# Potassium Permanganate instructions



## christian_cowgirlGSR (Aug 2, 2011)

I ordered some permanganate from an ebay seller recently. It arrived in a plastic baggie with no instructions. Can anyone tell me how much I need to use per how much water in order to use it to sanitize things, such as plants, nets, etc.?


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## christian_cowgirlGSR (Aug 2, 2011)

I tried to post a link to the listing, and it didn't work. The P.P. I got is in a powdered form, and is very fine and is black in color.


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## thechibi (Jan 20, 2012)

I'm not one hundred percent sure. I used the potassium permanganate from Jungle's Clear Water to dip my plants.

The page I got it from said just to add enough to turn the water a bit purple and soak for 10-20 minutes. That's usually what I go by. If it's MEGA DARK PURPLE OF THE DARK PURPLE OVERLORD... maybe that's too purple/too much.


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## Powchekny (Jan 25, 2010)

I don't have a prescribed dosing method. I only use it for an anti-snail dip on new plants, so keep that in mind when you consider my recommendation.

I add permanganate to my dipping bowl until the water is a medium to dark pink. It takes only a very small amount to reach that concentration. I usually leave plants in the dip for fifteen to twenty minutes. So far, I haven't introduced any unwanted snails to my tank.

A precaution: permanganate is a strong oxidizer, and also capable of causing serious brown stains on anything you might get it on (the MnO2)

Be careful with it, and don't let it come into contact with things that might burn. Wood, sawdust, sugar, you get the picture.

edit: this link shows a picture of a solution which looks about the same as what I use for a snail dip.

http://deosum.com/Articles/208-how-to-make-the-fire-chemically-potassium-permanganate-kmno4.aspx

another edit: Your Ebay seller shouldn't be shipping KMnO4 in a plastic baggie. It could break.


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## thechibi (Jan 20, 2012)

And yeah, definitely invest in some gloves and a safe place to put it. >> I have a designated plant dip jar/net soak jar. That is the only thing it is used for.


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## christian_cowgirlGSR (Aug 2, 2011)

What is the proper way to dispose of the potassium permanganate water once it's been used? Also, will latex-type gloves work when handling P.P.?


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## m00se (Jan 8, 2011)

When I was a kid they made me soak my feet in PP because I had a nasty case of athlete's foot. We got that mixture dang-near black-purple and I soaked for 10-15 minutes once a day for a long time. My dad had MS in chemistry from Cornell so I think he had an idea of concentrations. There is no "magic" strength for PP to work. It is a strong oxidizer but it's not dangerous unless you're really TRYING to catch it on fire (don't ask me how I know this LOLOL)... A medium-deep pink/purple is what I shoot for when disinfecting aquarium stuff. You don't NEED gloves but the crystals will stain anything that has water in/on it (your fingers). It will leave a residue from the organics it burns off, which you can get rid of with sodium bisulfite (not META bisulfite). I don't remember if the guy I'm pretty sure you got yours from on ebay sells it or not.

If you go to ebay and put 290358341378 in the search field it should take you to his store, right? (wink)

Cheers


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## jmowbray (Dec 20, 2009)

m00se said:


> You don't NEED gloves but the crystals will stain anything that has water in/on it (your fingers).


Lol I just dipped plants to send out on Sunday and by the time I got done it looked like I had jaundice as my finger nails were all yellow with a tint of brown.


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## 150EH (Dec 6, 2004)

If preparing your own (dry) Potassium Permanganate treatment, use 2 ppm per liter of water for in tank (pond) treatments and up to 10 ppm per liter for 10 -30 minute baths.
For already prepared Potassium Permanganate (in liquid form) such as Jungle's Clear Water, use double the recommended normal tank dosage for a bath. 


More to read here look 2/3's the way down the page until you see PP as Jungle Clear water and read the whole section but dry info is closer to the end of the article.

Edit: the above link stinks but there is some good info on using it, be very careful with it from what I'm seeing so far.

This is a little better

Potassium permanganate crystals can be fatal if swallowed. The dry crystals can irritate eyes, lung and skin. Use all safety measures when using KMnO4 to treat fish tank water. With permanganate, more is not better, and strong solutions can harm aquatic pets. Do not use more potassium permanganate than is suggested


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## christian_cowgirlGSR (Aug 2, 2011)

m00se - no, that's not the same place, but it's a similar item. Go to ebay and type in 270881519847.


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## m00se (Jan 8, 2011)

Dang!! Free shipping! (jots that # down)

...yea jmowbray, sounds like you used enough concentration!

I used to have very brown toenails. Hence the sodium bisulfite....


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