Catappa Leaves Prep

[mark4785]

I have acquired some Catappa leaves to soften my aquarium water. What should I do to prepare them for use in the fish tank beforehand? Are there any risks in using them assuming they are not overdosed?

 

[mbsqw1d]

I have acquired some Catappa leaves to soften my aquarium water. What should I do to prepare them for use in the fish tank beforehand? Are there any risks in using them assuming they are not overdosed?

They won't be effective in 'softening' your water. They release tannins that exists as tannic acid which will work on lowering the PH.
No prep is required other than a quick rinse under tap water.

 

[mark4785]

They won't be effective in 'softening' your water. They release tannins that exists as tannic acid which will work on lowering the PH.
No prep is required other than a quick rinse under tap water.

Ok thats great. As they break down can fungus or bacteria get attached to them?

 

[Sgooosh]

wash them maybe to get rid of dust...

 

[mark4785]

On the back of the packet for the catappa leaves it is recommending rinsing, boiling and soaking in a bucket of water containing activated carbon.

What is the meaning behind using activated carbon in this context?

 

[mbsqw1d]

On the back of the packet for the catappa leaves it is recommending rinsing, boiling and soaking in a bucket of water containing activated carbon.

What is the meaning behind using activated carbon in this context?

That completely defeats the object. They're known for the tannins they release which have anti fungal and anti bacterial properties. Boiling them and subjecting them to activated carbon would remove most of this. If someone wanted them purely for decorative reasons then yeh fair enough

 

[mark4785]

That completely defeats the object. They're known for the tannins they release which have anti fungal and anti bacterial properties. Boiling them and subjecting them to activated carbon would remove most of this. If someone wanted them purely for decorative reasons then yeh fair enough

Yes I felt It defeated the object too. I was a bit concerned that the leaf may have other things in it that needed removing prior to safe use, hence the mention of activated carbon.

 

[mbsqw1d]

Yes I felt It defeated the object too. I was a bit concerned that the leaf may have other things in it that needed removing prior to safe use, hence the mention of activated carbon.

I use them straight out of the bag and have for years with no issues. They take a while to break down. If you dont have a cleanup crew; snails, shrimp, bottom feeders (corys) and the like, the you might want to remove the leaf when it looks past its best. Otherwise the above critters will help to break them down.

 

[mark4785]

I use them straight out of the bag and have for years with no issues. They take a while to break down. If you dont have a cleanup crew; snails, shrimp, bottom feeders (corys) and the like, the you might want to remove the leaf when it looks past its best. Otherwise the above critters will help to break them down.

No, never really had snails/shrimp with them being incompatible with a lot of treatments.

I’ll bear that in mind - thanks!

 

[kribensis12]

Something to take into consideration, Tannic Acid is a very weak acid. If your kH/gH is high, Catappa leaves will not cause your pH to drop whatsoever. You would need to have an acid strong enough to overpower the kH/gH.