Dry leaves for tank floor

[Lamie]

What sort of leaves can be put on the floor of the tank? I think it is old dry leaves but will any kind do? Don't the leaves just disintegrate in the water? This is to make the tank bottom darker for my black phantom tetras I want to get.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

What sort of leaves can be put on the floor of the tank? I think it is old dry leaves but will any kind do? Don't the leaves just disintegrate in the water? This is to make the tank bottom darker for my black phantom tetras I want to get.

You can use oak leaves very safely. It takes a while for them to disintegrate as well.

Don't the leaves just disintegrate in the water?

They take 1-2 months to disintegrate. It also depends on how old/dry the leaves are.

 

[OldTimeFisher]

You can safely use oak Quercus robur, sessile oak Q. petraea, Turkey oak Q. cerris, red oak Q. rubra, European beech Fagus sylvatica, hawthorn Crataegus monogyna, Japanese maple Acer palmatum and Indian Almond leaves. The cones from European alder Alnus glutinosa can be used also. All these have beneficial tannins.
Just make sure that they are well dried out and brown. Submerge and soak them by placing a rock over them in clean water for a few days prior to adding them to your aquarium. This will help them sink easier. Also throughly inspect each leaf for any insects or mold. Leaves with mold should be discarded.

 

[GaryE]

I use red oak leaves, but you are asking at the wrong time of year. I like to collect them when they are dry on the branch.

 

[Byron]

The dryness is very important; the leaf needs to be dead dry, which means it has basically fallen from the tree, or is about to, as occurs in the autumn. There was a good article in PFK on using leaves, and there is an article on Seriously Fish. Here are the links:

All the leaves are brown… — Seriously Fish

seriouslyfish.com

Using leaves in your tank

Collect fallen leaves from a nearby forest and use these to decorate your tank.

www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk