[LolaQuigs]

I have some marimo balls in QT and I'd like to add them to my tanks. One of the reasons I shy away from plants is that I'm paranoid they'll introduce some nasty critter into my tank. The problem is, I don't know exactly what I'm looking for!

 

[Mo]

How long have they been in quarentine for? Usually about 3 weeks of a quarentine will provide the optimal amount of time for all the things that could be carried with it to go away, and die off

 

[LolaQuigs]

They've been in QT for about three weeks. So whatever they could have on them (if anything) will just die off on its own? There are no little hitchhikers that could survive being in a fishless tank?

 

[ravenwinds]

You probably should have seen snails by now if there hitchhikers. But, it would be almost impossible to see hydra, they look like little trees waving their branches and they are freshwater equivalent of jellyfish or anemone and they paralyze their prey. Hydra are carnivorous and they have been seen eating fry and baby shrimp. They only come from plants brought in, they do not appear through bad husbandry. In addition, planaria, a worm like creature, can hitch a ride on New plants.
Just quarantining plants won't always get rid of pests; I use an alum or aquarium salt bath of about 1-2 tablespoon per gallon of water for about 2 hrs...I too am paranoid, so my bath lasts a bit longer; there are many recipes on websites so you could probably find many variations!
Be sure to thoroughly rinse, soak, rinse and gently squeeze the marimo balls to remove the solution!