Sterilizing plants for a bioactive setup

TeaDragon · Post by **TeaDragon** » Tue Dec 15, 2020 1:56 am

Hey there! Long time stalker of the association, finally had the courage to come on and ask a question :)
So I've got some plants that I collected from my yard (bromeliads mostly) and I'm just wondering how I should go about sterilizing them. I've researched a bit and people on reptile boards recommend soaking them in diluted bleach for 5 mins and rinsing thoroughly, but I'm not sure if this will be okay for hermit crabs.
Also, is it alright to clean the tank walls with F10?

Post by **curlysister** » Tue Dec 15, 2020 10:30 am

Welcome to the forum!
Have you checked out AussieJJ's plant guide - there is a section that talks about quarantining plants prior to putting them into the tank.

viewtopic.php?f=39&t=120839

Also, what is F10?

Post by **JoeHermits** » Tue Dec 15, 2020 3:06 pm

If the bleach solution is safe for the plants it’ll be safe for the crabs, just rinse well to remove residue.

You can use F10 disinfectant to clean an empty tank so long as you rinse well afterwards. It cannot be used while animals are present.

https://www3.epa.gov/pesticides/chem_se ... 110314.pdf

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TeaDragon · Post by **TeaDragon** » Tue Dec 15, 2020 10:29 pm

curlysister wrote: ↑
Tue Dec 15, 2020 10:30 am
Welcome to the forum!
Have you checked out AussieJJ's plant guide - there is a section that talks about quarantining plants prior to putting them into the tank.

viewtopic.php?f=39&t=120839

Also, what is F10?

F10 is vet-grade disinfectant, it's pretty animal safe and is apparently biodegradable. Thank you for linking Aussie's guide, I'll have a read :)

JoeHermits wrote: ↑
Tue Dec 15, 2020 3:06 pm
If the bleach solution is safe for the plants it’ll be safe for the crabs, just rinse well to remove residue.

You can use F10 disinfectant to clean an empty tank so long as you rinse well afterwards. It cannot be used while animals are present.

https://www3.epa.gov/pesticides/chem_se ... 110314.pdf

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thank you :)

Post by **wodesorel** » Sat Dec 19, 2020 4:24 pm

Can I ask where you found F10? Been trying to get my hands on some all year, but like most sanitizers it's impossible!

TeaDragon · Post by **TeaDragon** » Sun Dec 20, 2020 6:43 am

wodesorel wrote: ↑
Sat Dec 19, 2020 4:24 pm
Can I ask where you found F10? Been trying to get my hands on some all year, but like most sanitizers it's impossible!

I got mine from the local exotic vet, but you can also get it online! Mind you, I am Australian, so people aren't going overboard buying things for the pandemic here any more. Hope you find some soon :)

Post by **wodesorel** » Sun Dec 20, 2020 12:29 pm

Lucky! That is exactly my problem, I'm in the US.

HCA: Hermit Crab Association