For my setup, i have a permanent plant quarantine tank that is currently a 14 liter plastic "guppy" brand tank, with a well-seasoned compact hang-on filter and a set of LED lights (Up Aqua T-Series)
Any new plants that i get which come in the common LFS packets, cups or cartons... i will first remove them from the packaging and then rinse them thoroughly under running tap water for a few minutes. If I spot any strands of algae or snails or worms, i will manually remove them.
Next step, i put the washed plants in a container with a dosage of ISTA Snail Remover for up to 1 hour, that will kill off snails and their eggs, along with hydra and other critters. Usually after 30 minutes i can see dead snails and critters lying on the bottom of the container.
Then i put the snail-free plants into the quarantine tank and dose the following treatments:
1. Easy-Life AlgExit (to kill algae and their spores)
2. Seachem Paraguard (to kill parasites)
The quarantine tank also houses a group of 20+ cherry shrimps (ie. culled from my other tanks). They assist in eating up the dead or dying algae from the plants and performing general clean-up work. Interestingly, even with all those chemical treatments, the shrimps are all still thriving for months and even breed too.
The plants will usually be left in the quarantine tank for up to a week (sometimes longer if algae is still visible amongst the plants), they get regular light schedules and fertilizer dosing to maintain growth. Once i'm satisfied the plants are algae and pest free, then they'll be moved to the main tanks.
So far, this process (though lengthy) has ensured that i don't get anymore pests or algae hitchhiking into my tanks.
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