The Great Debate: Indian Almond Leaves

[gomezladdams]

I use them in my betta tanks.Turns the water a light tea color.

 

[nikond70s]

i like the tanning it gives to the tank makes it look more natural. unfortunetly i cannot keep the tanning in my water as if goes away within 3 days.

 

[Mustang Boy]

i like the tanning it gives to the tank makes it look more natural. unfortunetly i cannot keep the tanning in my water as if goes away within 3 days.

you problem is probably that your running charcoal in your filter and it will filter out all the tannins

 

[ianab]

I thought the leaves make water soft, and snails shells need hard?

I think you will find they lower the pH, due to the tannins being acidic, but I cant see them absorbing calcium from the water, so hardness shouldn't really be affected.

Out of interest the aquarium remedies Melafix and Pimafix are made from oils extracted from the Cajeput and Bay tree leaves respectively.

So the idea of using leaves as an anti-biotic is not a crazy one. The Indian Almond leaves just bypass the stage where it gets distilled out of the leaves and put in a little plastic bottle.

Ian

 

[SubRosa]

I think alot of the anibiotic claims from almond leaves comes from the tannins themselves lowering the pH. Low pH inhibits many bacteria.

 

[KatelynC]

I have 4 massive oaks right out my front door, I want to put some oak leaves in a couple of my tanks, is there anything special i need to do to them before they go in my tank?

 

[msjinkzd]

just collect them after they are fallen and dried. make sure no pesticides were sprayed on them

 

[KatelynC]

okay thanks msJ!

 

[FindingBlemo]

Will the oaks release tannins too? How about Maple?

 

[msjinkzd]

oak will and maple also.