Hydrogen Peroxide as a plant wash-non bonsai related

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I was hoping to get some help from the nutter gang.
There seems to be quite a few of you here that have a good understanding of Hydrogen peroxide.
This is non bonsai related but im sure you'd be able to help....please : )

I want to wash down some aquarium plants before placing them in my tank...to clean them and remove any possible hitch-hikers (snails etc).
They are Anubias which are attached to driftwood.They're a hardy,tough plant with thick,firm leaves that grow from a rhizome.
Im going to fill a 10L bucket and add a good dose of HP to the water and then let them soak for a bit, while swishing them around occassionally.

My question is - how much HP should i add to 10L of water, for cleaning/sterilizing and de-bugging, without harming the plants?
I'd really appreciate your answers...thanking you very much for your input, cheers.
 

Frozentreehugger

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I know nothing about water tank plants . And what your trying to do . But my understanding is HP is water with extra .oxygen in it . If you pour it in a bowl it will
Eventually turn to water . One of the reasons it’s used for wounds . It turns to harmless water . Lots of people water seeds with it and or plants in recovery . Idea being the oxygen will impart a benefit to the roots . I have no experience with it what so ever . But I doubt it will harm a plant even in its drug store form . If you look at the bottle it is normally 3 percent HP . In its pure form it has industrial applications and is very caustic . I assume you are talking about the diluted drug store stuff .
 

Wires_Guy_wires

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I know nothing about water tank plants . And what your trying to do . But my understanding is HP is water with extra .oxygen in it . If you pour it in a bowl it will
Eventually turn to water . One of the reasons it’s used for wounds . It turns to harmless water . Lots of people water seeds with it and or plants in recovery . Idea being the oxygen will impart a benefit to the roots . I have no experience with it what so ever . But I doubt it will harm a plant even in its drug store form . If you look at the bottle it is normally 3 percent HP . In its pure form it has industrial applications and is very caustic . I assume you are talking about the diluted drug store stuff .
It's turned into water by the enzyme peroxidase, which is present in almost every organism except about half of the bacteria and a bunch of fungi.
That's why wounds fizz when you put it on there. On top of the oxygen releasing through chemical interactions. It smells like acetic acid because it also forms acetic acid in wounds, as it interacts with organic chains as an oxidizer.

3%, if exposed long enough will hurt plants. Peroxide in light will release either the hydrogen or the oxygen, turning the solution slightly acidic. The free oxygen (radicals) oxidize things in the solution, like fatty acids, bacterial films and organic molecules.

1.5% is the recommended dose for mouthwash and oral desinfectant. This shouldn't hurt human tissue, and since plants have tougher outer layers I believe that 1.5% it a strong enough dose to do some cleaning while leaving the plants unharmed. A 30 minute soak would be fine.
But.. There's probably some aquarium forum that has this figured out, with more decent reasoning around it.
 
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I know nothing about water tank plants . And what your trying to do . But my understanding is HP is water with extra .oxygen in it . If you pour it in a bowl it will
Eventually turn to water . One of the reasons it’s used for wounds . It turns to harmless water . Lots of people water seeds with it and or plants in recovery . Idea being the oxygen will impart a benefit to the roots . I have no experience with it what so ever . But I doubt it will harm a plant even in its drug store form . If you look at the bottle it is normally 3 percent HP . In its pure form it has industrial applications and is very caustic . I assume you are talking about the diluted drug store stuff .
Every little bit helps,cheers.
Yes, 3% solution (i do have 6% too).
 
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It's turned into water by the enzyme peroxidase, which is present in almost every organism except about half of the bacteria and a bunch of fungi.
That's why wounds fizz when you put it on there. On top of the oxygen releasing through chemical interactions. It smells like acetic acid because it also forms acetic acid in wounds, as it interacts with organic chains as an oxidizer.

3%, if exposed long enough will hurt plants. Peroxide in light will release either the hydrogen or the oxygen, turning the solution slightly acidic. The free oxygen (radicals) oxidize things in the solution, like fatty acids, bacterial films and organic molecules.

1.5% is the recommended dose for mouthwash and oral desinfectant. This shouldn't hurt human tissue, and since plants have tougher outer layers I believe that 1.5% it a strong enough dose to do some cleaning while leaving the plants unharmed. A 30 minute soak would be fine.
But.. There's probably some aquarium forum that has this figured out, with more decent reasoning around it.
Good info.
Id say you're right about the aquarium forums although i noted a while back that theres quite a few bonsai nutters that have some really good knowledge to share when it comes to HP.
Appreciate your time,thank you.
 

Deep Sea Diver

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There are almost no living creatures that can survive a proper dose of H2O2, even though many use it in their metabolic processes. (Some bacteria like Streptococcus pneumoniae are believed to use give it off to help evade the bodies immune system.) Peroxidase is given off by a defense mechanism…. Yet is a fruitless effort if exposed to a proper dose…

Ok enough of the birdwalk….

Mostly fw aquarium owners use H2O2 to knock down “black algae”… which is actually a red algae. Sometimes for other reasons. The ratio of 3% H2O2 on affected freshwater plants is often quoted as 3:1 water:3% H2O2 for about 3 minutes . Personally I use a much lower dose on healthy plants with no visible algae, about 2 TBSP/L max. (The same as I use to treat cuttings before shipping)

Once a system is up and running folks often small doses of H2O2 after a water change to clear up the small amounts of algae etc that often form between changes, esp. if it’s been an extended time since the last change. (Caused by Phosphorus build up, too much light…etc).

We routine use H2O2 on our freshwater aquarium system monthly. The dose amounts to a continuous squirt of 3% H2O2 across the surface of a 20 gal tank …. or 4 TBSP, as maintenance dose… and 6 TBSP right after water changes. (btw: Some folks without aquarium systems have derided these doses as ineffective, yet in actuality in practice it is surprisingly effective).

Hope this helps!

cheers
DSD sends
 

Wires_Guy_wires

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Yet is a fruitless effort if exposed to a proper dose…
Aww mann you forgot "within a certain timespan". Because peroxide doesn't bio accumulate.😉
I think the human body goes through a few gallons of peroxide in a lifetime. Maybe within a day even, I don't know much about peroxisomes, apart from the fact that they're inside almost every human cell and produce peroxide to metabolize things.

S. pneumoniae has the peroxidase enzyme as well. It uses peroxide (among other nasties) to make cells kill themselves so it can drink up the goods. So don't vape peroxide, kids!
 
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