Is there anyway to disinfect plants

[Jadenlea]

Is there any way to KNOW you are not transferring bad organisms from one tank to another when it comes to plants?

 

Is there some kind of plant wash people use to make sure their plants are safe?    

 

 

For example,   When I was dealing with my bacterial infection in one tank, and I set up a second tank, I bought all new plants rather than risk contamination when I actually had plenty of tank clippings I could have used and saved a lot of money.

 

Would there realistically have been a plant was I could have used to make sure nothing transferred?

[mayphly]

Here are a few ways to prevent spreading unwanted pests from your new plants. This was taken from aquariumplants.com. I've used the bleach method myself. Some mosses won't survive being dipped.

Potassium Permanganate Dip
This is the milder and safer method for the plants. Use a bucket filled about 1/2 full of water. Add enough Potassium Permanganate to color the water a dark pink. To disinfect and kill most algae use a 10-20 minute bath in this solution. Rinse the plants under tap water thoroughly and add dechlor to your tank...it neutralizes Potassium Permanganate too. You also could rinse by dipping in a bucket with dechlor and then rinsing under running tap water.

CAUTION: Potassium Permanganate is a strong powerful oxidizer. Treatment should be made outside the tank...it will kill your bio-filter. Like all chemicals you should wear protective eye wear and gloves. Potassium Permanganate will stain clothing, carpeting, skin, etc. Never combine Potassium Permanganate and Formalin, this will result in explosive results and dangerous gases.

Bleach (Chlorine) Dip
This is a more effective and sure-fire way to kill algae but also has the risk of killing the plant in the process. Regular household bleach (i.e. Clorox) is diluted to a 5% (19 parts water to 1 part bleach) solution in a bucket. Have a second bucket filled with rinse water containing 3X the normal dechlor. Dip large leaf plants for 3 minutes, immediately move to the dechlor rinse bucket, then rinse under running tap water for a few seconds. If you still smell chlorine, repeat the rinse process again. For small delicate leaf plants and mosses dip for only 2 minutes in the bleach. To be safe, add dechlor to the tank after adding the plants back. Also, if you are dipping a lot of plants you may need to add more dechlor to your rinse water.

Remember, the bleach dip can and may kill your plants, so use with caution. Use the same caution handling bleach as recommended for Potassium Permanganate.

Alum Dip
The Alum dip is more for killing microscopic bugs. Use at 1 tablespoon per gallon of water. Soak the plant for at least an hour, longer soaks of 2 to 3 days are needed to kill snails and snail eggs. For snails and snails eggs a 2-3 hour soak in a stronger solution of 3 tablespoons per gallon of water is a better choice. Alum isn't nearly as effective as the prior two for killing algae.

[Jadenlea]

Neat.  I have used the Potassium Permanganate dip before when I had fish and was first buying plants  for my first tank.  I knew noone in the hobby and didnt trust anyone so I was a little OCD.    I had read about it on a fish forum but that was years ago and never knew if it really worked.