Moldy Encephalartos seeds

[Keys6505]

I purchased some Encephalartos seeds and have been having a rough time keeping them mold-free.  I have zero experience with cycad seeds but have dabbled in palm seeds with some success.  With these I took them as soon as I received them and placed them in a sealed clear plastic container laying on top of damp perlite (as wet as it could be without water collecting on the bottom of the container).  This setup was hovering about an inch over my cable box keeping it warmer than the ambient air.  After only a few days the seeds molded up.  I took them out, wiped them clean, soaked in H202 for about an hour, microwaved the perlite for a few minutes, cleaned the container with H202 and then reassembled.  This time I stuck a bottle cap under one corner of the container to vent it a little and only lightly misted the perlite.  About 2 days later it was mold city all over again.  I took it apart, cleaned the container again, microwaved the perlite even longer, cleaned the seeds in a 1:9 bleach solution, let them dry, then dunked them in a copper fungicide solution before placing them back in the setup.  Fast forward a few more days and they're friggin molding up again.  Any help as to what I'm doing wrong?

[amh]

21 hours ago, Keys6505 said:

I purchased some Encephalartos seeds and have been having a rough time keeping them mold-free.  I have zero experience with cycad seeds but have dabbled in palm seeds with some success.  With these I took them as soon as I received them and placed them in a sealed clear plastic container laying on top of damp perlite (as wet as it could be without water collecting on the bottom of the container).  This setup was hovering about an inch over my cable box keeping it warmer than the ambient air.  After only a few days the seeds molded up.  I took them out, wiped them clean, soaked in H202 for about an hour, microwaved the perlite for a few minutes, cleaned the container with H202 and then reassembled.  This time I stuck a bottle cap under one corner of the container to vent it a little and only lightly misted the perlite.  About 2 days later it was mold city all over again.  I took it apart, cleaned the container again, microwaved the perlite even longer, cleaned the seeds in a 1:9 bleach solution, let them dry, then dunked them in a copper fungicide solution before placing them back in the setup.  Fast forward a few more days and they're friggin molding up again.  Any help as to what I'm doing wrong?

Have the seeds sprouted yet?

If the seeds are still intact, soak in water for a few hours and then scrape off any mold or remaining sarcotesta. Take the cleaned seed and soak in a fungicide(chlorothalonil) and then place in new perlite. Keep seeds from drying out and occasionally apply more fungicide.