Oak or Indian Almond Leaf Prep

[jwcarlson]

How do you guys prepare your leaves before putting them in the tank?  I bought some IAL and always have them around.  But I have an unlimited supply of red oak leaves from a trusted yard (my parents).  I gathered a big bag and was going to start putting them in my apisto tanks, but not sure how to prep.  I have always just tossed them in community tanks, but don't want to risk my apistos if there's any appreciable risk. 

 

Thoughts? 

[Kit Craft]

With Catapa leaves I just fill up a container with boiling water and let it soak overnight. I repeated this process daily until there is no longer any film on the surface of the water. About 5-7 days depending on the size of leaves and how many I use. This is probably overkill but I like to be able to see my fish. I've never gathered anything outside for my fishtanks so idk about that. I do boil driftwood and bring water to a boil for rocks and then turn it off and dump them in, essentially pasteurizing them. Maybe not ideal but it is what I have always done. 

[jwcarlson]

Part of my desire is to lower the pH, I'm wondering how much of that ability would be left if boiled. 

[AllFishNoBrakes]

I do one of two things:

1. Just throw em in the tank. Along with all kinds of other botanicals. 
2. Take all the botanicals, boil them for 15 minutes, and let them steep for another 45 minutes. Take the botanicals out, put those directly in the tank, and save the blackwater tea. 

[Kit Craft]

@AllFishNoBrakes What exactly do you do with the blackwater tea? I am assuming you don't drink it, lol. Those pictures are not bad. The last time I didn't let my botanicals soak for a long time, my take was blacker than a cup of coffee. I couldn't see in it at all. But I have nano tanks. 

[dangerflower]

I usually rinse them to remove any debris, then boil for 20 minutes, discard that water, and rinse again. Then depending on how much control I want over the tint, I'll either steep them in some warm dechlorinated water for a bit (to release some tannins, and then I can decide how much of that tinted water to add), or just toss them right into the tank.

[Schuyler]

I rinse the leaves and then boil for 10-15 mins

That's just to kill off anything on the leaves, help them sink, and clean anything else that could be on the leaves.

[Lennie]

I spray mine with hydrogen peroxide and rinse after waiting a bit. Add them directly to the tank afterwards.

Or

I pour boiled water over them and let them sit in it for some time. They dont release much tannins this way like they do when you boil them

[AllFishNoBrakes]

On 11/5/2023 at 10:12 AM, Kit Craft said:

What exactly do you do with the blackwater tea? I am assuming you don't drink it, lol.

It’s delicious! Totally joking. 
 

I use it when I do a water change but don’t add any additional botanicals. I like my blackwater tanks dark, so I either keep chucking botanicals in there at every water change, or I dump in some of the tea if I don’t toss in more botanicals. 

[Kit Craft]

On 11/5/2023 at 3:48 PM, AllFishNoBrakes said:

It’s delicious! Totally joking. 
 

I use it when I do a water change but don’t add any additional botanicals. I like my blackwater tanks dark, so I either keep chucking botanicals in there at every water change, or I dump in some of the tea if I don’t toss in more botanicals. 

Ah, cool. I don't really need to. My tanks are tiny, and the driftwood is big in comparison. That plus cones and leaves my water is never clear. If I added extra, I wouldn't be able to see, lol. But, my critters love the botanicals so they stay!

[Guppysnail]

I just rinse clip a plant weight to them so they sink and in they go. 
Yard leaves I just rinse. 

[AllFishNoBrakes]

On 11/5/2023 at 3:06 PM, Kit Craft said:

If I added extra, I wouldn't be able to see, lol.

I have added an internal filter (tiny, cute little one) to the 20 long and a Fluval 107 canister filter to the 29 to clear up all the bits in the water. I want dark water from the tannins, but not cloudy water from the decomposing botanicals. Before I added the internal filter to the 20 long I literally couldn’t see the Pothos roots in the back lol. I’ve learned a lot since March when I started adding botanicals to that tank. 

[tolstoy21]

My method is to go collect fallen oak leaves from my yard, bring them inside, drop them into a tank and call it a day. I keep a full leaf bag in my garage at all times so I always have some on hand.  The only thing I will do is pick out any undesirables, like pine needles, twigs of unknown origin, or leaves that are obviously not oak.  I also collect the spikey pods from sweet gum trees and liberally use alder cones (I get the alder cones on etsy). I don't boil them or even rinse them, unless they have obvious dirt on them.

Edited November 6, 2023 by tolstoy21

[AllFishNoBrakes]

On 11/5/2023 at 7:20 PM, tolstoy21 said:

I also collect the spikey pods from sweet gum trees

I’m trying to get my girlfriends brother to collect some and send them to me. I bought some Sweetgum Pods and my girlfriend went, “You know those are all over the yard at the house my dad and brother live in, right?”  

[jwcarlson]

Thank you all.  Now to figure out how many to add. 🤣

[jwcarlson]

5 in the 29 and 4 in the 20 after water change tonight.  No one is dead yet.  This male is absolutely oblivious.  She's been trying to get him in her cave for 3 or 4 days.  Nonstop loop of him more concerned with sifting sand.  

Sigh.