Living in America...

[Magnum Man]

Leaves for substrate addition... so, I get the Almond leaves... but we will soon have wheelbarrow loads of dried tree leave available... I have heard you can use Oak leaves in your aquariums... anything else??? it sounds like certain leaves are better for growing the little "bugs" that the fish will feed off of, or perhaps some are more risk for fungus etc...

got suggestions for the best leaves to add, that could be growing in my back yard???

 

[Back in the fold]

I looked into dried oak leaves once for something I was going to do and I found them for sale on the internet . Expensive but not excessively expensive. One guy was selling what he called air capture oak leaves . He claimed he caught them in the fall as they were coming off the tree and hadn’t touched the ground and were therefore completely pesticide free . Sounded a little flaky to me .

 

[AlexT]

Born in the USA
I got a lovely selection of oak and beech leaf litter. My research told me these two were two of the least likely to mess with parameters, but obviously do your own research. I also got some almond and love the tannins, but the leaves I gotare strong, maybe like the driftwood you got from Starbucks LOL

I don't think leaves do much to the pH (more acidic) unless you have a very low KH.

My own query has been trying to strike a balance between the lovely natural look leaves give me, and the amount of extra organic waste I might be creating

 

[CaptainBarnicles]

(Did anyone else start singing James Brown?) OW!

 

[Magnum Man]

easiest for me to harvest would be Oak or Maple... but if something was extra specially good, I have a lot of other options... I'd think black walnut might be pretty strong, but apple, choke cherry, mulberry are other options at my disposal.... as well as grape leaves... we get some huge wild grape leaves
lots of these could be air dried & picked right off the tree or vine...

 

[AlexT]

When I got my oak and beech, I wasn't expecting so much for what I paid. If you get desperate I could buy some and ship to the land of opportunity

 

[Essjay]

If you collect leaves, they should be dry and have fallen off the tree naturally (ie not pulled off the tree). They need to be free of pesticides and bird droppings.
I know this link is for British trees but it may give you some ideas.

Using leaves in your tank

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

www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk

 

[Magnum Man]

I just glanced through that article, lots of the type of info I was looking for... thanks for linking it...

 

[GaryE]

Sitting north in Canada, I find red oak really good. Maples decay too quickly, although they are rich in tannins.

You want the leaves that don't fall from oaks - dried but pulled off the branch. If they make it to the ground for a rain or two, you have to dry them for a very long time to avoid mould and fungus. That takes space and makes people think you are crazier than you probably are.

I, umm, bought 2 oak trees this Spring, for the tanks and because they are native trees no longer found in my vicinity. I'll probably add 2 more next year, as they are doing very well.

The other 'botanical' I can collect locally are alder cones.

As for air dried oak leaves caught in flight, you have to put on tights and a tutu and dance while catching them or they aren't worth the prices. if you can snag them while doing the splits when you are airborne, they develop homeopathic qualities.

 

[Uberhoust]

I use broad leaf maple leaves, Acer macrophylum, and Gary oak, Quercus garryana, and Alder cones, Alnus rubra. You should have similar species near you. I pick my leaves in the fall but then let them dry naturally before use. You want them fully cured before putting them into the aquarium.

​

 

[Colin_T]

Any deciduous tree that is non toxic has leaves that can be used in aquariums.

 

[Magnum Man]

I've been planting Northern Red Oak every year on the farm, as wind break... I'm wondering if those are really different than leaves from a burr Oak for example... the Northern Red Oak must have some special properties, as the trees don't drop their leaves until spring, when the new ones start growing

I was surprised to find walnut listed in the article, as we raise sheep, & they will strip the bark off any tree they can put a tooth to... except the walnut trees

we have a few sugar maples, but the bulk of what we have here are soft maples...

we also have a lot of Mulberry trees... but guessing if I want those green, they would be better picked in the spring, rather than battered all summer old ones from the fall, several other fruit & nuts ( been planting Hazel Nuts every year as well...

 

[GaryE]

Red oak get cited because they stay on the tree for ease in harvesting. Hey, we're on the continent of America, and it's give me convenience or give me death! Red Oaks are very convenient.

I harvested burr oak last Fall, and they do all the same things - decay slowly, provide cover and darken the water with tannins.

I love the reddish tinge in the water from maples, but if you are above 22 in water temperatures, they go fast and you end up siphoning out maple particles.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

I've used bur oak, ash, and poplar. The latter decayed fairly quickly and didn't really add any tannins, but better than nothing. I would stay away from walnut as I believe it has toxins in the leaves. Chokecherry definitely does. Some say drying reduces or eliminates them, but I wouldn't take a chance.

 

[sharkweek178]

Watch out for pesticides. Also be careful of collecting leaves near roadways. Exhaust from cars can accumulate on the leaves.