Leaf Litter

[Nokinja]

Does anyone have experience with Leaf Litter in their tanks? I hear quite a few Apisto keepers use Oak leaf litter in the tanks. I live in the country and have an Oak tree in my back yard and I am considering using the leaves in my Tiger Barb tank when they start to turn colors this fall. My tank is decorated with silica (which I don’t really like the look of) and lots of driftwood from our lake as well as some silk plants. (not the fake looking ones)

I hear the best process is to boil them for a few minutes and then to keep them submerged in water for 2-3 days. Has anyone else considered this?

 

[petunia100]

I know nothing about leaf litter but the site

http://forum.apistogramma.com/

should be able to give helpful info, especially if you are interested in apistos, regardless they could give info about how to use them.

I went to the apisto forum and searched within that forum under leaf litter and had several hits.

 

[JohnPaul]

I remember reading on some sight dedicated to raising/breeding aquarium shrimp that sometimes putting one oak leaf (treated, much as you described) in a shrimp tank can be very beneficial. Don't remember exactly where I saw it, though.

 

[hc8719]

I remember reading on some sight dedicated to raising/breeding aquarium shrimp that sometimes putting one oak leaf (treated, much as you described) in a shrimp tank can be very beneficial. Don't remember exactly where I saw it, though.

careful, dont add a fresh oak leaf, they have to be all dried up and on the ground.

green oak leaves have some kinda poison in them

 

[Sicklid]

How about going to a crafts store and using silk plant leaves... It's fall, and they will sell them soon.

 

[Acer]

look into "betta leaves" they are almond leaves many betta breeders use to help condition water for breeding bettas. they leach out tannis & also make your water a light tan color.
i have used them to breed apistos wiht much success/

 

[JohnPaul]

Thanks hc8719, an important clarification that I was assuming but didn't state explicitly: definitely a browned, dried leaf, not a living green one. And the site I was reading actually talked about this as an alternative to almond leaves, being as for most people at least in this country, oak leaves are a little easier to come by then almond ones.

Of course, you always have the same worry that exists when taking anything out of the environment and putting it into a tank: has it been exposed to pesticides or low levels of other chemicals that are gonna cause a kill-off? So there's some element of risk, how much I guess depends upon where you live.

 

[Acer]

almond leaves are easily purchased, try aquabid or google almond leaves for sellers

 

[Sicklid]

It's not the tannins they react to for spawning in an aquarium, it's the fact that they can hide and root around under the leaf litter and feel secure cause you can't see them under there. I mean, the tannins do help in spawning, but you already have the driftwood for softening the water which does a much better job depending on how much/what kind you have. And you're already using fake silk plants. Real leaves won't look that good after a bit and will need replacing frequently. So at the risk of sounding silly repeating myself, see my above post.