Atlanta Area Aquarium Association Forum

It would probably kill everything, snails, algae and the plants.

You'd probably want to do the dip for less than a minute or so depending on the plant. I think almost all the plants would die if you had them in there a week. If you get some potassium permanganate that works well for getting rid of snails, and not harmful to plants. The only downside is if you get it on yourself or your clothes you end up purple.

I think potassium permanganate is harder to find because of it use in homemade bombs.  It can be found in products that clear organic matter from ponds, like cloud free, pond clear, I think by Jungle products.

Most plants can withstand a 1 to 2 minute dip in a diluted 5% bleach solution. My general rule of thumb is 2 1/2 cups bleach in a standard 3-gallon bucket. You'll need a second bucket to rinse the plants with water. Finally, add a little dechlorinator. It should get rid of the snails, green spot algae and even the dreaded beard algae.

Devin

P.S. I wouldn't exceed 2 minutes by very much because the bleach will begin to burn the plants.

Keep in mind that plants vary in sensitivity to bleach solutions. From what I have heard, thick leaved plants such as anubias and Java ferns handle the bleach dip better than fine leaved plants such as Myriophlylum aquaticum.

I would buy some plants with snails.
need something for certain fish to munch on.
I can't even grow algae in my tanks             ;)easier to clean

Just saw a good article, by our recent guest speaker Mark Denaro, on this subject, over at the TFH site:

If you ... don’t want to risk population explosions of other snail species, it is important to treat every plant that goes into the tank with aluminum sulphate, potassium permanganate, or some other chemical that will kill not only snails but snail eggs that may be attached to the plants.

Aluminum sulphate, unlike potassium permanganate, will not turn you purple, and is not used in the manufacture of bombs, so it is easier to get. Find it at your neighborhood garden center, where it is sold to help lower soil pH for acid loving plants such as azaleas, and camellias.

Chris Noto wrote:

aluminum sulphate

Is that the same as Alum that sold at Kroger?

"Alum" not the same as aluminum sulphate.

To reiterate:

Find it at your neighborhood garden center, where it is sold to help lower soil pH for acid loving plants such as azaleas, and camellias.