How can i make wild aquatic plants safe for a fish tank?

Question

How can i make wild aquatic plants safe for a fish tank?

Answer 1

If you're planning on using them in a tank full of native fish as well, there isn't much to worry about.  Just do your best to rinse away excess mud from the roots (toxins tend to become concentrated in sediments, plus you probably don't want a muddy tank), and it probably wouldn't hurt to gently wipe or rinse off the leaves and stems to get rid of any algae that tends to go nuts once it's in a tank.  

Other than that, try to have the plants growing in a similar environment to what you found them in: ie, if you live in a temperate environment, don't plant them in a tropical tank; if they are poking out of the water where you found them, plant them in your tank so they can do the same.

One last note; beware of hitch-hikers.... I've brought plants from the field before only to have all sorts of eggs start hatching and winding up with a tank full of critters I hadn't planned for.  Things like that seldom work out well in the long run...

Good luck to ya

Answer 2

Unless you live in a remote region of the world why wouldn't you just go buy them form a pet store ? They are so cheap and the variety has got to be better that whats in the local lakes and rivers plus its safer.  I have heard of dipping them in a bleach water solution for about 20 seconds to kill off any stuff that's on there but that's with pet store plants I'm not sure about wild ones. Whatever you do wash it thoroughly afterwords Good Luck