A question about leaf litter

[Mengo]

Can I just take a random leaf and put it in my tank? What do I need to worry about and how do I prep them. I heard kuhli loaches and shrimp like leaf litter. Thanks!

[CJs Aquatics]

Interested in the answer to this also. I would think technically you could but i would imagine different ones carry different microscopic organisms with them. I would also assume different ones break down differently and leach different things in the tank perhaps altering ph differently. Probably different tannins as well. I think the procedure is usually to dry and boil them before placing them in tanks but im no expert. I would like to see what others think about this as well…

[MidnightBel]

I know for bioactive terrestrial enclosures you usually stick with varying oak leaves, usually live oak, magnolia leaves, and a couple others I can't think of off the top of my head right now. I boil, bake, steam or do a type of combo to sterilize them before putting them in my enclosures so nothing I don't want gets in, especially since I have a bioactive cleanup crew. Even baking should get everything especially if you rinsed the leaves well prior, so in theory you wouldn't lose tannins through boiling process method since you wouldn't have to go that route. Interested to see how pH would be impacted by the different leaves, and obviously some things safe for land might not be safe for water. Might do an experiment over a month with live oak, magnolia, and controlled just tap to see what happens (without live animals in it). 

[CJs Aquatics]

@MidnightBel do different leaves affect ph differently in your experience or your wondering this as well?

[JettsPapa]

Here's a website that might answer some questions:  https://www.seriouslyfish.com/all-the-leaves-are-brown/#more-277617.  I personally have used leaves from red oak, post oak, sycamore, and magnolia.  It's important to only use leaves that are completely dry and have fallen off the tree, not leaves with any green on them.

Some people boil them before adding to a tank, but I have never bothered.  I just rinse them under the faucet and drop them in the tank.  They'll typically float for about two days and then sink.

And yes, they will break down at different rates.