How to clean old aquarium plants?

[cjconcepcion]

i found a lot of really old plastic plants from when my dad had a 50 gallon tank... i want to clean them to reuse them, im pretty sure they werent rinsed before going into storage, so theyre covered in old algae and stuff... and theyre really old. like. probably 10 years old. how would i go about cleaning them? ive got them sitting in a vinegar solution right now

[donnachristine3]

Depending on where the tank was stored(chemicals) i would just use old fashion hot water soak with very lil.soap if any because any trace of detergents can be harmful.if there is a film try vinegar works great!

[Aus]

If you're using them for bettas, run a nylon stocking over them - if it catches, the plants are likely to tear delicate betta fins.

Dunno about cleaning. Scrubbing and rinsing a lot.. I doubt many pathogens would survive a decade out of water.

[cjconcepcion]

theyre gentle enough :) and its not really the pathogens that im worried about, theyre just gross and covered with old brown algae. haha

[MSG]

I wouldn't use any soap. Spray the plants down with a high pressure shower hose & soak them in slightly hot water for a few minutes. Swirl it around, pull out the plants and check to see if the plastic is pliable. If it's brittle, toss them.

Those plastic things don't last forever.

Also if the dried algae bothers you that much, use some vinegar & baking soda. You might want to get some goggles while you do this. Swirl it around, soak for a bit and then rinse well

[cjconcepcion]

alright! i got myself some work to do tomorrow haha