or the plants will be dead as well. Chlorine is not selective on what organics it will react with so it has to be used in the correct situation.


I have to start buying snail free plants.


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## PlantedRich (Jul 21, 2010)

Pick them if they are big enough to see. A quick dip in some low level treatment that doesn't kill /damage the plants so much and then a time in something like QT to look for snails coming out of hiding? 
I don't really have a good answer. It has not been a big problem for me as I don't mind some snails and I also keep fish who don't let them come out of their shells when a fish is around. Hard to breed enough to overrun a tank if you have to keep the lid shut! 
Maybe some sort of modified program would fit what you need? I've read about dips for snails but not paid enough attention to what and how? Would a light dip make a snail close and therefore be easier to flip off?


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## Zoidburg (Mar 8, 2016)

Try alum dips and baths. This can kill snails and eggs and is much easier on plants.


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## GrampsGrunge (Jun 18, 2012)

I seem to remember that William T. Innes' ancient fish keeping tome Exotic Aquarium Fishes had a recommendation of using Alum: Ammonia Aluminum Sulfate as a mix of 2 tablespoon per gallon of treatment water, that will kill snails in a day. It's supposedly kinder to live plants than Potassium Permanganate. The eggs may take two days. Be sure to rinse the plants really well after the dip. you may want to aerate the mix while the plants are soaking.


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## sfsamm (Apr 3, 2017)

GrampsGrunge said:


> I seem to remember that William T. Innes' ancient fish keeping tome Exotic Aquarium Fishes had a recommendation of using Alum: Ammonia Aluminum Sulfate as a mix of 2 tablespoon per gallon of treatment water, that will kill snails in a day. It's supposedly kinder to live plants than Potassium Permanganate. The eggs may take two days. Be sure to rinse the plants really well after the dip. you may want to aerate the mix while the plants are soaking.


I've heard of this method and heard of success with it. I've not tried it myself... 

Personally I have a 2.5 gallon betta tank (sponge) filtered and all with assassins in it... All Pest snails go there and occasionally I make a trip to the pet store to feed the puffers. I rinse and wipe my plants with regular tap water and it seems to keep the number of invaders down tremendously. I've also developed quite a keen eye for the eggs, at least bladder snail eggs as that's what seems to be most common around my neck of the woods. 

I wouldn't mind the snails other than they get into the pumps and muddle everything up. They seem to do a fine job at keeping things clean, better than the nerites imo. 

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk


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## GrampsGrunge (Jun 18, 2012)

sfsamm said:


> I've heard of this method and heard of success with it. I've not tried it myself...
> 
> Personally I have a 2.5 gallon betta tank (sponge) filtered and all with assassins in it... All Pest snails go there and occasionally I make a trip to the pet store to feed the puffers. I rinse and wipe my plants with regular tap water and it seems to keep the number of invaders down tremendously. I've also developed quite a keen eye for the eggs, at least bladder snail eggs as that's what seems to be most common around my neck of the woods.
> 
> ...


Funny since I've restarted keeping plants from about 4 years ago I've won 3 ROAK's here and supposedly was to have been on the receiving end of some snails. But nada, I've not seen a one, and frankly I'm getting the upper hand on my 20H tank's algae problem with CO2 and a better balance of macro nutes. I may not need snails although I'd like to get a few Otocinclus.


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