Would you buy these plants?

[Lukara]

Hi. For the passed few months I've been browsing the plants at a pet shop and noticed that as the weeks progressed, the plants were growing a kind of string algae (I'm not sure exactly what kind). Today I passed by the shop again and saw that they just received a new batch of plants. Some of their tanks had older plants with the algae on them, but the new ones didn't (not yet anyway). Would you buy plants from tanks that you know have had plants with string algae on them?

I realize that if your home tank conditions are properly set up you should be able to starve whatever algae that may be present on the new plants you purchase. I'm just wondering, would you buy nice fresh plants from tanks that you know have had plants with some serious hair algae on them from your local lfs?

[Tempest]

I would if the new ones were what I was looking for. I do a two day alum water soak on plants from a place that I think has snail infestation. (About 2 T to a quart of water) I think the conditions in *your* tank are more important than the possible introduction of some stray spores. I think if the conditions are right in your tank for algae, then you will probably pick up the spores from the air anyhow.